@Darcy123 - So pleased to read that all is going well for her so far. That is wonderful. I am rooting for these schools (and Duke is on S21’s list so I’m paying closer attention to it along with about 12 other schools).
Such good news…and it’s a Monday so even more refreshing!?? Keep your updates coming! Much appreciated.
D18 has quarantine apartments in her dorm. The other night the fire alarm went off. So of course everyone had to evacuate. It was raining and everyone was huddled together. She said everyone had a mask- but since the dorm doesn’t tell them when they have people quarantined, it was impossible to know if you were next to someone who is sick. I’ll be honest, I didn’t think about fire alarms!
A sorority had a party over the weekend- the video went viral. Her school will only test you if you show symptoms and have a note from health services or if you are contact traced. Clearly her school has no want to know how bad things are. They have not said anything about the party.
@CT1417 I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they are running into some delays with the volume increases. Overall, Broad has been impressive. No restrictions for daughter as this is just part of their routine, twice weekly testing protocol at the school.
@gotham_mom yes, exactly what I was wondering about with a number of additional schools now coming back to campus and student testing requirements jumping. This will get harder and harder for Broad to maintain.
Davidson College has 11 out of 1806 students who tested positive in isolation now after 2 1/2 weeks with students on campus. 3 students who tested positive earlier are now “recovered” (had 2 negative tests) though all of the positives have been asymptomatic. Davidson had planned to test weekly, but the college stepped up and tested students twice last week and will likely this week since the rest of the upperclassmen moved in this weekend. All freshmen tested last week tested negative. Davidson did close their Lake Campus temporarily and are no longer permitting any guests in dorm rooms not even kids who live on the same floor. Despite all this, my “cup is half full” freshman is making friends, liking classes (all online for now) and enjoying being on campus.
Seems like it was probably about 36 hours for Bowdoin to get results on the kids moving in this weekend.
Yes, that must have included all 300+ faculty. From what I understand, only about 900 students returned to campus.
Update from Notre Dame - three new positive cases today. The 7-day positive test rate is now 3.8%. 6600 tested (more surveillance testing than diagnostic by a slight margin).
I am cautiously optimistic that the two week pause a) slowed the spread and b) made the point to students that the rules must be followed. The letter from administration last week also alluded to the fact that 87 students were in the disciplinary process for violation of the rules.
The school also announced their policy for football games. No more than 20% capacity allowed (roughly 16,000). Students get priority, then faculty and staff. Players’ families will be the only “outside” fans allowed to attend.
@Darcy123 wrote: “I think those who didn’t know anyone and aren’t particularly outgoing had a harder time connecting without your typical orientation activities.”
See, this is what I worry about with my son, who is deciding whether to accept housing at his UC campus, and what I wonder about for any first-year student who is going in “blind” to a campus where they don’t know anyone in advance of arrival. He would meet the handful of kids on his hall, which will be one third to two thirds fewer than usual, since they are going from mostly triples, some doubles, to all singles. Otherwise, they are not allowed to mix with students from other floors, and most if not all of the usual RA-organized activities will be via Zoom. No opportunity to meet people in class (all online), to join an intramural team, etc. etc. I’m sure colleges are aware of the problem and are doing what they can, but as I mentioned in an earlier post, they might not be able to do much depending on what the local/state rules are on gatherings.
My son has a friend, a first year at a large university, who is enjoying restricted campus life so far, BUT said friend is rooming with his best friend from high school, has his HS girlfriend in a dorm within the same LLC, has family in the area he can move in with if things go sideways, and has a car and he can drive home on his own if absolutely necessary. Hopefully he’s meeting some new people, but if not at least he’s got a strong social network already in place. Very different situation.
Anecdotally, the two buildings that my kid has leased from large REIT’s/corporations in Ann Arbor have had a sublet/sublease provisions in the lease.
Since UMich’s winter semester is finished by late April, last year, with management approval, we were able to sublet my kid’s apartment for the final 2.5 months of the lease, which was awesome.
New developments in the German state two of my kids go to school in, or teach in the case of my H.
School will start Tuesday week at full capacity, with regular schedules. Distancing required between students and teachers, but not among students. Because of so many returning tourists testing positive, masks will be required at all times for the first two weeks of class - that’s new, up until now, all kids could take their masks off when seated in the classroom. An exception is made for kids up to 4th grade, who may still take their masks off at their desks, but not when moving around the building.
Plan A is that in counties with an incidence of less than 35 cases per 100,000 over 7 days, masks can be taken off at desks after two weeks, unless the school, in consultation with staff, parents, older students decides otherwise.
Plan B, in counties with more than 35 cases over 7 days, masks in secondary schools stay on.
Plan C, in counties with more than 50 cases, schools go back to hybrid mode (no groups bigger than 15, physical distancing in the classrooms, one week on one week off for all groups. Not necessarily online, assignment for the week off can simply be handed out).
There is no plan D, at least we don’t talk about it! Ie they’re not planning for complete lockdown and pivoting to online.
UIUC’s Dashboard update - The following is from a parent on UIUC FB who tracks cases. This is his summary: “COVID Dashboard has been revamped to show number of unique new cases (first time an individual tests positive) instead of positive tests as of August 29, inclusive. Here’s the data for total number of tests, number of new cases, and case positivity rate for each day since August 16 (the first move-in day for University Housing):
Date # of Tests Positives
16-Aug 2453 7
17-Aug 9064 24
18-Aug 6162 20
19-Aug 6300 29
20-Aug 10742 52
21-Aug 10877 54
22-Aug 3326 43
23-Aug 4474 53
24-Aug 17656 79
25-Aug 15850 89
26-Aug 6812 54
27-Aug 15123 60
28-Aug 15030 65
29-Aug 2895 50
Since August 16, a total of 126,764 tests have been performed, with 679 unique new cases being detected during that time period.
(Edited to include just-released data for 8/28-8/29)
https://go.illinois.edu/COVIDTestingData”
Given the large student population (possibly close to 25K+ on and off campus housing), I think UIUC is managing as best as they can.
UIUC total student population (grads and ugs) is just over 50K (not sure their off-campus testing policy though).
Edited to add: Some see UIUC as among having the best covid management/testing practices of any large public, and having their own saliva test, processed at their in house CLIA lab, certainly helps
@FourAtShore , so your son is an incoming freshman and has to decide soon whether to go on campus for 100% remote learning? That’s tough. I do think it will be harder for freshmen to meet people right now, although I do think the schools are trying. Especially if it’s all singles, and classes are all remote right now…is that for the entire semester? Can he decline now and have housing in the spring if classes are in person?
Is your son worried about it or is he ready to go? There’s a lot of variation in the students as to how they feel about remaining at home. Some are ok with it, some want to wait it out and have that more typical freshmen experience, some really feel like they are ready to take that next step, even if it is so different this year.
I think it would help if parents stopped talking about “the typical freshmen experience”. By definition, your child won’t know what that means.
Quinnipiac doing well a couple of weeks in. All students needed a negative test to move in. Anyone coming from a “bad” state had to quarantine for two weeks, so some are still there depending on when they moved in. Since then, 3358 tests have been conducted, resulting in 0 positives. Low number of Covid cases in CT may be helping. Some in-person classes begin this week. The rest start next week. Classes are a mix of online and hybrid. S has all hybrid so has in-person classes every week.
I thought UIUC expected to keep cases at 750 for the whole year. They are close to that already.
@circuitrider I agree that parents can really talk way too much and add stress to the situation, but these kids aren’t living under rocks either - they know what a normal freshman year college experience should be.
On the FB page for my kid’s school, parents of freshman are saying their kids are definitely having a difficult time connecting with others. I mentioned in another post that one kid had 4 or 5 freshman on her floor go home this week.
It really depends on the kid. Staying home a semester if one is that torn isn’t the end of the world.
DS’s friend at Iowa State just texted him he’s playing at the first game in September with the band. They’re allowing 25,000 fans in Jack Trice!
My friend’s D goes to Purdue - we were just texting and she said she just saw that Purdue’s positivity rate for the past week was 3.14%.