design_mom
probably more like my dad than I care to admit
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2007
dyk ugh to the a/c and back-on-campus issues. I guess we're not dealing with that.
DS is still at home because his university decided to do the first month of classes online and keep the dorms closed. New move-in date is 9/18. However, we'll see if that happens. They've had an outbreak of Covid on campus, apparently stemming from an off-campus gathering of mostly athletes. (The athletic conference has canceled all fall sports, but fall- and winter-season athletes were already on campus practicing when that happened.) They said there have been 27 cases so far, affecting a variety of different teams. So the county health department has decided to quarantine the entire athletic program -- all athletes on campus (in season or not), coaches, trainers, and pretty much anybody who worked with the athletes. Even if they weren't at the party. Even if no one on their team has tested positive. (I heard of one grad student who did concussion testing with 12 athletes, none positive, and she's quarantined, too.) CDC and Ohio guidelines say that positive individuals should be isolated and their "close contacts" should be quarantined (but "contacts of contacts"do not need to be quarantined.)
Additionally, the information (previously) in the back-to-campus plan said that, if you needed to isolate/quarantine, you had the option of returning to your permanent residence. If you couldn't go home, then the university will provide a quarantine/isolation space for you. In the parent- and student- Webinars they had about the back-to-campus plan, they said that they PREFER you to isolate/quarantine at home so they can reserve the on-campus space for people who cannot go home (like out-of-state or international students.) However, apparently the Board of Health is making people quarantine on-campus (or in their off-campus apartments) and is threatening legal action (and the university is threatening disciplinary action) if you "break quarantine" even to go to your permanent residence.
I have been told that, at the on-campus quarantine facility, the school is providing food delivery, but there is no laundry service, etc. (They told us to pack a "go bag" but maybe it needs to have more stuff in it than I anticipated -- enough to last 14 days.) Now, the wording on the back-to-campus website has now changed to say that going home will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and requires written consent from the health department. And apparently, so far, the health department has said "no" to everyone.
They're supposed to make a go/no-go call about opening the dorms/switching to face-to-face classes by Labor Day. I know my son is REALLY, REALLY hoping they open... and I was hoping that for him, but now I'm not sure. If they are quarantining the entire athletic department, what's next -- if someone in his dorm tests positive (even on a different floor), would they quarantine the entire dorm? What about if someone in the business school tests positive, will they quarantine everyone who had class in that building? Are they "making an example" out of the athletes in an attempt to 'scare everyone straight' to follow the rules? I really don't know. He could spend the entire semester quarantined even if he does everything right.
Off-campus students have been around campus for 2-3 weeks (classes have been in session since August 17) and we currently have 37 positive cases, which isn't too bad compared with some other universities. However, they've already sent out two e-mails kind of setting the stage for *not* returning to campus. And now, I can't decide what I'm hoping for.
DS is still at home because his university decided to do the first month of classes online and keep the dorms closed. New move-in date is 9/18. However, we'll see if that happens. They've had an outbreak of Covid on campus, apparently stemming from an off-campus gathering of mostly athletes. (The athletic conference has canceled all fall sports, but fall- and winter-season athletes were already on campus practicing when that happened.) They said there have been 27 cases so far, affecting a variety of different teams. So the county health department has decided to quarantine the entire athletic program -- all athletes on campus (in season or not), coaches, trainers, and pretty much anybody who worked with the athletes. Even if they weren't at the party. Even if no one on their team has tested positive. (I heard of one grad student who did concussion testing with 12 athletes, none positive, and she's quarantined, too.) CDC and Ohio guidelines say that positive individuals should be isolated and their "close contacts" should be quarantined (but "contacts of contacts"do not need to be quarantined.)
Additionally, the information (previously) in the back-to-campus plan said that, if you needed to isolate/quarantine, you had the option of returning to your permanent residence. If you couldn't go home, then the university will provide a quarantine/isolation space for you. In the parent- and student- Webinars they had about the back-to-campus plan, they said that they PREFER you to isolate/quarantine at home so they can reserve the on-campus space for people who cannot go home (like out-of-state or international students.) However, apparently the Board of Health is making people quarantine on-campus (or in their off-campus apartments) and is threatening legal action (and the university is threatening disciplinary action) if you "break quarantine" even to go to your permanent residence.
I have been told that, at the on-campus quarantine facility, the school is providing food delivery, but there is no laundry service, etc. (They told us to pack a "go bag" but maybe it needs to have more stuff in it than I anticipated -- enough to last 14 days.) Now, the wording on the back-to-campus website has now changed to say that going home will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and requires written consent from the health department. And apparently, so far, the health department has said "no" to everyone.
They're supposed to make a go/no-go call about opening the dorms/switching to face-to-face classes by Labor Day. I know my son is REALLY, REALLY hoping they open... and I was hoping that for him, but now I'm not sure. If they are quarantining the entire athletic department, what's next -- if someone in his dorm tests positive (even on a different floor), would they quarantine the entire dorm? What about if someone in the business school tests positive, will they quarantine everyone who had class in that building? Are they "making an example" out of the athletes in an attempt to 'scare everyone straight' to follow the rules? I really don't know. He could spend the entire semester quarantined even if he does everything right.
Off-campus students have been around campus for 2-3 weeks (classes have been in session since August 17) and we currently have 37 positive cases, which isn't too bad compared with some other universities. However, they've already sent out two e-mails kind of setting the stage for *not* returning to campus. And now, I can't decide what I'm hoping for.
to your DD!
The worst part (IMO), was that the mom's reaction was simply telling her daughter that if she comes down with Covid, don't come home. Not something like, "Hey, don't be an idiot and go out to parties!". 
