Page 3 - Education
P. 3

How College Students



              Can Confront Returning To Campus




            The world’s response
         to the outbreak of the
         COVID-19 virus left no
         aspect of life untouched.
         People from all walks
         of life had to make
         sacrifices to prevent the
         spread of the potentially
         deadly virus, and college
         students were no
         exception.


            Many colleges and
         universities abruptly
         canceled in-person
         classes in mid-March
         2020, forcing students to
         finish their coursework
         via remote learning.
         That response had a
         significant impact on the    to include physical        roadmaps to returning       students. Students who                 SPECIAL
         2019-20 school year,        distancing provisions.     are fluid, so students       want to avoid the dorms
         and the virus figures        Small classes will meet    concerned about             should inquire about off-
         to affect the upcoming      in larger spaces, while    returning to campus likely  campus, single-person
         school year just as much.   lectures may be delivered  have options that do not    housing.                               ADVERTISING
         In fact, many colleges      remotely.                  require them to sit out the
         and universities are                                   semester.                   • Ask about testing.
         beginning the coming          Despite such                                         Students have a right to
         school year early in the    measures, some students    • Learn about               know about COVID-19
         hopes that students can     may still be hesitant to   residential life. Many      testing protocols and                  SECTION
         continue their educations   return to campus at a      college students live       should not hesitate to
         on campus but be safely     time when so much about    in dorms that feature       ask what those protocols               OF
         back home by late           the COVID-19 virus         double or even triple       will be. Due to the                    THE
         November, when many         remains a mystery. The     occupancy rooms. Such       fluid nature of schools’
         scientists are anticipating  following are some ways   an environment will         roadmaps to return,
         a second wave of            students can confront      compromise students’        testing policies may not               MORNING
         COVID-19 infections will    any nervous feelings they  ability to practice social  yet be set in stone, and
         arrive.                     may have about returning   distancing. Some            are likely to evolve as the            CALL
                                     to campus for a new        schools, including          school year progresses.
            Schools that are         school year.               Binghamton University in    Students should look
         reopening this summer                                  New York, are converting    into the testing policy
         insist that it is safe      • Determine your options.  triple occupancy rooms      specifics and ask if they               SUNDAY,
         to do so, and have          While many colleges and    into double occupancy.      have any recourse if they
         even indicated their        universities are returning  Both Binghamton            feel the testing policy is
         intentions to implement     to campus, some may        and UNC Chapel Hill         inadequate.
         new practices to            be allowing students       also are designating                                               FEBRUARY
         ensure their campuses       to learn remotely. For     one residential hall          Students who are
         are safe and healthy        instance, students with    as temporary housing        hesitant to return to                  28,
         environments in which       preexisting conditions     for students who test       campus this summer
         to learn. For example,      that make them             positive for COVID-19. In   or fall can do their due               2021
         the University of North     vulnerable to COVID-19     addition, some schools      diligence to determine if
         Carolina at Chapel Hill     may be allowed to          may be designating          they’re comfortable going
         is reconfiguring in-         continue learning from     certain residential         back to campus.
         person course instruction   home. Many schools’        facilities for at-risk


                                                                                                                                   3
   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8