Colleges are struggling to make decisions on whether or not they’re going to have fall term on campus or online. Seems that about 30% of the incoming freshmen are waiting to make decisions about which colleges to attend based on whether or not they’ll start college on campus. Many parents are leery of spending over $60,000 for an online college experience for their kids.
On the other hand, colleges, like businesses, have been hit hard by shelter-in-place orders, and they need student tuition to stay afloat. While they want to protect their faculty and students from the coronavirus, they know students (and parents) don’t want to pay full tuition for online classes. That’s why several colleges are planning on a half-and-half solution.
With this new proposal, colleges will open for fall semester/quarter on campus. This gives students the opportunity to get out of the house and back on campus where they can have fun and get the full college experience. Parents will pay tuition, room and board, and travel expenses just as they had expected. Colleges reap the financial security they need for this term.
There will be no fall break (like spring break) in October for colleges that normally have them. Colleges worry that students will be exposed to the coronavirus at home and then spread it around campus when they return. Each college will set up social distancing protocol to meet their local requirements.
Then, the Friday before Thanksgiving, the students pack up their dorm rooms and head back home for the rest of the semester/quarter. That way they enjoy the holiday with family and friends, and then their courses all transfer to online sessions. The benefit here is that they’ll have already completed midterms and have a good grasp of each class’s protocol so switching to online classes should be seamless.
Colleges fear that the second wave of the coronavirus will wreak havoc on campus and it will be best for students to be safely at home after Thanksgiving and through winter break. Nobody is speculating about what may happen for winter or spring terms yet. Uncertainty seems to be the only constant here.
This is the buzz I’ve heard about a new fall term scenario on college campuses. It offers something for the students/professors and the college bursars. There are many options and colleges will be making announcements about fall term in the next few months.
Colleges are struggling to make decisions on whether or not they’re going to have fall term on campus or online. Seems that about 30% of the incoming freshmen are waiting to make decisions about which colleges to attend based on whether or not they’ll start college on campus. Many parents are leery of spending over $60,000 for an online college experience for their kids.
On the other hand, colleges, like businesses, have been hit hard by shelter-in-place orders, and they need student tuition to stay afloat. While they want to protect their faculty and students from the coronavirus, they know students (and parents) don’t want to pay full tuition for online classes. That’s why several colleges are planning on a half-and-half solution.
With this new proposal, colleges will open for fall semester/quarter on campus. This gives students the opportunity to get out of the house and back on campus where they can have fun and get the full college experience. Parents will pay tuition, room and board, and travel expenses just as they had expected. Colleges reap the financial security they need for this term.
There will be no fall break (like spring break) in October for colleges that normally have them. Colleges worry that students will be exposed to the coronavirus at home and then spread it around campus when they return. Each college will set up social distancing protocol to meet their local requirements.
Then, the Friday before Thanksgiving, the students pack up their dorm rooms and head back home for the rest of the semester/quarter. That way they enjoy the holiday with family and friends, and then their courses all transfer to online sessions. The benefit here is that they’ll have already completed midterms and have a good grasp of each class’s protocol so switching to online classes should be seamless.
Colleges fear that the second wave of the coronavirus will wreak havoc on campus and it will be best for students to be safely at home after Thanksgiving and through winter break. Nobody is speculating about what may happen for winter or spring terms yet. Uncertainty seems to be the only constant here.
This is the buzz I’ve heard about a new fall term scenario on college campuses. It offers something for the students/professors and the college bursars. There are many options and colleges will be making announcements about fall term in the next few months.
High school seniors have been robbed their senior top-dog activities like formals and proms, and most won’t be able to walk at their high school graduation with their classmates in May or June. What’s worse is that college-bound students don’t know if their colleges will have classes on campus this fall. Current seniors/soon-to-be college freshmen, may also be robbed their “freshman experience” if they are taking online classes from the bedrooms at home. With the May 1st deadline quickly approaching, seniors need to make final decisions about which college they plan to attend this fall.
The coronavirus pandemic has taken the nation by surprise and colleges are scrambling to announce how they will offer the fall term. Most colleges transformed onsite classes to some version of online classes when they sent students home for spring term. And, they’re getting heat from students and parents about housing and meal refunds. Colleges are struggling with financial obligations (paying professors and staff) while balancing difficult decisions about sheltering in place (at home) and exacerbating a pandemic that is nowhere near running its course.
Here are the 10 possible scenarios colleges may offer this fall.
#1. Classes back on campus
… See you on campus! Everything back to normal.
#2. Late start in October or November
… After there are vaccines or better testing, students start classes later.
#3. Skip fall term and start up in spring
… Then, move spring term to summer.
#4. Freshmen only
… Sophomores, juniors, and seniors would take online classes at home, while freshmen would be on campus following social distancing guidelines so they have their freshmen experiences.
#5. Graduate Students only
… Just grad students would be on campus to continue their research while undergrads take online classes only.
#6. Targeted Courses
… Students take some on-campus classes that require that face-to-face interface while other classes are offered online. Housing may be an issue for dorms and dining halls.
#7. Block Courses
… Students take one course at a time for 3-4 weeks and complete the same number of courses over the term. This gives flexibility should students be ordered to move back home while giving them full credit for courses completed on campus.
#8. Low-Residency Model
… Students take online courses from home, but participate in on-campus face-to-face classes with a small portion of the class and the professor for short periods of time. This allows for making friends and improving on-line discussions with people they met on campus.
#9. HyFlex Model
… Classes are offered both online and on campus. Students choose which works best for them. Professors and TAs teach on campus and online classes.
#10. Online Courses only
… All classes are taken online from home, similar to the structure used this spring term.
Colleges will announce their decisions about how fall term will be conducted. For many freshmen, this decision may determine which colleges they start this fall. This will be interesting to see how each college develops their plans to retain their reputations while offering what students need.