Classes moving back to online?

[prairiewindmomma]

How are things at your kids’ universities? My kid is at a uni with a vaccine mandate, but given how hard delta is hitting, some classes (lectures) are being moved to back online. Fingers crossed, the labs will remain in person.

What are you seeing?

[NittanyJen]

My kid is bummed. His classes seem to be mostly in person. To him, having online and/or asynchronous classes feels a lot more like homeschooling did, and saves him a lot of hiking around from his apartment lol. My husband is still preparing to teach in person, too, as long as everyone wears masks, and wears them properly.

[Dmmetler]

So far so good, at a school with a vaccine mandate, over 98% vaccinated, masking and weekly pooled tests for all students. I hope it holds.  My kid is very, very happy to be in person. 

[BusyMom5]

I'm holding my breath- DDs doesn't have a mandate, and while masking is required in classes,  there is a lot of unmasked activities outside of class!  Their policy is ridiculous- if you are vaxed,  no quarantine unless you test positive.   That means if one roommate is sick, and the others are vaxed, the other 3 are free to go to all classes and activities.   

I will say her professors all seem to be ready to have kids out of class, and have a lot of online resources ready.  I think they are expecting a lock-in at some point.  A few professors in other departments have left classes due to unmasked kids, snd threatened to just go all online.

[MerryAtHope]

So far, both are still in person! Dd is on campus and hopes to stay in person, plus she’s in early childhood Ed and gets to work with young kids—hopefully none of that changes! Her campus does not have vaccine requirements, but does require masking.

Ds only has one class and then he graduates. He’s commuting from home (hour each way), so it wouldn’t be awful if they went to online. His school requires vaccines and masking.

[KSera]

2 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

How are things at your kids’ universities? My kid is at a uni with a vaccine mandate, but given how hard delta is hitting, some classes (lectures) are being moved to back online. Fingers crossed, the labs will remain in person.

What are you seeing?

Does their school have a mask mandate as well? I’ve been so hoping that vaccines plus masks for everyone would be successful. We will find out shortly. 

1 hour ago, Dmmetler said:

So far so good, at a school with a vaccine mandate, over 98% vaccinated, masking and weekly pooled tests for all students. I hope it holds.  My kid is very, very happy to be in person. 

This is encouraging. That’s our situation as well (except I don’t think they are doing pooled testing. Maybe they will be doing dorm wastewater testing?)

[regentrude]

We are in person. This is week two. No vaccine requirement, no regular testing, but mask mandate.

ETA: We have been in person since Fall 2020; however, this is the first semester without social distancing in the classrooms. We are operating at full classroom capacity.

Edited August 31, 2021 by regentrude

[regentrude]

8 hours ago, BusyMom5 said:

A few professors in other departments have left classes due to unmasked kids, and threatened to just go all online.

uggh. The students refuse to leave if they are called out by the prof???  

I made it very clear on the first day that I will not tolerate anybody being unmasked in my class. I told them that every time I am exposed, I will have to quarantine and they won't have in-person class, and that if they get exposed/sick, they will quarantine and not have in-person class either. I trust that they want to be in the classroom badly enough to follow the rules.

On the first day, I had to call out one student in a large lecture and ask him to leave to get a mask, which he did. And I have occasionally to remind students to pull their mask up correctly. But among the 200 students I see in person each week, I haven't had any further issues (nor did I have any in the past two semesters). But I would totally call security if I had a student refusing to leave.

Edited August 31, 2021 by regentrude

[Dmmetler]

https://www.redandblack.com/uganews/uga-professor-resigns-mid-class-after-student-refuses-to-wear-mask/article_598ba244-077b-11ec-ba9b-cb3534ab07cc.html

 

I can't blame him at all. And I think if I were a senior student in that class, I'd be furious that the other student couldn't even bother to put a mask on. 

[madteaparty]

DS just started his in person DE class, mask mandate and 99% vaccinated campus so I’m holding my breath for at least a couple of weeks of in person class. It’s a very small class (so, somewhat distanced naturally).... 

Edited August 31, 2021 by madteaparty

[regentrude]

13 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

https://www.redandblack.com/uganews/uga-professor-resigns-mid-class-after-student-refuses-to-wear-mask/article_598ba244-077b-11ec-ba9b-cb3534ab07cc.html

I can't blame him at all. And I think if I were a senior student in that class, I'd be furious that the other student couldn't even bother to put a mask on. 

I don't blame him either. But I also keep thinking that he is in a very privileged position as rehired retiree. Younger faculty, and especially those who are not tenured, do not have this luxury.

[Wheres Toto]

22 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

https://www.redandblack.com/uganews/uga-professor-resigns-mid-class-after-student-refuses-to-wear-mask/article_598ba244-077b-11ec-ba9b-cb3534ab07cc.html

 

I can't blame him at all. And I think if I were a senior student in that class, I'd be furious that the other student couldn't even bother to put a mask on. 

I don't blame him but looks like the school doesn't have a mask mandate and the department wouldn't allow him to enforce it so he didn't have any options for removing the girl from class.   What a shame.  I know everyone got into a different class but it's still awful. 

[Dmmetler]

5 minutes ago, regentrude said:

I don't blame him either. But I also keep thinking that he is in a very privileged position as rehired retiree. Younger faculty, and especially those who are not tenured, do not have this luxury.

I would agree here. Last year, my father's department shuffled things around to keep the older, high risk professors online or in lower risk situations. This year, they're doing the same, but for faculty with young children or who are at exceptionally high risk, even after vaccination (vaccination is required, on paper, but unlike UVA, they aren't dropping students who aren't, so compliance is about 80%. And no one is under any illusion that at a school where a majority of students live off campus, there aren't unmasked parties happening). My friend teaches at a private college that isn't even requiring masks, only recommending them, so she is hoping her fit tested respirator and air purifiers will be enough. 

 

 

[JennyD]

DH started teaching, and DS started his (small) college class.  95%+ vaccination, mask mandate, some testing.

A startling number of students in DH's class tested positive the first week, but the university moved fast (tested the whole first year class) and the second week was much quieter.  We will see how things go.  One student in DS's class was late to join because he was still at home with Covid.

50 minutes ago, regentrude said:

I told them that every time I am exposed, I will have to quarantine and they won't have in-person class, and that if they get exposed/sick, they will quarantine and not have in-person class either.

Yeah, I suspect some of the students realized this all of a sudden.  Most faculty are recording lecture classes, at least, so students can try to keep up, but being out for two weeks of a 14-week semester is not great.  

[Melissa B]

So far about 50/50 here. In both cases the professors were given some choice on how they wanted to teach this semester. One dd has an indoor mask mandate and vaccination or weekly testing requirement. She has one class that was always going to be online, one that switched to zoom (not too happy as it is a 4000 level language class) two in-person, but one switched to one day a week instead of two.

Second dd has an indoor mask mandate but no vaccination/testing requirement. One class was always going to be online, the second is in person, the third chose to do the first two weeks over zoom with the intention of switching to in-person on week three if the covid numbers are reasonable. This is a lab class, so she is really hoping they at least meet once a week for lab. Her fourth class was supposed to meet three times per week, twice for lecture and once for lab. It is meeting once per week in the lab and the professor is doing lecture and lab at that time. The rest of the week is online. We are in week two now. No major issues yet at either college.

[Innisfree]

Not yet at dd's school. Vaccinations and masks are mandated, fingers are crossed.

[Bootsie]

My university has been back in class for over a week now; we have a mask mandate but vaccinations are not required (at least 70% of the campus has voluntarily reported vaccination)--I have had two students test postive so far.  In order to provide more space in classrooms we greatly expanded our course offerings so that we are using classrooms more hours per day.  That means that I have a late Friday afternoon class that meets for 50 minutes.  Last Friday I had a great number of students reporting that they woke up feeling bad so they shouldn't come to class until they got test results.  Amazingly, all of those students tested negative and many were feeling much better by Friday evening.  

[MEmama]

Ireland is calling for in person classes this semester, although I think there are provisions for large lectures. There is a mask mandate, thank goodness, and the country is at 92% vaccinated and rising.

Classes don’t start until the end of September this year, so fingers crossed it goes well. DS is excited to be back in the classroom for sure. 

[elegantlion]

My university is still moving forward in person, although a lot of professors seem ready to move online if necessary. The city has an indoor mask mandate until at least October but hospitals are full and have been for weeks. I'll be following what happens, we're only in week 2. Personally, I'd be happy to move back online - the one class I'm taking could easily be converted. 

[RootAnn]

Dd#1's U has only just over 40% voluntarily reporting vaccination. Faculty/staff voluntarily reported 70% are vaccinated. Mask mandate in place. Cases increased from mid-30s to mid-50s (under 10,000 students) last week. Classes started two weeks ago tomorrow. Hoping to stay in person as long as possible. No routine testing and no vaccination mandate.

Dd#2's college has a two week mask mandate. They did entry testing on anyone not vaccinated. They are running about 7-10 students/week testing positive (no routine on-campus testing) with a much smaller population (2,000 including online only) and just started their second week of classes (so masking might be done after this Friday unless they extend it).

A friend's son is a freshman at dd#2's college. He refused to do entry testing & did not provide proof of vaccination, so was told not to attend class until he received at least one vaccine dose or got tested. He went to class anyway & security was called. He's been living on campus & attending events, just not attending class. He was allowed in class after the first week but refused to mask when requested. He walked out of that class and says he won't attend until next week when the mask mandate is dropped. I have no idea how his grade will drop due to not attending class, but it isn't my problem.

[regentrude]

40 minutes ago, RootAnn said:

A friend's son is a freshman at dd#2's college. He refused to do entry testing & did not provide proof of vaccination, so was told not to attend class until he received at least one vaccine dose or got tested. He went to class anyway & security was called. He's been living on campus & attending events, just not attending class. He was allowed in class after the first week but refused to mask when requested. He walked out of that class and says he won't attend until next week when the mask mandate is dropped. I have no idea how his grade will drop due to not attending class, but it isn't my problem.

Holy crap. WTF is wrong with people??? 

Sadly, missing 1-2 weeks of class will not drop his grade as much as this a*hole deserves.

ETA: a two week mask mandate is total bullshit. Pardon my French. Our is temporary, too, but I hope, hope hope they will extend it. I would not feel comfortable in the classroom without.

Edited August 31, 2021 by regentrude

[lewelma]

Wow guys. I'm really surprised places with tight spaces and a residential program are not more careful. DS's university has a:

vaccine mandate for students, faculty, and staff,

weekly testing,

daily health attestation,

and a mask mandate for all indoor locations except your dorm room.

That plus you cannot get into the dorm on move in day until you have had a test, and that info is loaded into your key card (which is supposed to take about 20 minutes). Your key card will also be turned off if you don't get your weekly test. 

Edited August 31, 2021 by lewelma

[regentrude]

22 minutes ago, lewelma said:

Wow guys. I'm really surprised places with tight spaces and a residential program are not more careful. 

When you have a state legislature that won't allow any measures, public colleges don't have any options. I am so grateful we get to have a mask mandate at least.

Our state Attorney General is suing communities over their mask mandates. It's a freaking insane circus here. Hospitals are full, but those politicians don't give a crap about people dieing... cause "freedom" gets them votes. 

Eta: my DS attends a Jesuit university in the same state, and I have been impressed by their commitment to safety and by the communications that really mirror their mission and values. They have masks and vaccines required, and test.

Edited August 31, 2021 by regentrude

[Dmmetler]

1 hour ago, lewelma said:

Wow guys. I'm really surprised places with tight spaces and a residential program are not more careful. DS's university has a:

vaccine mandate for students, faculty, and staff,

weekly testing,

daily health attestation,

and a mask mandate for all indoor locations except your dorm room.

That plus you cannot get into the dorm on move in day until you have had a test, and that info is loaded into your key card (which is supposed to take about 20 minutes). Your key card will also be turned off if you don't get your weekly test. 

I think private schools have a much easier time. L’s school is in the same state where the professor in the article above quit because of not even being able to require masks. So, you have schools that are  doing it all, and schools without even mask mandates, geographically close enough for cross registration to be no problem. 

[UmmIbrahim]

DS's school has been modifying the policy as the situation has been changing. This is the second week of classes. His campus is vaccination required (99% of students vaccinated) and they have surveillance testing for all students, faculty, and staff more than once a week (I'm not sure of the exact frequency, but I feel like DS is going for a test at least every 4 days or so). They are also mask required. As the case numbers have increased, the mask requirements have increased, and now students and faculty must wear masks everywhere (indoor and outdoor) except for their personal dorm rooms.

This last week, there were 350-360 positive tests (out of more than 15,000 students). The vast majority of the cases were asymptomatic, and a tiny minority of the positive cases had mild cold symptoms (again, they are all (or essentially all) vaccinated). Students who test positive are quarantined in local hotels for ten days.

After this burst of positive cases, the university has switched dining to "to go" options only and offered professors the option to conduct classes virtually if they are not comfortable teaching in person. All of DS's profs are remaining in-person, and he is absolutely thrilled about this. Office hours and study groups are proceeding mostly as normal, with continued masking everywhere. 

We'll see how things proceed, but DS is feeling good about things so far!

[mom2scouts]

DS's college just implemented a vaccine mandate. Everyone needs to be vaccinated by December. All unvaxxed students who live on campus have to have weekly (or maybe 2x weekly now) Covid tests. 

DS has a mixture of online and in-person classes and masks are required for in-person. It seems the professors were able to choose how to teach their classes. DS was unhappy that his foreign language classes weren't in-person until we pointed out how difficult it would be with masks. He's commuting, so the online classes are convenient except when he's already on campus and needs to find a quiet place to attend, He tried to use a library study room, but the Wi-Fi kept dropping him and he had trouble following the class. So far there hasn't been any outbreaks that we know about.

[bibiche]

On 8/31/2021 at 7:22 PM, lewelma said:

Wow guys. I'm really surprised places with tight spaces and a residential program are not more careful. DS's university has a:

vaccine mandate for students, faculty, and staff,

weekly testing,

daily health attestation,

and a mask mandate for all indoor locations except your dorm room.

That plus you cannot get into the dorm on move in day until you have had a test, and that info is loaded into your key card (which is supposed to take about 20 minutes). Your key card will also be turned off if you don't get your weekly test. 

Yup, every school I’m familiar with has the same. These are likely the schools that will remain open with a healthy campus. Those other schools… SMH.
 

I absolutely agree with what @regentrude wrote above regarding the asshat refusing to follow rules. (Although my “French” is much coarser than hers!) Around here he would’ve been booted, and rightfully so. The entitlement, the idiocy. Sigh.

[bibiche]

5 hours ago, mom2scouts said:

So far there hasn't been any outbreaks that we know about.

Do they not have a Covid dashboard? 

[Bootsie]

7 hours ago, UmmIbrahim said:

DS's school has been modifying the policy as the situation has been changing. This is the second week of classes. His campus is vaccination required (99% of students vaccinated) and they have surveillance testing for all students, faculty, and staff more than once a week (I'm not sure of the exact frequency, but I feel like DS is going for a test at least every 4 days or so). They are also mask required. As the case numbers have increased, the mask requirements have increased, and now students and faculty must wear masks everywhere (indoor and outdoor) except for their personal dorm rooms.

This last week, there were 350-360 positive tests (out of more than 15,000 students). The vast majority of the cases were asymptomatic, and a tiny minority of the positive cases had mild cold symptoms (again, they are all (or essentially all) vaccinated). Students who test positive are quarantined in local hotels for ten days.

After this burst of positive cases, the university has switched dining to "to go" options only and offered professors the option to conduct classes virtually if they are not comfortable teaching in person. All of DS's profs are remaining in-person, and he is absolutely thrilled about this. Office hours and study groups are proceeding mostly as normal, with continued masking everywhere. 

We'll see how things proceed, but DS is feeling good about things so far!

It is a bit alarming that over 2% of the population is testing positive in one week when almost everyone is vaccinated.  

[UmmIbrahim]

4 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

It is a bit alarming that over 2% of the population is testing positive in one week when almost everyone is vaccinated.  

Definitely. I think perhaps orientation week was a contributing factor. Initially, masks were not required in common areas of the dorms, and dining halls were open for eating in groups. It is also worth noting that the overall state-wide numbers have been terrible despite the university having good policies with required vaccination and masking. The new variant is just so contagious.

Another potential factor–all students on campus last year who received their vaccines on campus in the spring were given J&J. The rationale was that there wasn't time for a full course of the two dose mRNA vaccines before the end of the academic year (and this was, of course, all pre-delta). Additionally, international students this year were given J&J upon arrival to minimize the amount of time they would need to be isolated from the general student population while waiting for the vaccination to become effective. Vaccines are thus far preventing serious cases 100%, but there are lots of different variables in the mix that I'm sure they will continue to study and evaluate with regards to breakthrough cases. 

[skimomma]

Dd's uni is full steam ahead with in-person classes and no distancing.  There is no vaccine mandate and they are not asking students so I have no idea what the rate of vaccination is.  Masking is required through the month of September, which I suspect will be extended.  No routine testing and what testing is available is difficult to access.  Dd's roommate is sick and has been for over a week.  A FULL week ago dd started trying to find a way to test.  It took until this Tuesday to get an appointment.  Luckily it was negative but meanwhile she was attending class and other functions, masked.  So the "dashboard" shows almost no cases but does not mention how many tests were taken....which I know to be very few.  Luckily, the school is well-equipped to go online.  They were online all last year.  But that is NOT the experience my dd wants.  Fingers crossed.  

[Bootsie]

Students from some of the universities in New Orleans have been bussed to hotels in Texas and will be online from their hotel rooms for the next several weeks because of Ida.  I guess they assume that all of the professors are somewhere that they have electricity to be online.  

[Kassia]

20 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

Students from some of the universities in New Orleans have been bussed to hotels in Texas and will be online from their hotel rooms for the next several weeks because of Ida.  I guess they assume that all of the professors are somewhere that they have electricity to be online.  

I was wondering about this - how would the professors manage to make this work?
 

Dd's university announced they would reduce students in the classrooms for the first three weeks just a few days before classes started but apparently didn't provide any guidance to professors about how to do this or give any notice.  The university planned on a hybrid schedule but left it up to professors.  One of dd's professors didn't change anything - fully in person for the whole class every meeting, another professor said attendance would be optional but he is using lectures he recorded over the summer so the pace is different than it is now in the fall.  The other classes went fully online for the rest of the semester.  The university promised at least one in person lecture/week so I don't know how the professors can do that, but it doesn't matter to me since dd prefers online anyway.  I know many students and parents want in person classes, though.  The end of the three weeks is up next week and then the university will re-evaluate.

 

 

[Dmmetler]

The community college here, which was mostly online all last year but reopened this summer with masks required has gone back online because of concerns about additional exposure over Labor Day weekend. They plan to reopen in person after a 2 week online period, but I really won't be surprised if they stay virtual. They started issuing laptops to students who didn't have their own last year. 

[MamaSprout]

15 hours ago, Bootsie said:

It is a bit alarming that over 2% of the population is testing positive in one week when almost everyone is vaccinated.  

Maybe some of those are false positives if the school is relying entirely on rapid-tests: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/letters-health-care-providers/potential-false-positive-results-antigen-tests-rapid-detection-sars-cov-2-letter-clinical-laboratory

 

[UmmIbrahim]

2 minutes ago, MamaSprout said:

Maybe some of those are false positives if the school is relying entirely on rapid-tests: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/letters-health-care-providers/potential-false-positive-results-antigen-tests-rapid-detection-sars-cov-2-letter-clinical-laboratory

 

In this particular case, they are all PCR tests (they are not doing rapid testing at all that I know of). The students are getting the results a day or so after going for testing.

[kokotg]

DS20 just had his first day of classes yesterday; they were mostly online all last year (I think he has 2 or 3 in person classes at the very end of the year). Vaccines required, masks required inside, testing everyone the first week. I found out yesterday they've stopped maintaining the covid dashboard, which I'm not thrilled about. Instead they'll "update the community as needed." His school is only 2000 students, but it's also right in Saint Paul, and a lot of students live off campus, so there's less of a bubble effect than a lot of more isolated small colleges can have. 

DS18 is doing dual enrollment at a university that's part of the university system of georgia, so they can't require masks or vaccines and aren't testing. I wish I'd just had him stay online, but hindsight's 20/20 and all that. He's just in one class--so 75 minutes twice a week. He's vaccinated and wears a mask (one of the only ones in his class), so fingers crossed. 

[prairiewindmomma]

On 8/30/2021 at 9:07 PM, KSera said:

Does their school have a mask mandate as well? 

Yes, I am in a state with indoor and outdoor mask mandates. Vaccine status has been verified with state or other records—not much room to lie. 
 

Access to the lab buildings has been restricted to cardholders only. They are trying very hard to get to stay open.

[mom2scouts]

On 9/1/2021 at 7:52 PM, bibiche said:

Do they not have a Covid dashboard? 

I just looked. There's 36 cases on a campus with over 20,000 students. DS got an email yesterday that there was a positive case in one of his classes. He'd only had one in-person class on campus at that point and it was a large lecture class in an auditorium with students spread out and masked, so we're not too concerned at this time.

[Bootsie]

58 minutes ago, mom2scouts said:

I just looked. There's 36 cases on a campus with over 20,000 students. DS got an email yesterday that there was a positive case in one of his classes. He'd only had one in-person class on campus at that point and it was a large lecture class in an auditorium with students spread out and masked, so we're not too concerned at this time.

I am curious if you know whether the email stated when the student tested positive and when the last time the student had been in the class was?  If your son had only had one class, he could deduce when the exposure was, so I realize it wasn't really relevant information for him.  I am asking because we had a faculty senate meeting today where all kinds of concerns were being raised.  We have issues like a class that meets only on Tuesdays; if a student gets a notificaiton on Wednesday that a student in that class tested positive, does that mean the student was in class the day before and just tested positive; or can it mean that a student started feeling bad and was tested this Tuesday, so it has really been a week since the student had been in the same classroom.  Or did the student start feeling bad after class last Tuesday, get tested, and it was several days before results and the letter went out?  

[kokotg]

Mac brought back their covid dashboard. 2050 tests (which is all the students on campus, I assume) since August 9, 10 positives. 98% of students and more than 99% of staff fully vaccinated. Most students have only been back a few days, so the next couple of weeks will tell a lot more. I'm very interested in seeing how campuses with nearly universal vaccination fare.

[mom2scouts]

14 hours ago, Bootsie said:

I am curious if you know whether the email stated when the student tested positive and when the last time the student had been in the class was?  If your son had only had one class, he could deduce when the exposure was, so I realize it wasn't really relevant information for him.  I am asking because we had a faculty senate meeting today where all kinds of concerns were being raised.  We have issues like a class that meets only on Tuesdays; if a student gets a notificaiton on Wednesday that a student in that class tested positive, does that mean the student was in class the day before and just tested positive; or can it mean that a student started feeling bad and was tested this Tuesday, so it has really been a week since the student had been in the same classroom.  Or did the student start feeling bad after class last Tuesday, get tested, and it was several days before results and the letter went out?  

I'm not sure when the student tested positive. I only got a quick look at the email while talking to my son, but I don't think it gave a time period or date for the positive test. Classes have only been in session for 7 days. I just realized the DS would've also had class with the student on Monday, so two in-person classes before he received the email about exposure. It's a freshman level class, so likely the student lives on campus. They are testing all unvaccinated students in residence halls weekly and all students, including vaccinated, had to have a negative Covid test within a week of moving into residence halls.

In your case, I can see how it'll get more confusing as the semester goes on because it'll be harder for students to know when they may have been exposed and how many times they may have been exposed to a Covid positive classmate. They may have to start asking students which classes they attended in person and sending out the date and number of exposures to classmates and profs.

[KSera]

59 minutes ago, kokotg said:

Mac brought back their covid dashboard. 2050 tests (which is all the students on campus, I assume) since August 9, 10 positives. 98% of students and more than 99% of staff fully vaccinated. Most students have only been back a few days, so the next couple of weeks will tell a lot more. I'm very interested in seeing how campuses with nearly universal vaccination fare.

Do they have a mask mandate? I'm following how campuses are doing closely as well.

[kokotg]

3 minutes ago, KSera said:

Do they have a mask mandate? I'm following how campuses are doing closely as well.

They do at the moment. I think (it's been changing frequently, so it's hard to keep up) that it's a definite for the first two weeks of class, and then they'll reevaluate. 

[RootAnn]

Second full week of classes here. Small campus (less than 1,000 students). The college was told about nine (9) students who tested positive this week (not including today). 

Mask mandate (ending today unless extended), no vax requirement, and no on-going testing on campus.

[Bootsie]

University of Dallas is moving online temporarily (until Sept 13).  Their quarantine and isolation spaces on campus are full and they have had to begin using space in a hotel.

[Bootsie]

On 9/2/2021 at 9:25 AM, Bootsie said:

Students from some of the universities in New Orleans have been bussed to hotels in Texas and will be online from their hotel rooms for the next several weeks because of Ida.  I guess they assume that all of the professors are somewhere that they have electricity to be online.  

And this is how the local newspaper represents it:  "TCU is also helping with providing meals to the students who are playing at the Hyatt in downtown Dallas."

I am assuming they meant "staying" at the Hyatt, rather than "playing"TCU gave football tickets to Xavier students displaced by Ida | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

[Dmmetler]

Agnes is moving from pooled testing to individual PCR tests. 

[RootAnn]

@DmmetlerIs it right to assume that means they are seeing more positives than they thought they would?

My dd#2's school had a temporary indoor mask mandate that ended Friday. This morning at 9:30, emails went out that it has been extended two more weeks and then adds that it will probably be in place longer but that they'd be looking at the case loads every two weeks to determine its length. (The first announcement really made it sound like it would be two weeks & then dropped. This one was much clearer on the possibility of extensions.)

[KSera]

7 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

Agnes is moving from pooled testing to individual PCR tests. 

How often?

1 hour ago, RootAnn said:

@DmmetlerIs it right to assume that means they are seeing more positives than they thought they would?

It doesn’t look bad in terms of actual case numbers to me on their dashboard (just a couple each week), but they have tested so few that I don’t fully understand what I’m looking at. Maybe that’s the reason they are moving to individual? To get a better idea of percent positive? 
https://www.agnesscott.edu/engaging-the-challenge-together/index.html