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The COVID-19 pandemic has been dominating headlines and controlling the very organization of society for over a month now in the US. Colleges have been feeling the impact, promptly moving all classes to online coursework and reducing on-campus housing and dining. Many colleges in the US have already cancelled all in-person classes for the summer semester.
However, some colleges are now even considering keeping their campuses closed through the Fall 2020 semester. This means that the soonest that students could be back on campus for some universities would be 2021.
Harvard, the first university to send students home during the COVID-19 outbreak, has stated that it is considering numerous options. The university is targeting the Fall semester as the time they would like to resume normal operation. However, in the event that the health crisis is ongoing, they’ll push their expectations back to Winter 2021.
Many other universities are following similar outlines. While most universities seem eager to resume normal operation in the fall, there are many unknowns. It’s hard to say how long the current health crisis will continue. It’s harder to say when it will be safe for large gatherings, like schools, to resume.
Many college students are frustrated by these announcements from their colleges. Some have commented online stating that, if classes are to be digital only, then they want refunds for their tuition and will wait until normal classes resume. These students simply didn’t expect to have to get their MBA online.
Others understand the need for the move to online-only classes. Some students have expressed a desire to stay away from crowds and large gatherings until the coronavirus is completely in hand. This might provide more problems than solutions, though, as a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is still likely over a year away.
The aggressive distancing measures undertaken by the US have had a remarkable effect in slowing the novel coronavirus. The death toll has fallen well under initial projections, and experts are cautiously optimistic. However, the measures have not come without a cost.
One in nine Americans are currently out of work, and more are being laid off every day. The stock market has remained unstable since the virus arrived in the US. And social interaction interruptions have had a noticeable effect on the mental health of millions of people.
While the measures were necessary to stop the virus, people are becoming anxious to resume normal life. The Great Pause drags on for now, but many hope an end will soon be in sight.
