@"Cardinal Fang": I can't blame a college at risk for deciding to bring back students, but I wish they'd be honest about it. "We know there's a risk of an outbreak, but if we don't bring students back we go bankrupt." Just say it.
That is the single most accurate post I’ve seen on this entire thread. You nailed it.
And yet, for the students attending colleges that are going entirely online, it’s a huge disappointment. For parents paying for an online only experience, it feels like we are paying for a Mercedes but driving away in a Yugo.
It’s an interesting take on Vassar’s policy, whether Vassar meant it that way or not. Seems to beg the question whether there is a “bubble” or “pod” policy in place?
Elon students have to submit a request and receive approval if they elect to opt for remote-only instruction.
Don’t agree with this policy at all .
Students may be approved to take courses through remote-only instruction due to documented disabilities or health-related accommodations. These requests should be initiated by the student through the Office of Disabilities Resources.
While Elon’s primary model is in-person instruction, requests from students who require accommodations this fall due to COVID-19 will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. A special Modification Review Committee has been established to consider these requests, considering the specific circumstances and needs of the individual students. Students will be able to submit a request by August 5. If a student is approved to take a class via remote-only instruction, those faculty will be notified.
FSU just released dorm room assignments today. As was planned, there are (technically) no triples. They have mostly suite style dorms with two roommates sharing a connecting bath with their suitemate(s). So, I suppose it’s better than community bathrooms. Also, each room has it’s own separate sink. D and her roomate are happy they got assigned to the building they wanted and also got what was formerly a triple, so they have a fairly big room with 3 closets.
On the other hand, move in date selection has been postponed until early next week. I’m getting a little anxious because we can’t make plane reservations until we know her move-in date, and that is already 3-4 weeks away.
Move in dates are scattered between Aug 13 and 23. Classes start on the 24th. D has registered for her classes which are all either remote or online. Masks are required pretty much everywhere except the students’ own dorm rooms. They have their own testing center on campus.
The semester ends Dec 11, but students will stay home after Thanksgiving, from what the plan seems to indicate. We will see how this goes.
Anyone else feel like they are being sold a wishful thinking fable when colleges say that their online classes this fall are worthy of the full sticker price they are asking parents to pay?
It’s like paying for an expensive family vacation to Myrtle Beach and having it cancelled due to a hurricane (natural disaster) and then being told by the rental owner, “Don’t worry, you can still enjoy the vacation! You’ll be watching the beach from a webcam at home on your computer with sound effects! It’s a superb substitute!”
(Yes, I know that colleges are doing the best they can… and the analogy is not perfect… I’m just venting.)
I think a lot of large public schools will rethink the business end of being residential. All of this would be much easier to manage for unis where the majority of students live off campus. The expectations of the parents are possibly the worst part of this scenario, I would think they would love to be shot of that, period. I am surprised non of them haven't floated this already. The unis my kids attend are both mostly off campus.
I agree but would you start a 4 year investment in a college that might not make it? I would not recommend it. Lets face it though any school opening in any part (even if just for dorms and dining is doing it for financial reasons. In my state every county k-12 is online to start and yet every college in the same state that I know of is bring kids back to the dorms for living and eating. If 6 hours a day is not okay for a high schooler why is 24 hours a day okay for kids only a year or two older? The k-12 public school has no financial downturn for no in person instruction.
This pretty much sums up my thoughts on what is lost by paying for a private LAC but having your kid sit home doing online instead:
“The value proposition of smaller private colleges is very much tied to providing an on-campus experience where students may have close interactions with faculty members, where they may have unique experiences tied to being at a smaller school in a particular location,” said Kevin McClure, an associate professor of higher education at University of North Carolina Wilmington.
I dunno. I’m not so sure about all this talk about LACs needing to reopen solely for financial reasons. I did a quick back of the envelope calculation of what a place like Wesleyan would lose it every undergraduate stayed home this Fall. It came to roughly $30mm for just one semester (at 10k a pop for room and board.) They’re spending about $40mm on expenses associated with COVID-19 mitigation, including testing, hotel rooms, financial aid adjustments and PPE purchasing. It seems like they are losing money by staying open. I think for some high-profile institutions, it may also be about maintaining the brand.
@circuitrider maybe part of why they have to open up even if they aren’t making money off doing that is they will lose students to peer institutions that have opened up?
Its also about how compliant the student body is to wearing masks and socially distancing. Colleges that are opening may be banking on the adult , academically accomplished students understanding the rationale behind the rules and following them. But I can understand that it may be difficult to convince a rebellious 14 year old or a 17 Year old with moderate learning difficulties to keep their masks on at school all day and that may be twisting the arms of the K-12 leaders.
Perhaps. I can definitely see heavy competition between Bowdoin which has come under heavy criticism in this thread for not opening completely and other Maine LACs that have.
Also, we don’t know yet if “opening up” is the best choice. We have to see what happens this fall. If kids enjoy their experience on campus, masked up and taking mostly remote classes and eating to-go meals and manage to not have a virus breakout then they will look good. If not, the schools that avoided that by either having just a few or no students on campus will look like they were the ones that made the right choice.
At this point I am looking at any college that still promises in-person instruction (cough Vandy cough) and thinking “Is there something people should know about you?”
I’m thinking they get the fall semester to prove that online works. If they don’t, word will get around fast and there will be many transfers and/or deferrals this spring. If Covid is still an issue next fall it’s game over. Nobody will pay full price for online.