AUGUST 2020 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 43
COLLEGE CONUNDRUM
FALL SEMESTER UNCERTAINTY
BY DANA CHIEUH
After an impromptu remote spring
semester thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic,
colleges and universities across
Long Island are developing measures to
ensure a safe fall semester.
Of the 15 institutions on LI, only Touro
College and the U.S. Merchant Marine
Academy have not yet released plans
for the new academic year as of press
time. Officials at other institutions
warn that despite their plans, policies
may still be subject to change.
“We need reopening plans, monitoring
plans, containment plans, and shutdown
plans,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said
of colleges in September.
Experts have warned that Thanksgiving
break may result in a spike in cases
as students travel nationwide. As a
result, all colleges will be operating
remotely after the holiday, many shifted
their academic calendars, and Stony
Brook University cancelled fall break.
LESSON IN SAFETY
When it comes to health department
guidance, colleges are leaving no
stone unturned. Face coverings will
be mandated in all spaces, gatherings
will be limited, and common
areas shut down. Hygiene and social
distancing signs, plexiglass barriers,
plentiful hand sanitizer, and
increased surveillance are all a part
of the “new normal” outlined in each
college’s reopening plan.
New York Institute of Technology is
upgrading its HVAC systems to eliminate
viral particles through filtration,
said President Hank Foley. Meanwhile,
Adelphi University unveiled a new
Health and Wellness Office to increase
its health response.
Temperature checks and health screenings
via smartphone apps will become
a facet of students’ routines. At St. Joseph’s
College and SBU, students will be
required to fill out the screenings every
morning they are on campus. At Molloy
College, all individuals will have to take
their temperature at a kiosk prior to
entering any building.
SETTING UNSETTLED
Most local institutions have announced
an array of education formats
to be offered in the fall semester, including
synchronous online learning
through platforms such as Zoom,
asynchronous online learning (prerecorded
videos), hybrid classes that
have students alternating between
in-person and remote elements, and
fully in-person classes, especially for
hands-on, experiential education such
as laboratory work.
At Adelphi and Molloy, an additional
HyFlex course option is available,
“offering students the option to
participate live, synchronously, or
asynchronously,” according to Adelphi.
Students choosing this option can
attend in-person, watch lectures live,
or watch recordings, for maximum
flexibility.
This flexibility may be important to
accommodate out-of-state or international
students who may struggle
with time zone issues, inability to
travel to campus, or new restrictions
on student visas. Students with health
concerns can also benefit from a home
environment.
However, accreditation requirements
for certain degree programs may
pose a challenge for students in a
largely remote semester. Programs
such as Farmingdale State College’s
professional pilot program require
demonstrated hands-on experience,
necessities the college says applies to
around 35 percent of its students.
Webb Institute, Long Island University
Post, and Five Towns College are forging
ahead with all in-person instruction,
keeping in mind social distancing
and sanitation within classrooms.
“We also are adjusting class schedules
to allow for more time between classes,
because we know it will take longer
to get from place to place on campus
safely,” Hofstra University wrote in an
announcement.
Both Nassau and Suffolk County
Community Colleges are anticipating
a largely remote reopening; at SCCC,
88 percent of all classes offered will
be completely remote.
By contrast, FSC announced its
intentions to have “an on-campus experience
that includes no more than
one-third to one-half of its students
and faculty on campus on any given
day.”
DORM LIFE
Most schools with residential programs
are reducing dormitory capacity
and encouraging students to seek
off-campus housing or live at home, in
efforts to promote social distancing,
which can be a challenge in a shared
living space. However, if a student
resident has been exposed to the virus,
there will be isolation areas.
Hofstra announced that in dormitories,
“students will be assigned to
use only one sink, one shower and one
bathroom throughout the semester to
reduce the number of people sharing
facilities.” Elevator capacity will also
be capped at two.
SUNY College at Old Westbury will
be the only local residential college
not offering student housing in fall
2020, citing the possible need to house
first responders if the temporary
COVID-19 hospital constructed on its
campus is activated in a second wave.
Among LI college officials, Webb
Institute President Keith Michel was
alone in requiring that all students
reside on campus, citing a 130-year
tradition.
“The overwhelming majority of
students, faculty, and staff have expressed
a desire to return to campus
in the fall,” he wrote.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Masks and social distancing will be part of the college curriculum this fall. (Getty
Images)
“We … are adjusting class schedules to allow for
more time between classes,”
Hofstra University officials said.
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