Will students be returning to campus in Fall 2020?
As the spring semester recently concluded for most universities, one main question arises: will students be returning to campus in Fall 2020? As of May 16th, about 64% of U.S. colleges are planning for in-person instruction, while only 7% of colleges have already committed to online learning to begin the semester. Some colleges, such as the University of Miami, have proposed to make all large lecture hall classes remotely taught, while smaller classes can resume in-person. Other colleges, such as New York University, have considered changing some or most classes to be remote, but allowing students to return to campus. Finally, others such as UCSD have already committed to an online plan for next semester. It is clear that every plan from each college is subject to change, but is it likely that colleges will resume as “normal” next fall?
Quarantine and Social Distancing
The amount of COVID-19 cases per state varies across the nation; cases even vastly differ depending on a state’s county. As a result, one college’s decision will not be comparable to another, no matter if they are in the same state or not. For instance, the actions of USC and UCLA greatly contrast from one another, despite their close proximity. Additionally, a college reopening next semester entirely depends on the state’s actions regarding quarantine and social distancing. Until action is taken by the state, colleges truly do not have a solidified idea about whether they can return in the fall.
Issues surrounding the safety on campus
I believe that it is best that colleges should only return when the president of the given school has a strong plan of action. Without a strong plan to ensure safety on campus, the possibility of students obtaining COVID-19 or other related illnesses rise dramatically, which could result in a university shutting down to prevent further spread of the virus. As said, the plan of action should diversify based upon the college’s location in the United States, which will fall under specific protocol depending on the state’s beliefs. For instance, the precautions in the northeast and western parts of the U.S. will be much more prevalent than in the south due to their higher amount of total COVID-19 cases. However, it is likely that all schools will require students to be tested for the virus before returning to campus; if a student tests positive, they would be quarantined in a different location for 14 days before coming back to school. Of course, this is greatly easier to be said than done. Until a school is able to dedicate enough reliable and efficient testing for all their students, they will not be able to return to campus safely.
It is difficult to believe that colleges will fully return to “normality” in the fall, especially with the usage of large dorms buildings. It is quite possible that universities will decide to affect a student’s way of living in some way, which could include limiting roommates, the amount of people on a floor, and setting the restriction to the amount of people that can be in one floor or bathroom. Additionally, some colleges are considering a dorm floor specifically for COVID-19 patients; these floors would be isolated from the rest of the building, and the residents would have to stay on the floor for 14 days before release. Due to these many possible limitations, this could push students towards living off-campus in apartments and houses, if they are readily available. Yet, residential assistants will need to protect these rules, and if they are not effective in their roles, this could also result in a further spread of COVID-19 throughout college campuses.
Will Orientation go online?
Orientation also remains in question for many schools across the United States due to COVID-19. Usually, incoming students visit the school for a week in the middle of summer, or they move into their dorms a few days early to attend orientation and experience all the fun welcome activities. However, with the instructions of social distancing, there is little chance that the Class of 2024 will be able to receive as much as a warm welcome to the school than past freshmen. Instead, it is probable that these orientations will be virtual, which would be guided by a university tour guide. While this is drastically different from in-person orientation, incoming freshmen will definitely learn more about their school. But, it is possible that it will not be marketed accurately to what they will experience when they first step on campus in the fall. Instead of being encouraged about all the events and opportunities across campus, students will be welcomed to recommended isolation and limited social interaction; restrictions will be placed on athletic and social clubs, volunteering, and other opportunities around their campus and city.
Safety around Student areas with COVID-19
Finally, there will also be many building restrictions taken into effect at the beginning of the fall semester. Locations such as the library, food courts, lecture halls, and student centers will likely limit the amount of students that can enter at one time. As a result, students may be “pushed away” from these areas of the school, and as a result feel like they lose part of their freedom as a college student. In the end, college students want to be able to make their own decisions, such as where to study or where to meet their friends. But, these on-campus limitations will take away their independence, as students will have to closely follow the rules of the college to avoid obtaining and spreading the virus.
In all, will colleges return to a “normal” lifestyle in Fall 2020? Probably not, but it is quite possible that students will be welcomed back to campus with many restrictions. While this upcoming semester may not be as enjoyable as earlier years, a university’s plan of action is definitely important towards preventing the spread of COVID-19. So, this upcoming semester will feel very new and unusual to both incoming and returning students, but to further return to hopeful normality in the future, we must test and effectively utilize these precautions.
Kyle Banker 