How CT colleges have responded to the COVID surge
Nearby colleges and universities have gone remote until after the holidays, but most Connecticut schools have yet to follow suit.
College students across Connecticut are finishing the semester and final exams, but a statewide COVID surge has complicated plans at the turn of the calendar year. At least one campus has reduced capacity at libraries and dining halls, while others will require booster shots or negative tests to return after the holidays.
Still, universities as of Wednesday stopped short of shifting to remote.
Elsewhere in the northeast, Cornell University, Princeton University, New York University and Middlebury College moved classes or final exams online.
Connecticut has seen a recent spike in COVID cases following Thanksgiving, though omicron was likely not responsible for the increase. The daily positivity rate on Wednesday was 7.15 percent, according to state data.
The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities finished exams on Tuesday and Wednesday, and UConn students will be done this week. No classes or learning models were changed at the system level.
“UConn will be closely watching circumstances surrounding COVID and the variant,” said Stephanie Reitz, the university spokesperson, “and will broadly announce any changes if and when they would become necessary.”
A Yale researcher said on Wednesday that omicron could become the dominant COVID-19 variant by the end of the month. Yale University did not respond to a request for comment, though many of its peer institutions have shifted to remote.
University of New Haven finished finals season inperson on Wednesday, but it did have to take steps to limit cases. After Thanksgiving,
the university cut capacity in half at large facilities like the library and dining hall, spokesperson Anthony Santella said. The residential student positivity rate was more than 2.5 percent last week, according to its COVID dashboard.
Students at Quinnipiac University are taking final exams in person this week, but university officials have begun to prepare for next semester.
“Based on the current trends, and to best position us for a successful start to the spring semester, Quinnipiac has decided to require
all students (vaccinated and unvaccinated) to submit a negative COVID-19 test before they return in January,” said John Morgan, the associate vice president for public relations.
Quinnipiac is also “strongly encouraging” booster shots, while Wesleyan University, whose semester spokesperson Steve Scarpa said ends on Saturday, mandated third doses by mid-January. Neighboring Trinity College and University of Hartford have yet to make substantial changes, though the former said plans for the spring semester are forthcoming.
“All academic activities and campus events are proceeding as planned within our current COVID-19 protocols,” said Caroline Deveau, interim director of communications and marketing at Trinity College. “Facilities remain open as regularly scheduled.”
Most students at the University of Bridgeport are done for the semester, but media contact Jennifer Asaro said it is scheduling oncampus booster clinics for January.
Sacred Heart graduate students are still finishing exams this week, but Gary MacNamara, co-chair of the coronavirus planning team, said everyone will be tested upon return to campus. And next door at Fairfield University, students are on campus through December 22, but school officials remained confident in their approach.
“Fairfield University has been able to maintain academic continuity and a robust in-person, student experience throughout the fall semester,” said Jennifer Anderson, vice president of marketing and communication.