As the nation continues to face the novel coronavirus pandemic and states march forward in a wide-ranging variety of reopening plans, colleges and universities are in a unique and challenging position. Will higher education resume normal reopening plans, and if so, at what cost? There are few answers, even just months out from when classes tend to begin. At the University of Washington, however, some news from students who are members of a fraternity: At least 112 students living at fraternity houses have tested positive for COVID-19, as reported by NPR. Nine more students tested positive but do not live in the fraternity houses, though they were reportedly close contacts of the students.
As some background, “Greek” houses (meaning houses that house members of fraternities or sororities) are generally located off-campus, but nearby, and adhere to guidelines from their respective organizations. But they’re not on-campus dorms. In the University of Washington’s case, its row of Greek housing reportedly consists of about 25 houses that house up to 1,000 students, located near its Seattle campus.
In a statement, chair of the UW Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases, Dr. Geoffrey Gottlieb said that while most of the Greek row houses “had previously taken measures to reduce resident capacity by up to 50% this summer,” it’s not enough “without vigilant, daily preventive measures, such as wearing face coverings, physical distancing and hand hygiene.”
Of course, this scenario isn’t a concern for only the University of Washington. As noted by BuzzFeed News, for example, coronavirus cases have been linked to fraternity parties in Oxford, Mississippi,(home of the University of Mississippi) as well.
Will higher education go all virtual? What about students who live in the residence halls? What about majors that require lab or other in-person work? Higher education in this country is also a business, so many people are also considering cost; will schools still charge top dollar tuition if classes are remote? Is learning at home safe for all students, considering some may be homeless or in unstable housing? Big questions that each school (or school system) is grappling with largely without significant guidance.
Many college professors have real concerns about exposure to the virus; even if classes are taught at half-capacity, for example, or students are required to wear masks, instructors and other administrators may be exposed to large numbers of people on a regular basis. In addition, classes tend to be held indoors, and classroom sizes range from lectures to quite small spaces.
In terms of labor rights, the virus poses an additional risk for faculty who may be in high-risk groups; instructors may live with a chronic illness, for example, that makes them more cautious of the virus, and they shouldn’t have to risk losing employment by not wanting to teach in-person during a pandemic. This issue can feel particularly important for adjuncts, or hourly workers who don’t necessarily receive even health insurance. Custodians and food service workers—essential to college campus life as we know it—can also be particularly vulnerable.
Students, on the other hand, may feel frustrated if they’re still charged already steep tuition fees for classes that are virtual—especially if the faculty isn’t used to teaching online. Some classes may be pass/fail instead of a letter grade; some may be difficult because of time zones; some may be inaccessible for students without a reliable internet connection, especially as public spaces, like libraries, are limited because of the pandemic.
Of course, as the Trump administration continues to fumble pandemic response, it’s not only colleges facing cluster concerns; clusters have already been linked to churches, for example, bars, and even pool parties.