My D (jr) wants to go back to school. She chose online because with the restrictions she didn’t think the experience would be worth it. But her classes are just subpar, and she feels she needs to go back. She says the professors are focusing mostly on the students in class. One of her professors today didn’t even share the screen with the online students so she missed half the Powerpoint. She has two science classes, so she’s missing labs for those. She’s paired up with an in-person student, who will share the lab information and data, and then she’s to do the write up. She feels like now that she’s in her upper level classes she is missing a lot of what she enjoys and what she really needs to learn/know. This poor kid has had a crappy college experience. Great first year at her dream school, then had to transfer out because she got screwed on FA. Second year a tough transition to a school she didn’t really want, then Covid. Now, a subpar online experience. She’s waiting to hear back if she would be allowed to return. Technically sophomores and juniors don’t go back until Sept 20, so I don’t see why they wouldn’t allow it.
Oh, Taverngirl, I’m so sorry about all of that. I will cross my fingers that she can go back. It sounds like she has been very thoughtful about this whole situation and deserves a break!
@taverngirl it makes me sad to read about your D’s experience. As for
the professor not sharing the screen in class - really!?
My S is also doing labs remotely. He says his teachers are doing a great job, but still not like being in person.
Here’s hoping she gets to return to campus.
Schools are beginning to release details on spring semester.
Saying the pandemic “will likely continue through the winter months,” Carnegie Mellon University is pushing back spring semester to Feb. 1 and will condense it to 14 weeks with a shortened exam period and spring break week replaced by two spring break days.
Depends on the definition of “substantial”. In the context of COVID-19, it may be that even a small minority of students who do not care if they spread virus will keep the virus spreading, so the definition of “substantial” may not be very high, in which case most colleges will have a “substantial” number of such students.
I am so grateful one of mine is graduating in Dec. She is 100% online this semester and it sucks, but it is what it is. (try taking acting online). I almost wish she had really graduated early and was done last May. they are suppose to combine 2020 and 2021 for May graduation on the National Mall. I would hope they could spread things out to Socially distance with a large space like that, but if they have to cancel that will be huge. This is the 200th anniversary of GWU.
Also sorry for the experience of your daughter but she seems resilient. I would push the fact to have her go back even if you have to get involved. If they have let other’s do it no reason why she can’t . I would maybe have her get ready with a rapid test and start to isolate so you have that done already and no excuses for her not to. I hope it works out. Even though all but one class is remote at my kids college…he’s still at college. He was not happy being at home this summer since he had an internship cancel. When we talk to him at school you can hear the happiness in his voice. Good Luck.
So at Michigan there was a GEO graduate TA strike, Then yesterday it was the RA’s turn and tomorrow on 9/11 there is the M dining walk out at 5pm-7pm. Not sure who’s next but these groups are not happy with the procedures at Michigan that keeps them safe. It makes me sad that the workers feel they need to do this. Hopefully things will improve.
I can’t even, this hurts to read.
Bad behavior for sure. But since when are individual health diagnoses/information available in police databases? Seems like a HIPAA violation.
Maybe the student just offered up the info that he was positive? Any student who would think he’s following the quarantine rules by staying home and having a party might be the same kind of kid who would just blurt out that he’s positive.
Seems like it is inevitable for COVID-19 health status to “leak” if it is the reason for someone to be under a quarantine order that can be enforced by police.
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/covid-19-hipaa-and-first-responders-508.pdf describes some exceptions, including “To notify a public health authority in order to prevent or control spread of disease” and “When the disclosure of PHI to first responders is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health and safety of a person or the public.”
@taverngirl I’m so sorry for your D. I hope she can get back on campus asap.
I am with everyone else wishing your daughter all the best in her pursuits of getting back to campus. I think it is great advice to start the quarantine now in preparation. I really hope with the amount of flexibility that schools have asked families to have that they will have the same with your daughter. Positive thoughts!!! and keep us updated.
https://www.si.com/college/bostoncollege/olympic-sports/boston-college-pauses-practices-swimming-diving-covid19?fbclid=IwAR3NMqzuhbQLb0QL5Ck-9pO-ZU9g75N6rupkD77rvhKLL1eD7Ysm3hP6Eq8 13
Members of BC swim
Team test positive. 60 general population students.
@waverlywizzard I am reading your post and my recent BC Covid update trying to stay calm. One son works on campus at the Connell Rec Center. D&#$!
Maybe it’s already been covered here, but I just (speaking of the Culture of Don’t Care) read an article in the NY Times about how the U. of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign had “one of the most comprehensive plans by a major college to keep the virus under control.” And yet…
"What the scientists had not taken into account was that some students would continue partying after they received a positive test result. “It was willful noncompliance by a small group of people,” Dr. Goldenfeld said.
Those were the key ingredients for a few people infecting many others. “If you know you are positive,” Dr. Elbanna said, “and you go to a party, that’s not just a bad act. That’s very, very dangerous.”
Some of the students who tested positive even tried to circumvent the app so that they could enter buildings instead of staying isolated in their rooms, university administrators said in a letter to students."
Yes, I KNOW that young people’s brains may not be fully developed yet at that age, and that there are many factors influencing their decisions. And maybe (I hope not) I would have done similar things at that age. But regardless of any of that, and what the folks back home may have told them about the “reality” of Covid-19, come ON. It’s not as if the information and the rules and the pleas for caring about the community as a whole haven’t been front-and-center for months and months, and these are intelligent young people who presumably really want a college education.
I’m really feeling that this kind of behavior goes way beyond “kids being kids” or simple “bad acts.” I think it borders on criminal behavior, considering the risks to others at the school and in the community at large.
I don’t often get angry at my son (honestly, he very rarely gives me reason to–he’s so much better than I was at his age!!), but if I heard that he had behaved in those ways I would (verbally) kick his ass for days.
I think we need to expect more from these “kids,” and make it very clear that consequences will be dire for being so cavalier about others’ health and safety. They’re in college–not kindergarten. If this pandemic gives this generation a strong sense of responsibility, even if it has to come from losing their place in school for flouting fairly simple rules, then it will be ONE positive outcome.
I know I sound like a grouch. I’ve just totally lost patience with the willful ignorance and selfishness of large swathes of the American population. People are sleeping through a major wake-up call.
@taverngirl Very regrettable and sadly, very predictable. This situation is exactly why I opposed “hyflex” models of teaching. Put it all online (synchronous or asynchronous) and treat all students on an equal footing. It’s really impossible for professors to teach in person and manage all the technology for simultaneous distance learning transmission and communication. To do so successfully requires all kinds of expensive support, including human assistants in the room. I don’t blame students; I don’t blame faculty; I blame the college administrations for creating impossible expectations without adequate support and funding.
I’m teaching on Zoom and I’m trying to use whiteboards, PPTs etc. I still have glitches and problems, but at least I’m not required to do the pedagogical equivalent of singing and holding my breath at the same time.
Today is Day 3 of Gate 1 for Colgate University. As of 1159pm of Sept 9, the campus has 14 active cases (0.5% student infection rate) with a 7 day rolling average (since Aug 24) of 0.7% for students and 0.7% for students and employees. I applaud the school for being transparent and for the hard work that everyone is doing to make the on campus fall semester possible. I know we are still on the early stage of opening but I am hoping that with the combined efforts by everyone especially students adhering to the commitment to community health that they keep infection rates down and remain open for 70+ days. The school already sent home quite a few students who violated the guidelines. I hope for the sake of the community they continue to send home students who don’t take the pandemic seriously.
I just watched President Brian Casey’s message to everyone as they all transition from Gate 0 to Gate 1. His message of responsibility, caring and compassion is something that we all need to hear from leaders like him. It’s important for students to understand that this is not a normal year. Their behavior will dictate how the school is going to be like in the next couple of months or even next semester.
Here’s the video for anyone interested to watch his message. By the way, he also quarantined with the students for 14 days. https://youtu.be/tYuC7Vcy1aU
I am teaching elementary school remotely, and can’t imagine teaching live and remote at the same time. someone earlier posted about tech TAs, and I think this prof needs one.