Will Students be On-Campus for Fall 2020?

[WichitaStateGuy]

Curious on Shockernet's thought on the fall semester. Will university's maintain their current posture and keep classes online? Will students be allowed on-campus? Will sporting events be held? With or without fans?

[WuDrWu]

I believe Gov. Kelly when she said things will not be normal until there is a vaccine. I suspect on campus students fit into the basket of normal things that won't return until that vaccine.

Hopefully I'm wrong. I don't think she's trying to destroy the economy or is just evil. I do think she's wrong. Like I said, hopefully my forecast is wrong, but I do not expect students to be on campus this fall.

[JVShocker]

I believe Gov. Kelly when she said things will not be normal until there is a vaccine. I suspect on campus students fit into the basket of normal things that won't return until that vaccine.

Hopefully I'm wrong. I don't think she's trying to destroy the economy or is just evil. I do think she's wrong. Like I said, hopefully my forecast is wrong, but I do not expect students to be on campus this fall.

If things are a mess now, it'll be chaos by September-October if it contnues along these lines. I've been leaning towards the premise that "things just have to try and go back to normal and open up" for about a week or so. People are going to have to be cautious and responsible. This is the US of A. Individuals have freedoms and rights, and if you take away even the most basic of these, only bad can come of it. A lesser of two evils kind of thing is what I see. Yeah I know, its going to be unpredictable, dangerous, and even reckless, but the alternative is more than scary and I don't want to think about it.

[ShockerFever]

Are we voting what we think should happen or what we think is going to happen?

[WichitaStateGuy]

Are we voting what we think should happen or what we think is going to happen?

Good question -- what we think will happen, then discuss your rationale / opine on why you hope you're wrong.

[pie n eye]

If things are a mess now, it'll be chaos by September-October if it contnues along these lines. I've been leaning towards the premise that "things just have to try and go back to normal and open up" for about a week or so. People are going to have to be cautious and responsible. This is the US of A. Individuals have freedoms and rights, and if you take away even the most basic of these, only bad can come of it. A lesser of two evils kind of thing is what I see. Yeah I know, its going to be unpredictable, dangerous, and even reckless, but the alternative is more than scary and I don't want to think about it.

I agree with the general sentiment here but want to a couple things. I don’t think should just immediately jump back to normal and hope for the best. I think we need to formulate a course of action that involves gradually ramping up back to normal in phases and with certain precautions. And I think we’re definitely seeing those plans being formulated across the country at all levels of government. We need to strategically get back to normal.

Like you said there will always be risks, even when we have a vaccine and treatment some people will still probably die. But reopening doesn’t have to be reckless and I think we can mitigate a lot of that risk if we do it the right way.

[pie n eye]

I voted some hybrid of both because the impact of the virus has not been the same across the country so far.

When we have the necessary testing capacity I would think schools, all schools not just colleges, should be one of the first things we look at reopening.

It’s an age demographic with an extremely low mortality rate so, in theory, even if clusters develop the overwhelming majority should make it through unscathed with the added benefit of increasing natural immunity within society. Again, in theory.

Not to mention the fact that many people do not have access to the internet and thus are unable to continue their education from home. How many people fall in that category? I don’t know. Maybe it’s a tiny amount but as expensive as internet is I doubt it’s insignificant. Plus some kids rely on school for basic things like meals.

Then you have the parents who are trying to work from home while also educating and entertaining their children. Can’t imagine either of those tasks, on average, is being done at the same level as before.

In my incredibly uneducated and uninformed opinion it should be our goal to safely have as many schools open in the fall as humanly possible. Maybe it just isn’t possible until spring but we’ll see.

We gotta get those dang tests. And again I just don’t believe our country isn’t capable of rising to the occasion and getting them sooner than later.

[WichitaStateGuy]

I voted some hybrid of both because the impact of the virus has not been the same across the country so far.

When we have the necessary testing capacity I would think schools, all schools not just colleges, should be one of the first things we look at reopening.

It’s an age demographic with an extremely low mortality rate so, in theory, even if clusters develop the overwhelming majority should make it through unscathed with the added benefit of increasing natural immunity within society. Again, in theory.

Not to mention the fact that many people do not have access to the internet and thus are unable to continue their education from home. How many people fall in that category? I don’t know. Maybe it’s a tiny amount but as expensive as internet is I doubt it’s insignificant. Plus some kids rely on school for basic things like meals.

Then you have the parents who are trying to work from home while also educating and entertaining their children. Can’t imagine either of those tasks, on average, is being done at the same level as before.

In my incredibly uneducated and uninformed opinion it should be our goal to safely have as many schools open in the fall as humanly possible. Maybe it just isn’t possible until spring but we’ll see.

We gotta get those dang tests. And again I just don’t believe our country isn’t capable of rising to the occasion and getting them sooner than later.

This is almost exactly the way I feel, but with the exception that I think we need to see how this virus acts in the fall / winter. I actually support keeping our current posture through the fall, then phase back come spring. For all we know, this virus could mutate into a totally different animal... also- for all we know- we could have a virus in a month.

[pie n eye]

This is almost exactly the way I feel, but with the exception that I think we need to see how this virus acts in the fall / winter. I actually support keeping our current posture through the fall, then phase back come spring. For all we know, this virus could mutate into a totally different animal... also- for all we know- we could have a virus in a month.

Reasonable take and your comment also made me consider the fact that with fall comes flu season and the potential of overwhelming the health care system with yearly flu, other things that bring people to the doctor/hospital, plus potential COVID outbreaks.

So, I would add increased capacity or ability to quickly increase capacity of hospitals as a criteria to open. Equipment goes hand in hand with that as well.

Again, as with the tests, that’s all stuff that I am cautiously optimistic we as a country, region, state,
city can make happen now that we have more information and time to prepare. Which I guess comes back to the original question, is 4 months enough time to make all that happen? I wish I knew.

[1979Shocker]

I said back to normal, but those that want to should be given the option of online classes if able.

[wichshock65]

Honest question, has the nation ever had a test set up for everyone in the country, and ongoing for an undefined timeframe? Is it even possible? Hell, we're actually talking about darn near everyone on the planet.

[JVShocker]

Honest question, has the nation ever had a test set up for everyone in the country, and ongoing for an undefined timeframe? Is it even possible? Hell, we're actually talking about darn near everyone on the planet.

[wufan]

I used bullseye womprats in my T-16 back home. They’re not much bigger than two meters.

[wsushox1]

So I work tangentially in higher education through educational foundation fundraising and consulting. My, and my companies, current thinking is that private schools and large public institutions with lots of cash will be able to attain tests for their students, hire population health experts, and rotate class schedules to limit the number of students in a classroom and on campus at one time. Thus a somewhat "return to normal" aspect for them.

Regional and state institutions that are already financially distressed? Well, they will either shut down or have no choice but to furlough staff and cut programs. Regardless of whether they "open up fully" the amount of students wanting to attend those level of institutions will be lower. They will likely be lower across all class of higher education institution but those will be the ones that are hurt the most. You will also see this across smaller, regional private/religiously affiliated schools that have already had flat or declining enrollment over the last 10-years. Traditionally, enrollment does tend to increase during recessions, but that enrollment does not come with a health risk (no matter how small the CFR for young people may be).

Eastern Illinois is probably the posterchild for the scenario that I've said above. They've barely survived over the past 5 years. Enrollment has declined from 12,000 to 6,000 and have received considerably less funding from the Illinois state government. In a recession, where state revenue is going to be hammered, schools such as that are not going to have enough capital to service their long-term debt (sans restructuring) even though their cash position did improve in FY18.

Already, the Vermont public university system is closing 3 of their campuses and consolidating others. Though I believe the vote has been temporarily delayed.

I don't suspect any public schools in Kansas would be effected to a closure level, but I can name off a number of schools in other states that were already going through tremendous enrollment declines that will greatly question their viability as an institution.

[WichitaStateGuy]

With the California State University system announcing they will keep the fall semester online, is it just a matter of time before other university systems follow suit?