Approaching the Fall

The pandemic has persisted throughout July, worsening in some of the areas where earlier, it had been under control. Recent data indicates that the number of people who are or have been infected is greater than the number of reported cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this implies that infected people who have mild or no symptoms are spreading the coronavirus.

It is against this backdrop, that institutions of higher education are grappling with reopening for the fall semester. The federal government openly advocates for a resumption of face-to-face classes. The president has gone so far as to threaten to withhold federal funds from institutions that do not resume face-to-face instruction.

However, the federal government hasn't provided the extra funding needed for such an undertaking. Many institutions reduced their faculty and staff to cope with the economic impact of the pandemic. The costs and logistics of reopening and staying open this fall could be daunting for them. Although another stimulus package that may include $30,000,000,000 for colleges and universities is in the works, disbursal of any such funds would not be in time for fall.

Earlier this month, Dr. Robert Ray Redfield, director of the CDC, said that the CDC never recommended closure. But although, he spoke favorably of face-to-face instruction, the White House prevented him from testifying before the House Education and Labor Committee. Committee Chairman, Bobby Scott said the testimony was requested so legislators could find out how they could help institutions reopen safely. The White House has also clashed publicly with Dr. Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

This politicization of the pandemic and the escalation in infections and deaths has not made it easy for institutions. Most public institutions, including HBCUs, are reopening with face-to-face instruction. The plans of private institutions are mixed, with some reopening with face-to-face instructions, others going fully virtual, and others taking a hybrid approach.

For example, in Georgia, as part of the University System, Albany State, Fort Valley State, and Savannah State Universities are reopening for face-to-face instruction. Private institutions are generally not following suit. The members of the Atlanta University Consortium, with the exception of Morehouse School of Medicine, will conduct classes virtually. Spelman College, a member of the consortium, stated the plans to hold face-to-face instruction were scrapped because infection rates in Georgia were trending upward. The college adjusted fees for campus-based activities and was among a short list of institutions to do so. 

Whatever way forward institutions take, the road ahead will be rocky. The following resources may be of interest to administrators as they continue to tweak plans for the fall.

1. CDC's general recommendations for school administrators and institutions of higher education
2. CDC's stakeholder call with higher ed (video)
3. CDCs recommendations for higher education(video)
4. CDCs guidance on testing
5. Leaked unreleased CDC document 
6. American College Heath Association's Considerations for Reopening Institutions of Higher Education
7. Open Smart EDU's Planning and Self-Assessment Guide for Higher Education
8. Smart Sheet's Higher Education Return-to-Campus Planning tool
9. Johns Hopkins Center's Health Security Self-Assessment Calculator (Excel)
10. Davidson College's College Crisis Initiative