College Fall 2020 - Virtual or In-Person? What do you think?

[Arcadia]

14 hours ago, frogger said:

 

I was thinking the labs of all things would be in person.

 

13 hours ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

Me, too.  But I am wondering if they are saving in person lab space for upper level courses and need more lab space to spread out for extra lab times.   Logically, freshman labs are the easiest ones to eliminate.

My friend’s daughter’s labs would be all online in Fall for UCSD. She would be a sophomore in Fall on a premed/neuro track. 

[frogger]

Though DS is ok with online for the Fall semester we are now wondering what happens if classes happen in person in the Spring. UAH was short on dorms. Originally, DS and 2 friends were going to get an apartment off campus. It might be a tough scramble for housing come Spring and he won't have a vehicle so he can't look farther away.  Well, I guess this makes for an exciting year. You never know what is around the corner. 😒

[8filltheheart]

14 minutes ago, frogger said:

Though DS is ok with online for the Fall semester we are now wondering what happens if classes happen in person in the Spring. UAH was short on dorms. Originally, DS and 2 friends were going to get an apartment off campus. It might be a tough scramble for housing come Spring and he won't have a vehicle so he can't look farther away.  Well, I guess this makes for an exciting year. You never know what is around the corner. 😒

My college sr is facing the same scenario.  She is planning on moving back for spring semester, but there is so much angst about the scenario and what things will really be like for spring semester.  We are just taking the wait and see approach.  Either they will be on campus or they wont' be.  Just hoping that by Thanksgiving we will have a better idea.  We will be holding off looking as long as possible.

[lewelma]

Harvard announces all Freshmen invited back, and all other students must petition to come back based on family circumstances, etc.  

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/7/6/harvard-college-coronavirus-fall-plans/?fbclid=IwAR2Mh-OTLqeXMuKjKp_ZIYKq0zwtosl7KdF9U_SdtJnZbGvHU4ae0fFP8eg

MIT announces tomorrow, and I am feeling a lot of apprehension especially now that Harvard is not doing what was initially proposed by MIT (juniors and seniors in person for the fall).  We have tried to make lots of plans for different contingencies, but we can't actually get anything done until we know.  I know waiting to the last to decide is the best because of the evolving situation, but it will make for a hell of a implementation problem for us.

Edited July 6, 2020 by lewelma

[prairiewindmomma]

Fwiw, Comcast/Xfinity just added two different unlimited data plans for internet. We just upgraded to one of those because we usually have at least two Zoom meetings going on at our house.

Ds may have to take another year to finish his program. They haven’t decided if fall microelectronics labs are happening. His college is doing medical labs only at this point (to churn out more nurses, lab techs, etc.).

[GoodGrief]

Princeton announced today: freshmen and juniors on campus for fall, sophomores and seniors on campus for spring. Some exceptions to include certain leaders and those with housing insecurity. Most classes online, 10% discount on tuition. Private rooms, masks, strict limits on socializing. Regular testing with separation for quarantine. Students will leave campus before Thanksgiving.

[GoodGrief]

2 hours ago, lewelma said:

Harvard announces all Freshmen invited back, and all other students must petition to come back based on family circumstances, etc.  

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/7/6/harvard-college-coronavirus-fall-plans/?fbclid=IwAR2Mh-OTLqeXMuKjKp_ZIYKq0zwtosl7KdF9U_SdtJnZbGvHU4ae0fFP8eg

MIT announces tomorrow, and I am feeling a lot of apprehension especially now that Harvard is not doing what was initially proposed by MIT (juniors and seniors in person for the fall).  We have tried to make lots of plans for different contingencies, but we can't actually get anything done until we know.  I know waiting to the last to decide is the best because of the evolving situation, but it will make for a hell of a implementation problem for us.

It's been interesting to see that each Ivy/MIT/Stanford has taken a unique path. I did expect that would follow each other more closely.

[EmilyGF]

35 minutes ago, GoodGrief1 said:

It's been interesting to see that each Ivy/MIT/Stanford has taken a unique path. I did expect that would follow each other more closely.

Growing up in Cali, we never ate inside for school. I could see a place like Stanford doing a lot more outside than similar schools in different places.

It is interesting to watch. Would rather not be affected by it, though. (DH is a prof.)

[GoodGrief]

9 minutes ago, EmilyGF said:

Growing up in Cali, we never ate inside for school. I could see a place like Stanford doing a lot more outside than similar schools in different places.

It is interesting to watch. Would rather not be affected by it, though. (DH is a prof.)

Yes, that makes total sense for Cali.

[easypeasy]

6 hours ago, GoodGrief1 said:

Princeton announced today: freshmen and juniors on campus for fall, sophomores and seniors on campus for spring. Some exceptions to include certain leaders and those with housing insecurity. Most classes online, 10% discount on tuition. Private rooms, masks, strict limits on socializing. Regular testing with separation for quarantine. Students will leave campus before Thanksgiving.

 

I wonder if any of these who've made decisions for spring already would change their minds if fall goes better than expected OR if there is a vaccine/treatment that makes COVID less of a threat (a girl's gotta dream!! It might happen!!) ?

Would they then allow freshmen and juniors on campus for the spring too, or would the school remain locked-in with their summertime decision?

[RootAnn]

I think anything is possible, but my bet would be on stricter (as in, only a few student on campus) vs. looser.

After insisting their calendar would not change, UAH announced yesterday they were cancelling Fall Break and expanding Thanksgiving break to a week. The final week of classes and final exams will be online. The class schedule is supposed to stop changing after July 10th as some departments are still shifting classes online or to hybrid formats.

[lewelma]

MIT has invited seniors back and will consider petitions for students with difficult situations.  It will run hybrid classes, but you must live on campus to attend in person as they want to keep campus somewhat isolated from the larger Boston community. 

DS could petition and would likely get a spot due to hardship (online classes run in the middle of the night here), but he is now organizing to rent an apartment in Boston with some friends and complete the semester online.  

MIT has given every student $5k reduction in tuition regardless of how much you owe -- so a larger percentage for the people who pay less. Also, they will increase financial aid.

They are now scrambling to decide what to do about all the international students who will be deported if not taking in person classes.  Based on the MIT policy released yesterday, students must be on campus to take in person classes, so all the internationals will need to move on campus or leave the country. 

[GoodGrief]

16 hours ago, easypeasy said:

 

I wonder if any of these who've made decisions for spring already would change their minds if fall goes better than expected OR if there is a vaccine/treatment that makes COVID less of a threat (a girl's gotta dream!! It might happen!!) ?

Would they then allow freshmen and juniors on campus for the spring too, or would the school remain locked-in with their summertime decision?

 I think it could happen. The schools are taking such a huge financial hit that I'm sure any opportunity to increase revenue would be welcomed.

[GoodGrief]

11 minutes ago, lewelma said:

MIT has invited seniors back and will consider petitions for students with difficult situations.  It will run hybrid classes, but you must live on campus to attend in person as they want to keep campus somewhat isolated from the larger Boston community. 

DS could petition and would likely get a spot due to hardship (online classes run in the middle of the night here), but he is now organizing to rent an apartment in Boston with some friends and complete the semester online.  

MIT has given every student $5k reduction in tuition regardless of how much you owe -- so a larger percentage for the people who pay less. Also, they will increase financial aid.

They are now scrambling to decide what to do about all the international students who will be deported if not taking in person classes.  Based on the MIT policy released yesterday, students must be on campus to take in person classes, so all the internationals will need to move on campus or leave the country. 

Oh interesting. Truly, every one of these schools has gone in a unique direction. Your son is a citizen, correct? So no worries about deportation?

There are Princeton students talking about getting apartments off campus, which has caused quite the uproar in the Facebook parent group. The school is strictly limiting access to campus to those authorized to be there, so the benefit of being in town does seem questionable for most domestic students. There are worries about off campus socializing, of course.

[Matryoshka]

42 minutes ago, lewelma said:

They are now scrambling to decide what to do about all the international students who will be deported if not taking in person classes.  Based on the MIT policy released yesterday, students must be on campus to take in person classes, so all the internationals will need to move on campus or leave the country. 

Or they should revise their own policy so that international students don't have to be on campus to take in-person classes.  That seems a heckuva lot easier.

[lewelma]

48 minutes ago, GoodGrief1 said:

Oh interesting. Truly, every one of these schools has gone in a unique direction. Your son is a citizen, correct? So no worries about deportation?

There are Princeton students talking about getting apartments off campus, which has caused quite the uproar in the Facebook parent group. The school is strictly limiting access to campus to those authorized to be there, so the benefit of being in town does seem questionable for most domestic students. There are worries about off campus socializing, of course.

Piles of students trying to get apartments in Boston.  I do think apartments are safer than a dorm situation as long as the students play it smart.  Plus, looks like a lot of the seniors don't want so many restrictions on them, so are giving up their spots in the dorm and moving off campus.  On the good side, this will free up space for all the internationals that chose to stay in apartments in Boston in March when the dorms closed down, who are now required to leave the country. 

[lewelma]

And yes, my ds is a dual citizen, which means he can get into and stay in America, but can also still be allowed back in to NZ who is only open to kiwis right now.  However, quarantine is full, so they have just halted all new reservations for kiwis on AirNZ and Singapore Air for 3 weeks, so he may not be able to get back at all.  And if he does, it might cost us $4000 to pay for the quarantine because he chose to leave. gulp.  So many unknowns.  But we are rolling with the punches, and seeing this as an opportunity for some life lessons.

[lewelma]

22 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Or they should revise their own policy so that international students don't have to be on campus to take in-person classes.  That seems a heckuva lot easier.

Yes. Obviously, I agree. MIT is 10% internationals, so there is a real panic going on right now in the international crowd that my ds hangs out with online.

Edited July 8, 2020 by lewelma

[Arcadia]

UCB https://news.berkeley.edu/2020/07/08/social-gatherings-produce-increase-in-student-covid-19-cases/

“We have seen the number of University Health Services positive cases increase from a running total of 23 since the start of the pandemic, to 47 new cases in just one week. The majority of these new cases stem from a series of recent parties connected to the CalGreek system, which included students both within the CalGreek community and others, and led to some secondary spread within households and within other smaller gatherings. Generally, these infections are directly related to social events where students have not followed basic safety measures such as physical distancing, wearing face coverings, limiting event size, and gathering outside.

Following standard protocols, Berkeley Public Health and University Health Services have been involved with contact tracing, reaching those individuals who had close contact with the students who tested positive, advising regarding quarantine requirements, and encouraging and arranging testing.

Meanwhile, campus recovery teams are working hard to plan for the Fall semester, including plans to return more students, staff and faculty to campus. However, at the rate we are seeing increases in cases, it’s becoming harder to imagine bringing our campus community back in the way we are envisioning.

...

Fall semester planning

If we can keep our COVID-19 case numbers low, we can continue to move forward with our fall semester plans.

The fall semester will look and be very different. Everyone — students, faculty and staff — will be wearing a mask unless they are completely alone in their room or office. There will be distancing measures in every conceivable area across campus.

We are developing a testing strategy for those living, working or studying on campus. This testing will be combined with contact tracing to try to identify outbreaks early.

We are discussing how to develop social cohort structures — small “bubbles” of 10-12 students living on campus. The intention is to increase social interaction while keeping overall exposure dramatically reduced. We are maximizing environmental controls, like designating stairwells as up or down only, restricting class sizes and eliminating or changing high touch areas to the extent possible.”

[elegantlion]

My campus sends out emails anytime someone on campus tests positive. Right now they're only open on a very limited basis, no classes were held in person, and I've received about 5 emails in the past two weeks about positive cases on campus. That's without students. I don't see how they safely have students back on campus. Another factor is that the campus is spread out over several blocks and buildings and departments do not have specific buildings for classes, so I could potentially be in three buildings in one day and generally am in 3-4 throughout the day. I can see how with one positive case, they'd have to shut down the whole campus for the day to disinfect. It's like the if you give a mouse a cookie pandemic version. 

[frogger]

I do struggle with the idea of courtrooms (which I know is very much needed by a friend) and schools are closed but pot shops and bars can spread it all they want.  I recognize reasons why this happens but it is frustrating that this is the society I live in.

 

Carry on.

[BookwormTo2]

University of Florida changed a lot of their courses to online only. DD's fall semester is online only, and even though I was expecting this to happen, our household is in shock right now. Chem 1 and the lab for it are online only. People who have more advanced labs may have it in person; things like Physics 2 lab and Chem 2 lab are in person. The rumor is that spring semester will be more of the same.

[frogger]

1 hour ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Our bars are all closed and we have no pot shops. The courts here are definitely running though. Are they still closed other places? 

 

They are not completely closed now but they are still being phased in. Hearings are by phone, jury trials not yet happening.  I recently read they are testing Grand Jury via Zoom later this summer. Zoom? Of all companies, why Zoom with it's security issues. There are so many other companies that offer videoconferencing. 

 

We were one of the first states to begin a phased reopening and we are just getting to videoconferencing trials. 😕

 

But I don't mean to sidetrack the thread.  I just don't understand people out partying and others lives being completely upended and torn apart. Watching the international student thread is a prime example.

 

We can continue on with school specific topics though. 

[8filltheheart]

59 minutes ago, frogger said:

 

They are not completely closed now but they are still being phased in. Hearings are by phone, jury trials not yet happening.  I recently read they are testing Grand Jury via Zoom later this summer. Zoom? Of all companies, why Zoom with it's security issues. There are so many other companies that offer videoconferencing. 

 

We were one of the first states to begin a phased reopening and we are just getting to videoconferencing trials. 😕

 

But I don't mean to sidetrack the thread.  I just don't understand people out partying and others lives being completely upended and torn apart. Watching the international student thread is a prime example.

 

We can continue on with school specific topics though. 

I think it is bc people go there voluntarily. People who dont want to be there, dont go. A jury would be forcing people into a group-indoor situation. All of our state offices are super controlled in terms of access or none at all. 

[madteaparty]

Is anyone seeing a divergence between large schools and small, rural colleges? At least one LAC  near me has said they will be in person, full stop. (tons and tons of measures taken, but if you wanted to be online as an undergrad there it would be a matter of asking an exception, not the norm. I mean who knows what will actually happen come September.

[BookwormTo2]

Mississippi State U will have most classes in person; we know someone attending as a freshman in the fall and his classes are all in person. A small LAC in our region is having most but not all classes in person.

[JennyD]

A UConn psych professor and one of her grad students did focus groups of undergrads about the various measures being implemented. Summary here.

[8filltheheart]

I talked to ds last night.  He shared that one of the students from his wife's (I can't remember the actual title he used, but basically it's the student orchestra group vs the music dept's orchestra) "whatever" orchestra passed away from covid. The student was an UG.  😞 

Edited July 12, 2020 by 8FillTheHeart

[whitestavern]

2 hours ago, JennyD said:

A UConn psych professor and one of her grad students did focus groups of undergrads about the various measures being implemented. Summary here.

 

That's pretty depressing and doesn't bode well for the fall semester. 

[Arch at Home]

We finally heard from all three colleges these last two weeks. The girl's LACs are both having Firsties and Sophmores on campus in the Fall and Juniors and Seniors on campus in the Spring. DD1's school is transitioning to a term schedule with two 7 week terms with 2 classes a term each semester with the option of study abroad in the 2nd and 4th terms. In addition, her school is exploring the option of offering Juniors and Seniors off-campus housing in a hotel. If they choose the hotel option as opposed to other remote options, they will have a meal plan and access to campus. Both schools have extensive testing regimes, plans for on campus isolation and quarantine, and a combination of in person, hybrid, and online classes for those living on campus. DD2's school is requiring a 14 day "soft" quarantine prior to arrival on campus and a 1 day quarantine upon arrival while waiting for the results of her baseline COVID19 test.

At this moment my DD1 will be SFH for the first term and study abroad (Vietnam) the second term...as long as her current internship can't be extended. DD2 will be on campus Fall semester. In the spring, it will be reversed...So much for being almost empty nesters.

DS's has a combination of online, hybrid, and in-person classes at CC though the in-person is Physical Fitness so I am not sure if that really counts a fully in-person class.

We are going to be better prepared for SFH this time around and have already had our internet provider out to upgrade our equipment.

It is good to have a plan but as we all know, this subject to change at any moment.

[8filltheheart]

1 hour ago, Arch at Home said:

We are going to be better prepared for SFH this time around and have already had our internet provider out to upgrade our equipment.

We changed internet providers yesterday.  I was incredibly uncomfortable having to have their tech in our home, but we could not add another zoom college student on to our old network without everything constantly crashing.

[frogger]

5 hours ago, JennyD said:

A UConn psych professor and one of her grad students did focus groups of undergrads about the various measures being implemented. Summary here.

 

I don't know where they found these students but I think they are being honest and more realistic than many adults about how things will go down. 

It is an honest understanding of a lot of these realities that made the decision to just do online and stay home (though he would much rather being doing activities and studying with friends) I also wonder what happens when he gets quarantined alone. 

 

[Roadrunner]

3 hours ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

We changed internet providers yesterday.  I was incredibly uncomfortable having to have their tech in our home, but we could not add another zoom college student on to our old network without everything constantly crashing.

that’s the first thing we did when CB announced online AP exams. 🙂 

[madteaparty]

2 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

that’s the first thing we did when CB announced online AP exams. 🙂 

You guys are lucky you have the choice. We upgraded the equipment but I somehow think it made it worse 

Edited July 12, 2020 by madteaparty

[Roadrunner]

3 hours ago, madteaparty said:

You guys are lucky you have the choice. We upgraded the equipment but I somehow think it made it worse 

we went from DSL to cable. DSL was in and out all day. Cable Internet so far has been more reliable. And we made sure we had both during the AP exam. 😂 double insurance. 

[Arcadia]

3 hours ago, madteaparty said:

You guys are lucky you have the choice. We upgraded the equipment but I somehow think it made it worse 

I have high speed broadband all along. We upgraded to a tri-band WiFi router more than a year ago. Easily support four of us on Zoom concurrently as well as using our iPads/cellphones to make notes. I do have a mobile hotspot and can also use our cellphones as hotspots if needed. Hopefully Comcast, AT&T and T-Mobile do not have an outage concurrently. 

[Arch at Home]

We took a look at DS' CC schedule. It turns out that he has classes back to back with in person classes in the mix so that he will not be able to do remote classes at home. Hanging out on campus doing online classes defeats the purpose of them being remote. I am going to have him contact his advisor to determine whether it is possible to find a place to do these classes. I am particularly concerned about finding a place to take tests and in particular Calculus tests.

And the saga continues.

[8filltheheart]

Berkeley just announced fall semester is starting 100% online.

[teachermom2834]

Local Christian U my 12th grader will take de classes still claims it will be fully in person as originally scheduled. There is an option to Zoom in but you need a doctor's note that you or someone you live with is vulnerable so they seem to want everyone back in person. Still a month to go so we'll see.

My ds in FL has had most of his classes moved online but I think he still has one in person. From the sounds of it on the parents FB page it seems like most students are ending up with 4 of the 5 online. Yet, they are still moving into dorms and everything. Many students are dropping the one in person class and finding an online one to just stay home. Maybe they will all end up online but it looks like they are trying to have a few in person. My ds lives off campus so I haven't paid close attention to the housing but it looks like the school will only release the student from the housing contract if they are moved to 100% online. If they have even one in person class they are on the hook for the room and board. 

 

[catz]

49 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Dd's school has quietly slipped pretty much everything online without making a formal announcement. 

Pretty similar at my kid's school.  

So much parental anger over it but given the numbers and trends the last few weeks, I don't see that the school has another option.   

Edited July 21, 2020 by FuzzyCatz

[almondbutterandjelly]

Same.  Two of my dd's fall classes had gone online.  The rest were Face to Face.  Now, the school quietly changed them to "Blended" and only the Chem Lab is Face to Face.  She is also currently taking a summer class that was supposed to be Face to Face.  It was for the first week, then they moved to online (there were only 8 kids in the class).

[frogger]

10 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Dd's school has quietly slipped pretty much everything online without making a formal announcement. 

I was going to complain that they were making it hard to have enough online classes to fill my sons schedule but not I'm wondering if it isn't just a remote registration problem.

Edited July 22, 2020 by frogger

[RootAnn]

15 hours ago, teachermom2834 said:

 ...if they are moved to 100% online. If they have even one in person class they are on the hook for the room and board. 

True at my dd#1's school, but supposedly they are making an option for all hybrid (at least one day face-to-face but 51% or more online content) classes to be taken remotely, i.e., online. I haven't seen that actually happen yet, however, because you have to have a human being move your class registration to the remote section and there are reports that the system isn't letting the humans do that. Also, they are saying that they might not have housing for your kid in the spring if you don't keep and pay for your room in the fall. I doubt classes will be in person in the spring, so I wouldn't worry about it if I were them.

14 hours ago, FuzzyCatz said:

So much parental anger over it but given the numbers and trends the last few weeks, I don't see that the school has another option.   

Honestly, there are parents angry at both options. Some want all in person classes. Others are angry at the school not going 100% online. Schools can't win.

6 hours ago, frogger said:

I was going to complain that they were making it hard to have enough online classes to fill my sons schedule but not I'm wondering if it isn't just a remote registration problem.

There is a remote registration problem. But, I've read the biggest problem is that all math classes have an in person component. If they do not allow math classes to be taken 'remotely,' I think there will be widespread unrest. I do think it will be ironed out, just maybe not in time for students to get out of their housing contracts. Communication has been poor & I think even intra-university communication has been a problem.

Dd#1 still plans to take classes in person some of the time but testing prior to arrival is still being worked out.

Dd#2's DE college still plans 100% face -to-face. She registered for one class to be online (no live meetings) & one face-to-face, so we'll see. Less than a month until both places start back up.

Edited July 22, 2020 by RootAnn

[8filltheheart]

58 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Trying to even figure out what is synchronous v not had been hard. This summer semester for instance was supposed to be synchronous online for 4d a week, for about two hours. It got changed to one day a week but at a meeting time not remotely related to schedule. Fall should be fun. I told her to only take 12 hours because this is gonna be a mess. 

Figuring it out has been incredibly confusing.   Dd's school has the all online options "full" and students have to add themselves to a waitlist.  Eventually, the individual depts seem to email them to let them know if they have made it into the online section.  Dd has tried to do all online but still hasn't heard back about the waitlist.  No idea what her actual fall schedule currently is.

[frogger]

1 hour ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

Figuring it out has been incredibly confusing.   Dd's school has the all online options "full" and students have to add themselves to a waitlist.  Eventually, the individual depts seem to email them to let them know if they have made it into the online section.  Dd has tried to do all online but still hasn't heard back about the waitlist.  No idea what her actual fall schedule currently is.

 

Yes, I'm curious if I should just tell DS to register for many and drop the ones he doesn't get? We are out of state and he isn't going to pay for a 5th year at OOS tuition. 

 

The math department seems to be the worst and he had planned on 3 math classes! 

[frogger]

4 hours ago, RootAnn said:

True at my dd#1's school, but supposedly they are making an option for all hybrid (at least one day face-to-face but 51% or more online content) classes to be taken remotely, i.e., online. I haven't seen that actually happen yet, however, because you have to have a human being move your class registration to the remote section and there are reports that the system isn't letting the humans do that. Also, they are saying that they might not have housing for your kid in the spring if you don't keep and pay for your room in the fall. I doubt classes will be in person in the spring, so I wouldn't worry about it if I were them.

Honestly, there are parents angry at both options. Some want all in person classes. Others are angry at the school not going 100% online. Schools can't win.

There is a remote registration problem. But, I've read the biggest problem is that all math classes have an in person component. If they do not allow math classes to be taken 'remotely,' I think there will be widespread unrest. I do think it will be ironed out, just maybe not in time for students to get out of their housing contracts. Communication has been poor & I think even intra-university communication has been a problem.

Dd#1 still plans to take classes in person some of the time but testing prior to arrival is still being worked out.

Dd#2's DE college still plans 100% face -to-face. She registered for one class to be online (no live meetings) & one face-to-face, so we'll see. Less than a month until both places start back up.

 

My son planned on 3 math classes this fall and we were happy thinking math would be a great subject to take online compared to most. 

At a college that is heavily weighted towards engineering, taking away math option is simply not giving an online option.

 

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

 

It's like @RootAnn said- they just can't win. I can't imagine being in the decision making chair at the unis this summer. No thanks. 

 

A friend of mine is dean at a regional center of a state university.  She said this has been the most stressful time of her entire career.  Like you said, I can't even imagine what a nightmare it is to make decisions when there are so many things to consider and so much uncertainty.  

[teachermom2834]

1 hour ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

This part honestly surprises me tbh. Fear and anxiety is so overwhelmingly prevalent right now, I don't get forcing people's hands. I do understand offering options for those who want them, but to force in person right now, and require a doctor's note is.....and interesting play, I'll just say. 

It's like @RootAnn said- they just can't win. I can't imagine being in the decision making chair at the unis this summer. No thanks. 

Totally agree. I will say this school was the last in the state to give up on the idea of getting students back during this past spring. They have hosted some summer programs there on campus and have generally been the last to admit defeat as far as canceling orientations, graduations, etc. They just yesterday announced a few changes and one is requiring masks. Their enrollment is way down and I think they are really trying to get kids back/promise as much of a traditional experience as possible. We will see what changes in the next month. 

[kiana]

Relevant article: https://www.npr.org/2020/07/22/893525083/colleges-spent-months-planning-for-fall-but-a-covid-19-surge-is-changing-everyth

[8filltheheart]

2 hours ago, frogger said:

 

My son planned on 3 math classes this fall and we were happy thinking math would be a great subject to take online compared to most. 

At a college that is heavily weighted towards engineering, taking away math option is simply not giving an online option.

 

Dd just received an email that she is in the remote math class.