Well it would be purely speculation but since there were both a student and employee who tested positive, I might suspect the employee had contracted it, brought it on campus and passed it on to that student.
@HamSBDad , my son is at Hamilton. Both cases, as of now, are asymptomatic. I fully expect there to be cases throughout the year. Hamilton has handled this all very well and has been very transparent since the semester started. Here’s hoping it all continues to go well for them.
@123France Yes both are asymptomatic and there are about 7-8 additional students that have been quarantined, I assume through contact tracing. Hamilton has handled it well and put together a well thought out program. There have been some students who have not followed all the Covid rules, so that is another potential source for the one positive result.
I think that the program and manner in which Hamilton, and Williams (among some others) have handled covid has been truly admirable. The notion thought that those campuses are somehow hermetically sealed (though that vision might be comforting to parents) is just not reality. Any campus setting is porous. And the case numbers are so tiny now it is not even an afterthought in my estimation. Not even worth speculating about. Great job Hamilton, great job Williams.
I have not heard anything. They are testing everyone twice per week and all seems well. Mountain Day planning proceeding as normal as can be.
Full-pay families with rising seniors, especially, must be examining the situation very closely, not only in nescac but the country as a whole. Which schools (by type, by location, by sticker-price) ran like well-oiled machines and which ones didn’t? It may still be too early to tell which ones they place their bets on, but, these families value good management when they see it.
I agree entirely, though schools like Hamilton and Williams do have a geographic advantage by being so isolated and situated in such lowly populated areas.
Bowdoin announced that sophomores, juniors, and seniors are coming back for spring. Freshmen (except for internationals and students who cannot study from home) will study from home.
@homerdog . So what is your son doing? Will he continue his internship or go back to school?..curious…when does the decision have to be by…or…“here we go again”.
His internship was only for ten weeks. He still has four weeks to go. There’s a small chance he could work there next semester but not sure (long story involving funding for this start up).
His first reaction was that he was glad they have the option to be on campus. He needs to look at the restrictions, talk to some freshmen, discuss with friends. Some classes might be in person and the students can see the class list before they make their decision. I feel like there won’t be bait and switch there since Bowdoin was so conservative in their fall decision and won’t over-promise for spring.
The students have until 11/30 to decide so they’ve got some time. We hear there will be a host of town halls before then so we can all ask questions.
Union College in Schenectady, NY has done an excellent job with COVID protocols. They’re doing this while having both in-person and on-line classes, and with all students back on campus in a small city setting. We’re impressed.
@homerdog what do you think the plan is for fall 2021? Freshman on campus?
oh gosh. No idea. I don’t think any school will be ready to make those plans until after spring is over.
Anyone have a student at Swarthmore? How are they handling covid?
Another success story. Bryant University (full disclosure - I work here). Mandatory weekly testing for all, some 2x per week. 0.09% positivity in 32,024 tests. No positives in the the last 7 days. 7 weeks down, 6 to go until Thanksgiving. I’m proud of our students, proud of our community.
.Harvard students just being college students…
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/10/5/harvard-sends-three-freshmen-home/
6 people is a “party?” I’m sure it violates the rules they signed but wow. That’s restrictive.
Vanderbilt update. The Covid numbers continue to look pretty good. The positivity rate has remained around .5% for the last several weeks. All students are tested weekly.
Also, the Chancellor gave an update about the spring semester today:
All students in good standing are welcome to return to campus regardless of their on-campus or remote status for the fall semester. For those who have personal circumstances that necessitate remote study in the spring semester, we will continue to offer that option through virtual/alternative platforms.
Our academic calendar for this spring, as detailed below, is designed to sustain the momentum our community has worked so hard to establish, while also taking into account the most recent data and guidance from our colleagues at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the School of Nursing and that of public health officials. As always, our success hinges entirely on your continued dedication and accountability in the weeks and months to come.
The first day of classes will be Monday, January 25. Instruction will conclude on Friday, April 30.
On-campus housing will reopen on Friday, January 22, for students with on-campus housing assignments (more details on housing are below). Vanderbilt Housing and Residential Experience (OHARE) will manage the move-in schedule.
There will be no spring break this year, in a continued effort to limit travel-associated disease transmission. In addition, we ask that students stay in the Nashville area and not travel away from campus for weekend trips through the end of in-person classes and finals.
Four reading days and six exam days will follow the last day of classes April 30. Exams will conclude May 10.
Commencement for the Class of 2021 is planned for Friday, May 14.
Graduate and professional school/college calendars for the spring also will be released this week. Some may differ from the general university academic calendar.
@elena13 that is good news. I continue to wonder how a school can support students who choose to stay home and kids on campus. Are the students at home limited to certain classes? I think this is a hang up for Bowdoin and they see it as an equity issue. Maybe all of Vanderbilt’s classes are offered remotely somehow? I would think professors wouldn’t agree to that. It would mean they have to teach the class in two different ways, no?
Purdue is recording all courses, so not only can they be taken on campus or remotely, students who are on campus don’t need to push themselves to get to class if they are starting to feel sick. The university didn’t want to set up a system where students were afraid to fall behind by missing class.
My D reported only one course where the prof was having a ton of difficulty making it work for his online students but they university got him a tech savvy TA who corrected the situation very early on. Word is that the TA is fabulous.
Lots happened over the summer to shore up the tech and bring staff up to speed but this one professor was abroad for the summer.
D also TAs an in person recitation and the prof decided he wanted to participate too so she zooms him in. She said it works well to have the students together and the prof on zoom. Makes for a good discussion.