RI’s Colleges Must Make Big Decisions Soon - Fauci Issues Warning and CA System Closes Its Campuses

RI’s Colleges Must Make Big Decisions Soon - Fauci Issues Warning and CA System Closes Its Campuses

The clock is ticking on decision-making for Rhode Island's colleges and universities about classes on campus this fall.

The financial implications are massive for the schools and their local economies.

Brown University President Christina Paxson wrote in a high profile New York Times Sunday opinion piece on April 26, “The reopening of college and university campuses in the fall should be a national priority. Institutions should develop public health plans now that build on three basic elements of controlling the spread of infection: test, trace and separate."

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"These plans must be based on the reality that there will be upticks or resurgences in infection until a vaccine is developed, even after we succeed in flattening the curve," she wrote. "We can’t simply send students home and shift to remote learning every time this happens. Colleges and universities must be able to safely handle the possibility of infection on campus while maintaining the continuity of their core academic functions.”

Paxson's piece outlined a plan that was based, in part, on access to aggressive testing. Testing has been a struggle for the country and nearly all states. 

Paxson’s words did not impact the California college system.

California State University, with 23 campuses and more than 480,000 students, on Tuesday became the largest university system in the country to declare that it intends to go without in-person instruction for almost all classes in the fall because of the public health crisis. Some laboratory courses may be held in person.

Brown University has not announced its plan for the fall to date.

Fauci-Factor

Dr. Anthony Fauci in testimony before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Tuesday said that he believes the reopening of colleges this fall may be unlikely.

In a hypothetical question posed by the Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) about the opening of college campuses this coming fall. Fauci said, “Well, I would be very realistic with the chancellor and tell … her that in this case that the idea of having treatments available or a vaccine to facilitate the reentry of students into the fall term would be something that would be a bit of a bridge too far.”

 

Rhode Island's Colleges and Universities: Some Say They Are Planning on Returning --  and Others Say They Are Focused on Planning

Rhode Island School of Design’s spokeswoman Danielle Mancuso told GoLocal, “Given the uncertainty on how COVID-19 will persist, we are focused right now on identifying ways we can operate in the fall that will both keep our community safe and maintain the integrity of our academic mission. We are currently developing continuity plans for a number of different scenarios.  We’ll be spending the next several weeks finalizing our plan for fall and plan to make a decision around June 15.”

In Bristol, Roger Willams University President Ioannis (Yannis) Miaoulis wrote in an email to students last week, “Many working groups have started meeting to research and consider fall semester scenarios that will give you strong learning options while assuring your safety, well-being and peace of mind. We need to think about all aspects of the Roger Williams experience with the pandemic and contingencies in mind.”

“Everything from the classroom experience, dining services, residence halls, events and activities are being reviewed along with the necessary quarantine and isolation protocols. We are coordinating with the Rhode Island Department of Health and with other Rhode Island colleges and universities to ensure a safe, collaborative approach to our public health practices to reopen this fall,” he added.

“It is our intent to finalize our academic and campus plans for the fall semester in June and communicate to students by early July, giving you ample time to prepare for the return to campus,” he said.

Bryant University President Ronald Machtley and incoming Bryant President Ross Gittell announced that the university will allow students to return to campus for a residential experience in the fall of 2020. But some say that early announcement made in late April was more about locking in financial commitment from incoming freshman than a final decision.

“Our expectation is that we will all be facing a ‘new normal’ and that special accommodations will be needed in our near-term future, but we will handle it with our signature Bulldog spirit and meticulous attention to health and safety,” the announcement read. “We are already developing the policies and procedures that must be in place for this safe reopening and we will share details on these in the weeks and months ahead.”

In Newport, Salve Regina, which is one of the most beautiful seaside campuses in the United States, is planning to reopen. 

"We are confident that with careful planning in the coming months, Salve Regina University will be able to safely re-open campus and welcome students back to in-person classes in the fall," said Matt Boxler, the Director of Media Relations at Salve.

"While it is still too early to know exactly what this will look like, Salve Regina’s leadership team is working in close consultation with Gov. Gina Raimondo and the Rhode Island Department of Health to formulate a comprehensive re-opening plan for our university that will focus on the safety of students, faculty, staff and the Newport community, and will also align with the governor’s tiered strategy for re-opening the state’s economy," added Boxler.