School in the 2020-2021 Academic Year & Coronavirus (Part 1)

Parents Forum
9402

Portion of Wellesley’s plan posted today:

https://blogs.wellesley.edu/announcements/2020/06/30/wellesleys-plan-for-fall-2020-and-beyond/

LEARNING AT WELLESLEY
In the 2020–2021 academic year, we will offer a rigorous academic program delivered through a curriculum that will serve our students wherever they are. Faculty are preparing some courses geared specifically toward students living on campus, some for students who will be taking classes remotely, and others that will be available to both groups. In all three cases, faculty will provide energizing educational experiences that will challenge students to do their best work and set them up for success both at Wellesley and beyond. We plan to follow our regular grading policy for the 2020–2021 academic year.

Academic calendar
Fall classes will begin on August 31 and will include two seven-week terms.
Term 1 will run from August 31 through October 13, followed by a short reading period and final exams. October 18–25 is a break between terms; students who are living on campus will be expected to stay on campus during this break. We will provide an array of wellness, leadership, and reflection activities to engage and support students during this time.
Term 2 will begin on October 26. Students living on campus will be asked to stay through Thanksgiving break, which allows us to maximize in-person class time and finish classes earlier than usual. Classes will end on December 11. Reading period and finals will be remote and will extend from December 12 to December 18. Students may choose to remain on campus to study and take exams.
In place of our traditional Wintersession, we will offer innovative experiential learning projects, conducted remotely, for each class year that will be grounded in building connected communities, leadership development, and reflection.
Spring terms will begin February 1 and conclude in mid-May. We plan to celebrate commencement for the class of 2021 on May 28, and will announce plans early next year for the on-campus celebration for the class of 2020.
To give students additional options for residential or remote study, we expect to offer a program of both in-person and remote seven-week courses during an optional summer term in 2021.

STUDENT LIFE, ON CAMPUS AND OFF
This year we will offer a residential experience that prioritizes both the health and safety of our students and the development of a sense of belonging and connection among students both on and off campus. The Office of Student Life will offer a mix of programs, events, and activities in which all students can participate. They will create educational, health and wellness, and recreational content, and they will continue to build virtual communities throughout the year.

Housing
To reduce the risk of virus transmission, all students will live in singles next year. First-years and sophomores will come to campus in the fall; juniors and seniors will be on campus in the spring.
On-campus housing for the fall will be offered to juniors and seniors who meet the following criteria: international students who have been unable to return home since the spring; students whose home situations make remote learning nearly impossible or for whom Wellesley College is their primary residence; senior honors students who require access to physical spaces on campus; second semester seniors graduating in December; and our student Residential Life staff, academic success coaches, and other key student leaders such as the College Government Cabinet. If any on-campus rooms remain available for the fall once those students have been assigned housing, we will consider requests from other juniors and seniors who wish to live on campus.
We are exploring the possibility of contracting with a nearby hotel and using the entire facility as satellite residential housing for juniors and seniors who want to be on campus in the fall. These students would take classes remotely, but the College would provide regular transportation to campus, and students would have access to on-campus dining. Juniors and seniors will receive more information and have the chance to request this option as part of the Fall Intent Form.
To observe physical distancing and limit exposure, campus facilities will be open only to students who are living in College-provided housing, whether on campus or in the satellite residential housing. Due to health and safety concerns, students who choose to live at home or in off-campus apartments in the local area will not be able to take classes on campus or have access to campus facilities.
Guests will not be permitted in the residence halls or in any campus buildings.
All students living on campus or in satellite residential housing will be expected to agree to comply with health and safety protocols, including undergoing regular testing for COVID-19, and uphold the standards within the Code of Conduct, which is in the process of being updated for the fall.
Starting July 2, students should complete Fall Intent Form. On this form, students will be asked to indicate the following: their intention to return to campus housing, study remotely, or take a leave of absence and, in the case of juniors and seniors, their interest in satellite residential housing. The form must be completed by July 10.
Students with individual concerns or questions about housing, or who are members of at-risk groups identified by the CDC, should reach out to the Office of Accessibility and Disability Resources to discuss their options.

Move-in and orientation
A phased move-in will begin on August 24, starting with student leaders and extending over several days. Students will receive more detailed information about this process later this summer.
First-years will participate in a virtual orientation program over the summer and an in-person, three-day orientation on campus.
Student health and safety procedures
Before traveling to campus, we ask that students quarantine at home for 14 days. As the pandemic continues to evolve, we will update arrival guidelines based on Massachusetts state protocols.
Students will be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival and again every two to three days during their first 14 days on campus, using new technology for a noninvasive test that is easily administered.
Throughout their time on campus, students will be required to undergo a regular weekly test for COVID-19. Students must also complete a daily app-based symptom tracking questionnaire and agree to comply with other health and safety protocols, such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing.
Quarantine spaces for close contacts of COVID-19 positive cases will be reserved. Isolation spaces for positive cases will be located in dedicated buildings on campus.
Health Services will offer students both in-person and virtual appointments for all health issues. The Stone Center Counseling Service will continue to provide virtual support to all students, and in-person appointments for students on campus or in satellite residential housing. The Stone Center can also help students find treatment options in their home states.

Dining
Several large dining halls will be open, and students will have the option of grab-and-go meals as well as limited in-person seating with appropriate physical distancing.
Dining facilities that do not allow for physical distancing will be closed for the fall. Those include the Leaky Beaker, Collins Café, El Table, Punch’s Alley, and Café Hoop. The Emporium will only be open for to-go meal pickup. These locations will be reevaluated in the spring.

9403

This is interesting! Which school?

9404

Hi All! Back to Wellesley’s plan, this webpage has all the info in a much easier to navigate format :slight_smile:

https://www.wellesley.edu/coronavirus

9405

Bama says “hold my beer”

“Several college students, who were aware they had tested positive for the coronavirus, attended parties around Tuscaloosa, according to a city official.”

https://abc3340.com/news/local/university-of-alabama-students-who-knew-they-had-covid-19-attended-parties

9406

@“Cardinal Fang” - I would go with a off campus apt and plan on staying until he has a job after graduation , he/you may take a hit on rent but gives him the most options.

9407

Study :smile:

9408

What’s going on with on-campus housing at Purdue Fort Wayne? Our son is a first year but he missed the deadline and now is on the waitlist with no guarantee of on-campus housing. This is the kid that won’t do well alone in an apartment. Any other freshmen in similar situation?

9409

The system is certainly not full proof but colleges are serious about every person on campus doing their part. The communication we are getting is emphasizing personable responsibility big time. I think the colleges are going to have little tolerance for some of this reckless behavior and may send kids home early or other consequences.

9410

Has any school defined ‘quarantine’ either at home before traveling to school or if they are quarantined (as opposed to ‘isolation’) when exposed at school?

I know a lot of people (and some on this list) who claim they are in quarantine but go to the grocery store, to Home Depot, walk in public parks, go to the dentist, get a hair cut. I know people who are in quarantine but have one family member doing Instacart runs several times a week, have had SD meetings (and I’m sure they are 6’ apart but nothing is 100% safe), making personal trips to the grocery store and other ‘necessary’ stores. I’m sure they’ve had take-out a few times and been to the doctor. Is that quarantining?

I just don’t see 600 students spending 14 days in quarantine, never leaving their homes, not having anyone else in the family leave, somehow getting to school in a sterilized bubble, and thus presenting to the school as ‘clean.’

Also, have there been cases of people who first show symptoms after day 10 in the quarantine? It seems that all the cases I’ve seen of a big outbreak after an exposure (a grad party, a bar party, a restaurant) seem to be after only a few days. I’ve not read of any where there was an exposure and then 13.5 days later, the virus shows up. Is it possible to cut the quarantine period down to 7 days after an exposure? That would help students a lot.

9411

My D had to quarantine before she started working. The company told her she could go out to exercise and to get essentials but it wasn’t an “official” quarantine. Our neighbors had to officially quarantine when returning from abroad and they didn’t leave the house for the 14 days. They had groceries delivered and let the dog out only in the back yard.

9412

Quarantine on many campuses for on campus students is defined as either 10 or 14 days in a room and only leaving to go to the bathroom. They bring you food. I believe most universities are expecting off campus kids to do the same. Stay in a bedroom. Have your roommates bring you food.

9413

If I had an incoming freshman at any school, he/she would absolutely be deferring for a year. My son is a senior. He and his close friend group are heading back to campus in the fall. He does have other friends who are athletes who taking gaps because there will be no sports competitions this fall (I doubt there will be any competitions all year, but nothing anywhere has been announced beyond fall.)

9414

It sounds like Bowdoin’s campus is more shut down than Williams’s campus. It is my understanding that all of the facilities will be open and the athletes will be practicing and conditioning in the gym even though they will not be competing against any other schools.

9415

Another local suburban HS announced fall plans. It’s fairly large for the area. Personally, I like this one. Two choices only. Go back full-time with safety program in-place or go online. No penalties, no hybrid. Kids and parents decide. They also laid out how they would fall back to online only if necessary.

“With this first step complete, the district can now begin the detailed planning beyond the health and safety actions for the return to school. We fully acknowledge no one plan will appeal to everyone or will completely eliminate the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The recommendation to reopen for all students, while providing a 100% distance learning option for anyone who is not comfortable returning, was driven by the input we received from our parent survey. The majority favored a traditional in-school setting return with 11.3% not in support of any face to face instruction.”

9416

@chmcnm but what if a large percentage of kids decide to go back to school in person and social distancing isn’t possible? If our district gave that choice, I think we would have almost 100 percent of the 3000 kids back in the building. It would be crazy crowded.

9417

@“cardinal fang”, If it were my son, I’d bring him home. My concern for my similarly aged children isn’t just what if they bring us (or their grandparents) Covid. It’s how will it affect them if they do? Suppose one of us suffers long-term health issues or dies as a result? That’s a lot of guilt to carry. What if their return home just happens to coincide with one of us getting it? My spouse and I work, and the grandparents go to the store occasionally and visit their other children. So the chances of getting it unrelated to our children aren’t zero. But it might be difficult to convince them of that. I wouldn’t want them to carry that guilt.

I think as the months go by we’ll learn more and can make more informed choices. But right now, there’s so much we don’t know. How helpful are masks? Which is best? Are face shields okay or should they be combined with masks? Should people keep 6’ apart or only 3’? Does distance matter at all if you’re wearing a mask? What are the treatment options? If my spouse or parent is hospitalized, will I be allowed to visit? There are too many things we don’t know/don’t agree on for a disease that presents in so many different ways (or not at all if you’re a carrier) and for which there’s no cure. I’d err on the side of caution.

9418

I agree with you. Social distancing won’t be possible. That said, I think they’re staggering start times so there isn’t a mad rush to classes. Plus, most HS classes are 25 kids or less. They’re also relying on masks and hygiene.

There is no good answer for any of this when you weigh risks, benefits, and costs. I think we all agree that in-person learning is best overall for kids and parents. To continue in-person learning for all AND meet all the safety guidelines schools would have to double their building space or stagger kids and teachers and clean between classes. You would probably need to double the number of teachers. Neither solution is realistic.

You weigh the risks and rewards and then set sail and deal with the outcome.

9419

After 6 months, there’re certainly an awful lot we don’t know about the virus and its transmissions. With our current state of epidemiology, some of them are, unfortunately, unknowable, at least not definitively. We can only infer from experiences and some lab experiments. We know masks are helpful and some are better than others, but none of them offers near 100% protection. We also know physical distancing helps. The longer the distance the less likely the transmission. 6’ is better than 3’ but still may not be enough in some situations. In more crowded places when 6’ distance isn’t possible, do the best you can (In some crowded Asian cities, 3’ distance is recommended because always keeping 6’ distance would be difficult). There’s no definitive answer, now or ever. We should follow the laws of physics and our common sense.

9420

I’m starting to think enforcement will be the most important part of the plan. Colleges can set up all sorts of rules that most students follow, but if they don’t quickly and strongly deal with the knuckleheads it will all be for nothing.

In my experience, 30 years of living in college towns, this wont be easy for schools. They always talk tough, but struggle to bring the hammer down on the customer.

How would you feel if your daughter makes a bad decision and goes to a frat party, and ends up being sent home?

9421

@chmcnm does your state have guidelines for school? I don’t think we can just mask up the kids and send them to school. Are you envisioning kids in masks but the regular 25 class size in a regular classroom that fits 25?