Is it SAFE?
You could hear the held collective breath of parents of college students nationwide about three weeks ago. Everyone was just hoping, even praying, their student and would navigate the COVID-19 protocols and rules when they returned to campus. Sadly, for students at three major universities in my state, they came, they saw, and they returned home to 100% online for the undergraduates.
In NC, UNC-Chapel Hill announced within the first two weeks all undergraduate courses were going online due to 895 new campus COVID-19 cases. Three days later, NC State did the same with 788 cases. East Carolina followed suit after 756 registered cases. The three campuses recorded over 80% of the nearly 3,000 new COVID-19 cases connected to colleges & universities re-opening in our state. Yet, all the other 14 university system campuses are still operating in person. That doesn't include a large number of private schools. And, they are all reporting surprisingly low numbers for the size of their student body and campus configuration. So what gives?
First, understand there is NO common reporting methodology for colleges and universities in NC. The Department of Health & Human Services is focused on K-12. Even when higher ed schools provide numbers, they are not broken down by student vs faculty/admin or even reported on the same frequency level. This results in a patch quilt of information that is unclear as to the actual tally. It will take rigorous analysis to determine what is keeping this opportunistic virus at bay elsewhere.
However, I think you should follow Northeastern University, a private school in the heart of downtown Boston, MA. They have invested over 50 MILLION dollars in technology to enhance distance AND in-person learning. The student gets to choose on a flexible scale when they will learn remotely and when they will join the learning community in-person. However- they don’t get to choose when it comes to COVID-19 testing. On-campus students will be tested for COVID-19 EVERY 3 days, and NU has a rapid results turnaround system on site. They upgraded their ventilation systems, installed MERV 12 or higher filtration systems, have bought UVGI, (Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation) lighting with HEPA filters for classrooms and any dorms with communal bathrooms. Also, high contact areas are cleaned 3 times a day by an army of 500 cleaning ninjas.
That’s not all. The administration began monitoring social media this summer. When an Instagram poll asked incoming Northeastern freshmen if they were going to party down upon campus arrival, around 115 students replied with a selected “Hell, Yeah!” poll button. The administration, not amused, convinced the account holder to share the names, and a letter went out to those students. It contained a stern warning that any such behavior would violate the University code and they could be dismissed from school.
On September 2nd, Northeastern had to follow through. School administrators caught a group of 11 students at the Hotel Westin which had been booked for student housing, partying in a room, against the rules. They were told to get tested for COVID-19, then vacate the campus within 24 hours.
And, there would be no refund of tuition or room and board.
The dismissed students can return in the spring, assuming they can convince the administration they will now follow the rules.
As draconian as this sounds, it comes down to a simple formula- NU made a massive investment in testing and sanitizing for their academic community. They expect, even demand, a disciplined behavior by everyone in return. And, they will not accept anything less from their educational community of just under 14,000 students.
The rest of the community appears to support this because of ONE big reason. It allows them to feel SAFE while they are getting their education. That is the key for colleges to retain students & calm faculty right now. Students and their parents must feel it is a safe environment, or they won’t be attending. It is both very simple and very complex at the same time.
Until rules are enforced, until there is regular testing, and there is an ironclad community-wide commitment to making this work, many families are going to take their student and wallet in other directions. The consumer/student/family is in charge right now. I hope the schools understand what it will take to win them back. Otherwise, the tsunami wave of upheaval will continue to build, altering the higher education landscape forever.
Next week, let’s explore community college fall enrollments & missed opportunities.
Until next time,
All my best,
Bonnie
