Preparing for Coronavirus?

[Anselm]

I have not seen (and may have overlooked) any discussion on this thread about students with disabilities and how their safety will be ensured, while their academic experience will not be impaired.  The note about the mask with a visual window was intriguing, but many students with a hearing impairment are accompanied by a signer and other students may have an assigned scribe.  How are colleges considering  students with disabilities?

Also, the hearing impaired may not use a signer but they do need to make use of lip reading to supplement what they can get out of their hearing aids.   That all goes away if the teacher wears a mask.

[the_geneticist]

I have not seen (and may have overlooked) any discussion on this thread about students with disabilities and how their safety will be ensured, while their academic experience will not be impaired.  The note about the mask with a visual window was intriguing, but many students with a hearing impairment are accompanied by a signer and other students may have an assigned scribe.  How are colleges considering  students with disabilities?

Also, the hearing impaired may not use a signer but they do need to make use of lip reading to supplement what they can get out of their hearing aids.   That all goes away if the teacher wears a mask.

A bigger concern is making sure any videos have proper captions.

[spork]

I have not seen (and may have overlooked) any discussion on this thread about students with disabilities and how their safety will be ensured, while their academic experience will not be impaired.  The note about the mask with a visual window was intriguing, but many students with a hearing impairment are accompanied by a signer and other students may have an assigned scribe.  How are colleges considering  students with disabilities?

Also, the hearing impaired may not use a signer but they do need to make use of lip reading to supplement what they can get out of their hearing aids.   That all goes away if the teacher wears a mask.

A bigger concern is making sure any videos have proper captions.

Possible unforeseen benefit of the new normal: all the students who were previously granted test-taking accommodations because their parents fed them Adderall to boost their standardized exam scores find out that they don't get special treatment with open-book essay exams for which the due dates are known from day one of the semester.

[Penna]

I have not seen (and may have overlooked) any discussion on this thread about students with disabilities and how their safety will be ensured, while their academic experience will not be impaired.  The note about the mask with a visual window was intriguing, but many students with a hearing impairment are accompanied by a signer and other students may have an assigned scribe.  How are colleges considering  students with disabilities?

Also, the hearing impaired may not use a signer but they do need to make use of lip reading to supplement what they can get out of their hearing aids.   That all goes away if the teacher wears a mask.

There are alternative masks on the market that address this issue (ex:  https://www.theclearmask.com/product  ; DIY version:  https://www.hsdc.org/accessible-deaf-friendly-face-mask/), but of course institutions would need to be able to provide them to instructors who would need them in a timely fashion.

But yes, as nebo noted, there are a host of other potential issues in terms of accessibility.

[Penna]

(oops, double posting error)

[apl68]

Maybe what schools really need as they plan for the fall is a catchy plan of action.  Behold the "Ragin' Cajun Resiliency Plan!"


https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/local/education/2020/05/27/university-louisiana-lafayette-fall-reopening-plan/5265432002/

[Cheerful]

Thanks, apl68.  Resiliency is nice but doesn't solve all the problems.

Various universities now plan to start the fall semester early and/or end the semester by Thanksgiving.  As if this schedule change solves so many potential huge problems.  The chaotic "planning" underway at some U's is almost comical.

Anyone impressed with their U's admin at this point in the planning?

[secundem_artem]

Thanks, apl68.  Resiliency is nice but doesn't solve all the problems.

Various universities now plan to start the fall semester early and/or end the semester by Thanksgiving.  As if this schedule change solves so many potential huge problems.  The chaotic "planning" underway at some U's is almost comical.

Anyone impressed with their U's admin at this point in the planning?

I'd give mine a B- or a C+.  They plan on being open but are allowing for considerable flexibility for both students and faculty who have personal issues to consider.  From the emails I'm getting, there appear to be plans in place for a reasonable amount of faculty support.

[hmaria1609]

Maryland will complete Phase 1 reopening on Friday:
https://wtop.com/coronavirus/2020/05/maryland-coronavirus-update-may-27/
Here's another article focusing on 3 counties with modifications:
https://wtop.com/coronavirus/2020/05/maryland-counties-phase-one-reopening/

Over in VA, the Commonwealth will start Phase 2 next month:
https://wtop.com/coronavirus/2020/05/northam-at-least-a-week-until-phase-ii-for-va-new-testing-sites-announced/

[Cheerful]

Mamselle just posted this in the teaching section, thanks.  Interesting recommendations from 14 college presidents in Massachusetts.

https://patch.com/massachusetts/boston/how-ma-colleges-universities-plan-reopen

"It leans on the fact that the majority of people on college campuses are under 30, a group that is at 'significantly lower risk of of hospitalization or death of COVID-19.' The report acknowledges there are also vulnerable people on campus, but college presidents are highly confident they can put in a plan in place to provide additional safety measures for them."

Reading through the report, it aligns with higher ed discussions in other states.  I remain skeptical and unimpressed.

[science.expat]

Thanks, apl68.  Resiliency is nice but doesn't solve all the problems.

Various universities now plan to start the fall semester early and/or end the semester by Thanksgiving.  As if this schedule change solves so many potential huge problems.  The chaotic "planning" underway at some U's is almost comical.

Anyone impressed with their U's admin at this point in the planning?

I'd give mine a B- or a C+.  They plan on being open but are allowing for considerable flexibility for both students and faculty who have personal issues to consider.  From the emails I'm getting, there appear to be plans in place for a reasonable amount of faculty support.

B+. We stayed open and provided online lectures with some face to face pracs. Decisions were sensible and generally well communicated; teaching practices changed with minimal paperwork. My frustration now is that comms haven't improved now that things are calmer. If they had my grade would be A- 

[Caracal]

Thanks, apl68.  Resiliency is nice but doesn't solve all the problems.

Various universities now plan to start the fall semester early and/or end the semester by Thanksgiving.  As if this schedule change solves so many potential huge problems.  The chaotic "planning" underway at some U's is almost comical.

Anyone impressed with their U's admin at this point in the planning?

I'd give mine a B- or a C+.  They plan on being open but are allowing for considerable flexibility for both students and faculty who have personal issues to consider.  From the emails I'm getting, there appear to be plans in place for a reasonable amount of faculty support.

B+, Faculty could choose to move classes online if they want. They've developed reasonable plans to deal with crowding. Carping about the administration is a favorite faculty pastime,  but they are dealing with an incredibly complicated and impossible to predict situation.

[nebo113]

Local CC just announced going online in fall, except for courses such as welding.  Rural area with few "reported" cases.

[Caracal]

Local CC just announced going online in fall, except for courses such as welding.  Rural area with few "reported" cases.

In the broad sense, reported cases are a big underestimate, but if there are small numbers of reported cases and no or few deaths, there probably isn't much COVID around. There really isn't some clear national picture with this. Some rural areas have had alarming rises in numbers, but other rural areas and mostly rural states  have low rates of both cases and transmission. Montana, Hawaii, Alaska, the Dakotas, Vermont are in pretty good shape for example.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/mrc-gida/2020-05-21-COVID19-Report-23.pdf

[apl68]

We've received permission from our library Board of Trustees to open our stacks to patron browsing this coming week.  Patrons will still have to practice social distancing in the stacks, we're still going to encourage use of masks and hand sanitizer, and we will still limit public computer usage to about 1/3 capacity.  Fortunately we have a large enough building to practice social distancing in.  A neighboring library with a much smaller facility is only allowing four patrons in the building at a time total.