What would you prefer? Stricter rules first and perhaps relax them over time if no cases, or looser rules until cases appear and risk a shutdown?
Exactly.
Many seem to be forgetting that CDC guidelines for colleges vary based on level of community spread.
In some locations, the faculty and staff are a much greater risk to the students than the opposite. Faculty living in the NY, NJ, CT and Massachusetts hot zones likely have higher COVID rates than the students flying in from elsewhere.
Physical distances between faculty/staff and students are likely to be observed at all times. Keeping physical distances among students at all times is more problematic.
A couple of points:
- colleges are putting in strict policies this fall to limit the possibility of virus transmissions. It will NOT be perfect and 100% full proof. Students are going to interact with each other but at least some/many will comply which will help.
- yes, some students in a dorm room may have to take an online class call at the same time their roommate does. They will survive. Many businesses have open “pits” where colleagues can hear others. It’s not perfect but they manage to get their work done. We ALL need to be a little flexible during an unprecedented pandemic. This is the new normal for awhile.
- students will survive if they can’t see their BFF each day or week. There are many ways to socialize without being less than 6 feet from someone. Again, make the necessary adjustment for the short term. Students are resilient and will find way to socialize, healthily.
We will get through this relatively unscathed. Trust the process and try to enjoy the environment, no matter what it looks like this fall.
I don’t think we need to keep being reminded that times are different and not everyone can be made happy. Message received. I think it is ok to come here and share concerns and frustrations without continually being challenged.
That being said, I would also have concerns if my kid would only have limited interactions with his small group of friends.
Also, the spike in cases and hospitalizations throughout the country are concerning and make me believe even colleges who have shared plans may be making modifications.
Really? Are NY, NJ, CT, MA the places with the highest current infection rates? People in New York or New Jersey who have had covid and recovered (and there are a lot of those people) aren’t going to infect anyone. It only matters who is currently infected at the time school starts. And right now, Florida, Arizona and Texas appear to have more current infections than NY, NJ, CT or MA.
New York and Florida have about the same population, but yesterday Florida posted twice as many cases. Arizona and New Jersey have about the same population, but yesterday Arizona posted two and half times as many cases as New Jersey. Texas has a lot more new cases per capita than NY, NJ, CT or MA.
My son’s college came up with their own social distancing measures, 38 square feet per person and 7-1/2 feet between. It applies to all classrooms so they know how many classrooms are available for certain classes. They haven’t mentioned anything about cafeterias or dorm rooms yet. Typical double occupancy rooms (with communal bathroom in hallway) in his college building seem to be about 140-150SF. Beds aren’t placed 7-1/2 feet apart. Hallway seems very narrow unless they make all “one-way”.
@“Cardinal Fang” I agree with you assertion above. Faculty in NJ CN NY and MA are not badly off than other states like Florida or Texas. As a matter of fact currently New York State has the lowest infection rate in the country.
^Yeah, I was one of millions of people who spent the better part of three months sheltering in place. It was the scariest 90 days of my life; I wouldn’t wish it on any other part of the country. But, the fact remains that social distancing did work and if it had been practiced earlier, it would have saved even more lives.
We are in metro-NYC, and other than our nuclear family, we only socialized with people outdoors and 6 feet+ apart, for three months during the big Covid wave. I can imagine what it would be like to do that if I lived alone—long days, sterile and silent (and I’m an introvert!). If I were single, I would have formed a bubble or cohort, or gotten a puppy.
I don’t think that means I’m not resilient.
Brief description of the five options being considered made public here:
https://covid19.mit.edu/recommendations-of-apart-concerning-academic-year-2020-21
I know your asking some rhetorical questions but you may be overthinking this also. Kids have had classes with their roommates being in the same room before. This is nothing new. My son and his first 3 roommates actually had like 180 degree different schedules and it always worked out. This is part of having a roommate and figuring out the needs of each other. Sure, one might go to the student lounge and yikes… There might be others there also
So headphones with a mic attached or similar might work. It’s also might not work. Hmmm. Me thinks the college kids will figure it out. Maybe there is a place that kids can go and talk indoors. Special rooms for this (with headphones on). Every kid and every campus will have challenges. Once they know what those are I assume these highly educated and intelligent kids will work out something that will make sense to them. There is going to be a need for comprise for everyone. If kids don’t want to or know how to self advocate for themselves, time to learn to do this. It’s something most freshman have to do at some point anyhow.
@Knowsstuff wrote:
This. Full Stop.
I think students will still socialize, just differently. Those who feel they can’t adapt to those differences could consider taking the semester off. Under the circumstances, I don’t think that a policy of no visitation in the dorms – when students can be together all day – is too much to ask.
I think we do our best to ask the right questions…but then we have to take a step back and leave it up to our young adult kids. We can’t control everything, and we have to trust that they will figure it out. It seems to me that figuring out remote classes with a roommate…should be left for the roommates to decide.
And if they make a mistake along the way…if they don’t plan the right room for their online class and it’s too noisy…if they get to class late and can’t get the perfect seat…if they have to navigate social gatherings and make some uncomfortable decisions, if something in the room isn’t fair, etc…
It will be ok. The goal here is to foster independence so that they can eventually navigate the world on their own…and be able to handle the next crisis (hopefully there isn’t one). And if there ever comes a time when more assistance is required…then we jump in.
As noted above…learning to self advocate is an important skill.
@katliamom where will they be together “all day long” exactly? Let’s say class is half remote so some days there will be in person class. They might be expected to grab and take their food somewhere to eat. No visitors to their rooms. Where are they hanging out during the day? S19 hangs out with his friends every night to work. They go to a certain building where they’ve found a room they really like. It’s big and tends to be empty. I hope they’ll be able to go there.
I know I’m picking this apart. I hope they will all figure it out. But if they have to sign promises that say they won’t be in each other’s rooms? I can’t imagine that. And those poor freshmen.
Navigate social experiences? I don’t see where there will be any of those for those of you who want kids in singles with no friends over. If you don’t want that then you certainly don’t want any social gatherings elsewhere. Life cannot always be outside.
It hard to believe that some of you expect students and faculty to have completely different out of class experiences. That makes zero sense.
@twogirls our kids are plenty independent and definitely advocate for themselves. That’s not the issue. It’s paying for a full experience that seems to be getting chipped away in all kinds of important ways. I have to reserve some judgement because, for us, we do not know the plan yet.
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They can be together outside, six feet apart. Or during class with masks on and socially distanced. Or possibly in a common room of their dorm, with masks on and with a limited number of students who also live in that dorm (perhaps by reservation?).
Maybe those who think these rules are reasonable haven’t thought it through. Or maybe they are assuming that the kids will break the rules, or get together off campus.
I tend not to overthink things, but in this case, my kid will be asked to sign a contract at a school with an honor code.