If you roll-over the data, you’ll see it says total contracts. I assume that means for the upcoming year. As bills for the fall became due, my guess is that people decided not to spend the money and canceled their contracts with housing.
@MommaB123 How is USCarolina doing testing? Is it voluntary if you have symptoms? Or random testing of x number of kids each week, etc?
True…but the other side of that is the potential for a false sense of security in the testing.
There are SOOOO many issues that won’t resonate with many students: false negatives, the timing between infection and testing positive, activities and contact between the test and the results.
If everyone feels like they are tested a lot and that the testing will stop the spread, it creates other dangers.
If you live on campus or in Greek Village, you are required to get a test 10-14 days before moving in. This proved to be a challenge for some people who live in states where testing is not readily available to those without symptoms or where results take a long time to come back. If you live off campus, they “recommend” that you get a test before moving in.
There is no set process for testing. They have mentioned wastewater testing. Testing does appear to be easy to get at the Student Health Center.
I have one at U of SC (senior) and one at Williams (incoming freshman) - these schools couldn’t be more different in their approaches!
Adding one additional comment - U of SC will eventually be doing saliva tests; they are waiting for approval for their test.
Maybe? But not if masks and distancing are still required everywhere. I’m talking about the smallest of campuses that are testing twice or three times a week and have all kids on campus. If one gets a false negative on Monday but is still good about mask wearing, etc., then gets a positive result three or four days later then,hopefully, they did not infect anyone. We know people in our town who had the virus. In three cases where we know the details, even their immediate families did not get the virus. The families had all members tested when they found out about the one case in their house and continued testing weekly for three weeks so everyone is out of the woods now. So, with masks and all of these rules around no big gatherings, I feel like even a positive case or two on a small campus shouldn’t blow up.
About the private High Schools…
I know our local Catholic HS has been saved from closing by high enrollment of kids from China. Now that my kid is in college I’m not in touch with what’s going on at that HS. But I’m thinking that enrollment from China must be down significantly and those empty seats must be being filled by some of the public school kids whose families want more F2F. I’m just guessing.
But my take away thought is, wow, what a time to be in Education! So many moving parts!
@MommaB123 Keep us posted on both schools. My D deferred Williams, so I’m especially interested in hearing how they’re doing. Good luck!
I’m excited about what I’m reading about coming cheap saliva tests on strips so that you will be able to test daily before leaving the dorm (or house for the rest of us!) and have immediate results. I think this will be the game changer while we wait for vaccines. I’ve read they will be avail in the next couple of months.
I just hope COVID deniers will actually use them and abide by the results. I guess workplaces (grocery stores, etc.) and schools could have employees/students take the test when they arrive so results can be verified? Might be cumbersome at schools but probably doable.
Early pre-arrival test results from Purdue
Purdue University announced today (Aug. 12) that more than 99% of students who have been tested thus far before their arrival for Purdue University’s Fall 2020 semester have tested negative for COVID-19. Of the 15,444 results received, 133 have tested positive for COVID-19, for a 0.86% positive rate. Close to 40,000 students are expected to be tested before the semester begins Aug. 24.
They’ve been told they may have to close too, but if there is another huge outbreak, maybe the parents will also be at home? The family I’m most familiar with has the mother working as a school nurse, so if all schools close she’d be at home with the kids, who are 1 in preschool (private), two in charter school, two in public middle (although one is special needs, so is in school 4 days F2F).
It is all one big experiment and no one knows which system is best. Any student in the state can choose all online with many options (school district or several established K-12 online schools). The catholic school district is offering in person or on line options.
The school census is taken on Oct 1. Wherever you are on Oct 1 gets the money. I think there will be a huge rush the last week of September to attract students to schools.
Orientation at the vet school started yesterday. In person, split in three rooms, marks on the tables where to and not to sit, masks required. Professors in the front 10 feet from students since they are wearing face shields. A lot of orientation was on COVID and rules and processes. They were all given goodie bags with the no touch tool, masks, thermometer, hand sanitizer, etc. Every student on campus will get one. I’m not worried about the in-class, on campus situation but am worried about what goes on off campus mainly with undergrads. The grad students seem pretty focused but a lot of them live off campus with others (as does my son) who may not be as cautious.
We will see. Classes start on Monday for the entire campus. Most lecture classes remote but small classes and labs are in person. In vet school all electives and labs are in person, large lectures will have one group in and 2 remote on three days and all remote on Wed. for deep cleaning. Fridays are reserved for electives and labs. Going to be interesting. They did say if the campus closes the labs would have to be made up during breaks or in the summer (unless they allow the graduate programs to stay open).
UNC-Chapel Hill is showing 2.8% positive this week for students. But why did they only test 354 students this week? That’s not enough testing.
@momocarly – Is your child’s university using their Vet School for COVID testing? I have seen that at a couple of universities with affiliated Vet schools and was wondering how widespread the practice is.
@CT1417 Yes they are. They are one of 8 schools whose vet lab is certified to do human tests. 24 hour turn around. I actually learned this in the orientation for students and families they had yesterday. (Students in person, parents and families virtual).
@“Cardinal Fang” from the UnC website:
Looks like only testing those with symptoms and their contacts. Agree, not enough.
@cptofthehouse Amherst isn’t bringing RAs back early either. They move-in through the general move-in process. Very surprised they aren’t being moved in early.
I’m just curious about this. I think it was Cornell that made a big deal about being able to use their vet school facilities for testing this fall for the Ithaca campus. Is there something uniquely useful about vet lab facilities, or is it basically the same abilities that human med school facilities would have?
Your daughter is probably making close to (if not more) than a classroom teacher with a masters degree. Maybe I should find a pod!
@MommaB123 How is USCarolina doing testing? Is it voluntary if you have symptoms? Or random testing of x number of kids each week, etc?
If you live on campus or in Greek Village, you are required to get a test 10-14 days before moving in. This proved to be a challenge for some people who live in states where testing is not readily available to those without symptoms or where results take a long time to come back. If you live off campus, they “recommend” that you get a test before moving in.
There is no set process for testing. They have mentioned wastewater testing. Testing does appear to be easy to get at the Student Health Center.
I have one at U of SC (senior) and one at Williams (incoming freshman) - these schools couldn’t be more different in their approaches!
Williams was fortunate to the administrative and housing infrastructure in place to handle students on campus. My understanding is that campus housing was mostly single rooms (all students who want a single room get one for all 4 years) and recent new dorm construction has created capacity.