So really Bowdoin is having isolation of some type.
What do I think is going to happen at colleges that aren’t testing or testing infrequently? The same thing I think that’s going to happen at the majority of colleges who are having students on-campus regardless of their mitigation strategies. There are going to be outbreaks, they won’t be contained, and the schools are going to have to shut down their physical campuses.
Great to hear Purdue is off to a good start! Phew.
@3Sailaway, on the couples question: While my kiddos do not currently have boyfriends/girlfriends, I am personally very sympathetic to that situation, and I do not see it as a cause of major outbreaks. I don’t really view it entirely differently from married couples, although I do get that the two kids may live in separate family units, so slightly enlarge the social circle. But if kids have cut their social interactions by 95%+ overall, and only get close to their partner, especially in states that have the virus under control, it seems not too risky to allow that. And I guess I’m a romantic, but I just love young love! Anyway, I don’t think I was a poster who scoffed about couples finding a way, I’m pretty sure I didn’t comment, but I guess I secretly hope that they do find a way to be together (but then double down on their safety precautions elsewhere). It seems unnatural to me to keep those relationships apart for what may be years…
@EmptyNestSoon2 , I’m a romantic, too. Plus, my kids are very affectionate and normally hug all their friends. D21 and her friends are still like a litter of puppies sprawled together on the floor or plied onto one couch (pre-pandemic). D19 has chronic migraines and it’s hard for her to think of going 13 weeks without someone to rub her head, let alone hold hands etc. I would say I want them to find a way, as I agree that the risk is not significantly increased by contact with one person, but where can the school draw the line, and what about breaking codes of conduct? Between this, classes being 100% online, and everything else, living at home is sounding better and better. If D’s boyfriend stays home too, they will surely visit each other.
The point of isolating “family” units is to cut the links. If you allow each person to socialize with one person in another “family” unit, then you’ve connected everyone up again. It’s like saying, the dog is safe in the backyard because the yard has a fence, and oh it doesn’t matter that there’s one little hole in the fence. The dog will find the hole. The virus will find the link between social groups.
I’ve seen some ask… what would it take for campus to shut down again… UT Austin has posted their phases and the criteria for going from one to another.
What phase does UT Austin project for the beginning of classes?
@4kids4us I believe Maryland will be added to the NY quarantine list starting next week, so you may want to start planning for that. I am in MD as well with an incoming freshman at a school in NY. Our numbers are going to be above 10/100000 despite a positivity rate below 5% and a large testing volume overall.
Delete. Already addressed.
Good luck keeping the majority of “couples” apart. The reality is the majority will get together one way or another. Will it contribute to spread? If one of them is positive then yes. Will having kids on campus contribute to spread? Absolutely. Many kids outside of colleges are getting together. Maybe yours aren’t but others are. Schools in the fall will have kids getting together. It’s going to happen. I’m sure some will be held accountable by certain schools and other schools will not be as strict. It will be an interesting fall. Part of me is glad my son is staying home do he’ll have more “freedom”.
Bad news for the claim that children do not transmit the virus. South Korea researchers examined household transmission for a large group of “index cases,” where an index case is the first person in the household to be infected. Of all the age groups, index cases in the 10-19 age group were the most likely to transmit to other household members.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/10/20-1315_article
This study concerned cases during South Korea’s lockdown. People aged 10-19 were less likely to be index cases, perhaps because they were locked down.
I’ve definitely been keeping an eye on it! We may have our son quarantine at an off campus house that one of his friends has already rented for the school year if that happens.
Many of the residents in the town I work…whose kids attend the local public school…are anti-maskers. Many of them do not want their kids in school wearing a mask in class. They will agree to wearing a mask from car to desk…but then want the mask off. Our district has not come out with their plan yet, but if masks on children are optional, this is going to get very, very ugly. There is no teacher in my school who will face 15 kids who are unmasked…for 7 hours. Nor should they.
Deleted. Just venting
I thought I’d create a living document of the fall semester life-cycle at my son’s well ranked regional public school.
Below are my posts from July 8th, though it seems like forever ago rather than 10 days:
**My son’s school will bring back all 20,000+.
There will be no singles, roommates will form a family unit. There are dorms set aside for quarantine and local hotels have been contracted for additional space.
There will be no initial testing, only symptomatic people will be tested. They were honest and admitted there will be initial constraints around test procurement and processing. Students that test positive will be encouraged to go home. There will be a daily health check-in via app.
The gym will be open, but distanced. Dining halls will function at roughly 70%. Many of the creature comforts found in common spaces will be eliminated.
Most classes are scheduled to be in person, but many may meet in non-traditional spaces. Large lectures, as expected, would be taught remotely. Many classes will offer both synchronous and asynchronous options for at risk students and those that may be quarantined. The Libraries are pursuing a “digital first” strategy of providing online textbooks.
Masks are required anywhere distancing isn’t possible, to include outdoors if conditions dictate. Dorm policy requires mask wearing everywhere but inside your own room. Students are encouraged to bring several washable masks, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. There will be disposable masks available in every classroom should a student forget theirs. Hand sanitizing stations will be positioned throughout all academic buildings.
Classrooms and labs will be cleaned three times per day, to include wipe down and fogging equipment. Class schedules have been rearranged to include 60 minute cleaning breaks every 3-4 hours. Because of that some classes may meet as late as 9pm.
Everything is subject to change.
They didn’t provide a great deal of information about sending students home. They have quarantine dorms and hotels on standby for those that can’t travel home.
I took a look at the incoming freshman class before responding. In-state students account for 77% of the enrolled Class of 2024. Another 5.5% are from contiguous states. Additionally, there are 9% that live within a 4-5 hour drive.**
So, where do things stand today?
One of my son’s classes has transitioned to 100% online. The others are still designated 100% in person. As a rising junior, with only major and minor classes left, it appears his schedule is better positioned to remain in person because they have less than 30 students enrolled, with one having as little as 12 currently. Incoming freshman, and many sophomores, are reporting that their classes are beginning to shift towards either hybrid or 100% online variants. Many of their classes would most likely have 50+ students enrolled, and some may have 200+ for Gen Ed/Core classes.
Parents on the various class specific FB pages are all over the spectrum, from optimistic to completely discouraged, as you might expect. Freshman parents are rightfully concerned about acclimation issues should a majority, if not all classes, end up online while students are required to spend an inordinate amount of time in their rooms. Some parents simply want their kids out of their house. Others still have hopes for a modicum of normalcy. Currently a small, but growing portion of parents are pondering/pursuing a semester deferral or full gap year. Sophomore parents seem to be 60%(return to campus)/40%(study from home) because their students will have a better understanding of the normal campus experience that they are missing out on. Junior parents fall in the 75%(campus)/25%(home) camp because their students are into their major and on the back end of their college journey. Finally, senior parents appear to split 95%/5% hoping their students will power through the adversity and move on to the real world(a daunting world for graduates, BTW).
Despite registering previously, the school schedule has been adjusted and class times and locations are changing to accommodate proper distancing protocols. “All” changes are supposed to be finalized this week, so, theoretically, everyone should know where, when and how their classes will meet this fall. Now, do I believe “all” class specific pedagogical approaches will truly be finalized this week? Of course not, but we feel there’s nothing constructive about speculation concerning things completely beyond our son’s control at this point. He’s going back to his off-campus apartment regardless of class format.
If it matters to anyone, only 2% of the incoming class comes from the “hot spot” states that NY has identified. The state this school is in currently has no hot spot specific policy. Honestly, I don’t think they have a quarantine policy at all for visitors from other states.
The sports season for the school’s teams is up in the air at this point. Of the clubs and organizations my son belongs to, I would expect only Club Golf to function somewhat normally this fall. Club Jiu-Jitsu…not so much. I don’t anticipate golf parties…or lacrosse parties…or soccer parties…but I certainly wouldn’t bet my life on it. I know my son won’t be at them because he’s repeatedly seen, first hand, what this virus does to people.
He’s scheduled to return to his college town in about 30 days. I’ll keep everyone posted on how things change, up until the point that all students leave the campus this fall, be that for winter break…or Labor day…
They also essentially backed out of their earlier promise of in-person instruction except in very limited circumstances (DS’s classmate is a rising freshman there so it came up in my feed).
Whatever schools still haven’t faced the harsh reality of the situation (or simply haven’t admitted to it yet) will have to do so very soon.
To quote Stephen Colbert, “I’m not the kind of guy who says ‘I told you so.’ I’m the kind of guy who makes it a banner.”
Denver public schools (biggest in state) announced about 2 weeks ago that there would be in person classes but students also had the ability to choose to be online. Then they announced that there would be a week delay in the start. Now they announced the week delay, plus the first two weeks (at least) will be online.
I think the surrounding districts will fall next week and no one will be in classrooms to start the year except private schools.
Colorado is not a ‘red’ state or listed in on the extra quarantine list. Governor did just issue a statewide mask order for those over 10 years old inside. Denver has a mask order for those over 3 years old. Masks will be required for all in schools should they ever open.
I remember seeing someone post the Tufts plan, and it included social pods of 6-12 kids. I don’t think the idea was to be free to congregate in hallways, but I recall, for example, that they could make reservations in the dining hall for tables to eat with their social pod (obviously masks off) but can’t eat in the dining hall with any kids not in their social pod, and there may have been additional opportunities for the pods, perhaps hanging in dorm rooms. I think soon after that post, there was another school someone mentioned that had the “family” or “pod” concept, but I can’t go back and find it. Harvard also ran focus groups with students exploring different options, and one idea had to do with social pods of 10-15, but they haven’t officially revealed if the pods are happening and exactly what would be permitted with your pod.
I actually think there is value in this idea, but WHOOOEY, if there can be drama with kids figuring out who they are going to room with each year, imagine the importance of getting your pod right?!?! This is soooo much more of a commitment than picking roommates!
ETA: oops, just noticed that Homerdog already responded saying that Bowdoin also has a family/pod plan. So there’s at least a handful of schools planning for this type of idea.
From the school closure thread. Facing a 50% budget cut would be bound to affect school next year and going forward . . . .
@homerdog wrote:
@EmptyNestSoon2 wrote:
The number of people seem to be the determining factors. At Bowdoin, they’ve only invited back 500 people, so it is highly probable they are cherry-picking the dorms they will be rooming into. Eight person family units would seem to be pushing the envelope a bit for removing face masks, IMO. At Williams they cap it at five:
At Wesleyan, they distinguish between “family units” and “cohorts” which was the source of my confusion when I read of Bowdoin’s plans:
https://www.wesleyan.edu/reslife/_internal/Early%20Housing%20Closure.html
At Wesleyan, the frosh halls can be big by modern standards - anywhere from 10-20 students, depending on how they de-densify. I interpret the FAQ above to mean, masks and SD everywhere except suites, houses, and apartments.
The important thing to remember about all of these plans is that they are meant to make contact tracing easier. And, if one person in the pod (or bubble, or “family”) tests positively then everyone will have to quarantine for some period of time (I’m betting it will be 14 days) and then we’ll see how easy it becomes to wear a mask after that.
My S18 was exposed at work last week and was told to get a test along with his other 5 co-workers. It was beyond challenging to find a test. Either he didn’t qualify (was not sick enough or didn’t work in healthcare) or if he did qualify (as a possible exposure), the first available test we could find was not until July 28- 3 weeks after the exposure. I don’t see how this bodes well for all of the schools and colleges asking thousands of kids to test prior to coming.