Region’s colleges planning for early start
To lessen risk of COVID-19 outbreak, students will stay home after Thanksgiving
College students at Capital Region institutions will start classes in late August and stay home after Thanksgiving break — the start of flu season — to reduce the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak on campus, according to preliminary reopening plans released this week.
Siena College students begin and conclude the fall semester 15 days early, according to a plan approved this week by Siena’s Board of Trustees.
Citing health professionals who are predicting a possible COVID-19 resurgence in the winter months, officials at the private Loudonville college said that beginning classes well before Labor Day and ending exams before Thanksgiving will mitigate the threat of the virus spreading on campus.
“This course of action provides students the best chance at completing a full academic term of in-person instruction,” said Chris Gibson, Siena’s president-elect.
At the University at Albany, which serves nearly 20,000 students, a tentative plan has been submitted to the State University of New York for approval.
According to the proposal, students would begin classes on Aug. 24 and will meet until Thanksgiving. In-person instruction will end before Thanksgiving, and exams will be held remotely for all students after Thanksgiving. Classes will be in session on Labor Day and there will be no fall break.
Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs will also begin classes early, with students residing on campus from Aug. 25 to November 25. Exams will be conducted remotely after the Thanksgiving recess.
“Skidmore is also currently exploring a range of options for residential life that can accommodate the best practices of
social distancing, hygiene, cleaning protocols and safe communities,” college spokeswoman Sara Miga said.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo this week put out guidance for colleges and universities as they prepare to reopen in the fall.
The schools are included in phase four of New York’s reopening plan. Administrators are required to submit proposals to the state that include details about their plans for reopening, monitoring students for symptoms, containing positive cases, and shutting down if an outbreak occurs on campus.
New York colleges and universities have been closed since mid-march to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
University at Albany, Albany Law School, Troy’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Skidmore College had already announced “hybrid” models that provide in-person, remote, and blended learning options to students in the fall.
Schools are also taking precautions for faculty members with medical vulnerabilities, including in some cases allowing them to teach coursework remotely. More students will be required to live off campus to reduce dorm density.
Students can also expect physical changes to their campuses, including wallmounted hand sanitizer stations. Six feet of distance is required in most common areas and when that may not be possible, masks must be worn.
Classrooms are being outfitted with cameras so that dual delivery of the academic program is possible, if necessary. Some colleges are hiring contact tracers to help contain a potential outbreak.
Students, family, and friends of students entering the campus are being asked to undergo medical screenings, including coronavirus tests. At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, faculty, staff, and students will be asked to self-administer nasal coronavirus tests to reduce PPE costs.
Representatives from Albany Law School, The College of Saint Rose, Russell Sage College, and The Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences said that reopening plans will be made available to the public in the coming days.