Colleges prepare class schedules
As hospitalizations for the coronavirus are ramping up in Pennsylvania, colleges and universities are getting ready for the spring semester.
Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday projected that hospitalizations could peak in January and February, resulting in the state Department Health recommending the delay of the start of spring semesters at colleges and universities.
“We are seeing an alarming increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and these trends are expected to worsen in January at the time when students normally return to campus,” said Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega. “Colleges and universities play a critical role in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and creating safe learning environments for students.”
Some Berks County colleges and universities plan to push back the start of the second semester to provide additional time to mitigate the virus.
All are offering most classes remotely to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, with a few in-person classes.
Albright College
Last summer, Albright College’s pandemic team recognized that they could expect case increases in winter, according to spokeswoman Carey Manzolillo.
Manzolillo said the college began early preparations for a second wave of the virus.
The college is offering a six-week optional session from Jan. 4 to Feb. 12 of online-only classes.
Two more sessions are scheduled from Feb. 15 to April 6 and April 8 to May 28, with sessions including some online and in-person classes.
The college also announced it plans to test each student at its Gable Health Center for COVID upon their entry to campus.
Students have again been asked to adhere to all safety guidelines outlined by the state Department of Health, including completing a 14-day isolation prior to their scheduled arrival to campus.
Tests take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete, and students who test negative will be allowed to move into residence halls, Manzolillo said.
Albright’s dashboard showed 1 active case and 1 person in isolation. The campus has seen 79 COVID cases for the pandemic.
Alvernia University
Kristopher Nolt, Alvernia University spokesman, said classes will begin on Feb. 1. He said they typically begin two weeks earlier.
Nolt said the students and teachers are getting accustomed to working at home.
“This is what we have to do at this time,” Nolt said.
He said that some classes will be held remotely and others in person. He said the same protocol will be followed at all three campuses.
The school’s online dashboard listed two new COVID cases with a total of three active cases among the Alvernia community across the three campuses: Reading, Philadelphia and Schuylkill.
“I don’t have the total number of (pandemic) cases on hand but I can tell you that we did not have any COVID-19-related hospitalizations during the fall semester,” Nolt said.
Kutztown University
Kutztown University plans to conduct its spring semester similar to the fall semester.
Spring semester begins on Jan. 19. Resident halls will be available to move in Jan. 16-18.
There will be a mixture of in-person and online classes. There will be no spring break. There will be four days off during the semester.
“We continue to monitor the state of the pandemic and will adjust our plan based on revised guidance,” Bryan Salvadore, college spokesman, said. “Our primary focus from the fall remains the same: to complete our mission of providing a quality education for our students, and doing everything possible to provide a nurturing environment for all those who work and learn on our campus.”
Limited, temporary housing is available for those who need to isolate.
KU’s plans are available here: https://www.kutztown.
The campus and Kutztown borough saw numerous cases in late August and early September but those numbers dwindled by October. The latest update of the college’s dashboard showed four cases for the week, all employees.
Penn State Berks
Penn State Berks campus in Spring Township plans to begin remote classes on Jan. 19 and continue to Feb. 12.
Classes might become inperson, depending on the status of the virus, officials said.
“While we know this creates a number of challenges for our community, we are very concerned with the current outlook across the country and the commonwealth and believe this is the most responsible way to begin our semester,” said Penn State President Eric J. Barron.
The campus dashboard has been steady at 18 cases for the pandemic for weeks.
RACC
Reading Area Community College, which has about 5,000 students, plans on opening Jan. 19, according to David Hessen, RACC spokesman.
“We have a great group of students, and everyone is eager to come back,” he said.
Hessen said the classes will be a mixture of virtual and in person.
All of the students have been equipped with laptops and tutoring services if necessary.
The college reports weekly and has had 53 cases for the pandemic.