School Closings

[QuakerSouth]

Yale has told students not to come back to campus after Spring Break, which ends Mon, 3/23. Classes will be online until at least 4/5.

I'm all for safety, but I am not sure this is the answer. I think the odds of them "catching" something at some Spring Break destination is higher than if they would have been on their respective campuses. And then they bring that back to campuses that have not had incidents yet? I don[t have all the information the schools have, however, and I understand that.

Don't know what the right answer is...

[ICGrad]

I don[t have all the information the schools have, however, and I understand that.

Yeah, that's how I feel. These decisions that are being made have enormous economic consequences; I can't imagine the administrators and boards of these universities are making them lightly. Just consider the millions schools will have to forgo in room and board by sending students home for the last half of the semester, not to mention the economic hit to the surrounding communities, plus the costs associated with this level of disruption. I'm certain schools are weighing all of this stuff very carefully before taking these measures.

[Badlands]

I don[t have all the information the schools have, however, and I understand that.

Yeah, that's how I feel. These decisions that are being made have enormous economic consequences; I can't imagine the administrators and boards of these universities are making them lightly. Just consider the millions schools will have to forgo in room and board by sending students home for the last half of the semester, not to mention the economic hit to the surrounding communities, plus the costs associated with this level of disruption. I'm certain schools are weighing all of this stuff very carefully before taking these measures.

I'm not sure these schools are going to forgo any money in room and board. My kid's school is sending non-athletes home, but there surely won't be any tuition refunds going home with the kids.

[faircornell]

I don[t have all the information the schools have, however, and I understand that.

Yeah, that's how I feel. These decisions that are being made have enormous economic consequences; I can't imagine the administrators and boards of these universities are making them lightly. Just consider the millions schools will have to forgo in room and board by sending students home for the last half of the semester, not to mention the economic hit to the surrounding communities, plus the costs associated with this level of disruption. I'm certain schools are weighing all of this stuff very carefully before taking these measures.

I'm not sure these schools are going to forgo any money in room and board. My kid's school is sending non-athletes home, but there surely won't be any tuition refunds going home with the kids.

No, there will not be tuition fee refunds. The argument will be that instructors are still employed to teach on line and that fixed costs are a huge percentage of operating costs.

[Matnum PI]

I don[t have all the information the schools have...

Neither do I but I'd bet dollars to donuts that these decisions are being made based on fear of litigation. The schools may be sending these kids home to places where the child's risk of getting sick are increased but... It won't be on the school's watch. Pure speculation but that'd be my bet.

[Badlands]

I'm certain insurance carriers are playing a big role in these decisions.

[faircornell]

I don[t have all the information the schools have...

Neither do I but I'd bet dollars to donuts that these decisions are being made based on fear of litigation. The schools may be sending these kids home to places where the child's risk of getting sick are increased but... It won't be on the school's watch. Pure speculation but that'd be my bet.

+1

[rolldodge]

It’s not about whether the kids will get the virus or not. It won’t reduce the chance of them getting it and they are not at serious risk even if they get it. The strategy is to slow the rate at which the virus spreads. It’s going to spread no matter what but reducing the social contact of large groups of people (ie college campuses) will reduce the speed at which the virus moves through the population. It’s about the overall impact on society, not about the risk to the individual.

[ICGrad]

I don[t have all the information the schools have, however, and I understand that.

Yeah, that's how I feel. These decisions that are being made have enormous economic consequences; I can't imagine the administrators and boards of these universities are making them lightly. Just consider the millions schools will have to forgo in room and board by sending students home for the last half of the semester, not to mention the economic hit to the surrounding communities, plus the costs associated with this level of disruption. I'm certain schools are weighing all of this stuff very carefully before taking these measures.

I'm not sure these schools are going to forgo any money in room and board. My kid's school is sending non-athletes home, but there surely won't be any tuition refunds going home with the kids.

Tuition...no, of course not. Room and board? You're going to be paying for 6 weeks of a meal plan your kid isn't using? Doubtful...

[faircornell]

I don[t have all the information the schools have, however, and I understand that.

Yeah, that's how I feel. These decisions that are being made have enormous economic consequences; I can't imagine the administrators and boards of these universities are making them lightly. Just consider the millions schools will have to forgo in room and board by sending students home for the last half of the semester, not to mention the economic hit to the surrounding communities, plus the costs associated with this level of disruption. I'm certain schools are weighing all of this stuff very carefully before taking these measures.

I'm not sure these schools are going to forgo any money in room and board. My kid's school is sending non-athletes home, but there surely won't be any tuition refunds going home with the kids.

Tuition...no, of course not. Room and board? You're going to be paying for 6 weeks of a meal plan your kid isn't using? Doubtful...

Until your child can't get back into school until the bill is paid.... the argument will likely be "fixed costs" versus "variable costs". So, a partial refund? Just my guess.

[QuakerSouth]

Going to throw something out there...

The fact that all of us are on this board at all tells me that we are somewhat of information junkies, right? Is that fair to say? Opinions, facts, etc. We all like to exchange this banter as it applies to lacrosse.

I think we are off the rails with this thread, however. The first couple pages were fun, but this topic has become much more serious. I learned Tues evening about Yale telling kids to stay at home, don't come back, classes online, etc. After I posted it, I started to think that part of the problem/potential problem is all of us discussing it and posting about it. I am guilty with that post.

We all need to be as informed as we can be about all this, but I think this thread may be stirring the pot so to speak. Yes, we are just a small corner of the world, and this started with good intentions seeing how it will impact lacrosse games. Noble. But we are well past that now.

Who knows who reads this stuff, but rest assured, when a topic gets legs, it can go viral pretty quickly well outside our little world here. And I am guilty when I say this. With every school we point out that is closing, canceling, going online, etc., we are creating a narrative. I would hate to see forums like this being read by college administrators and them pointing out "look at all the schools closing." It could create a herd mentality.

I think we would all be surprised at how small corners of information can be gathered to create a narrative that can influence important decisions. Decisions that most of us here are not qualified to make, for many reasons, one of which is that we don't have all the information. And when narratives are created, and then reflect deteriorating social conditions, decision makers can tend to lean toward panic. Because they want to err on the side of safety.

There are very few groups as well informed, smart, accepting, tolerant, open, fun, and relatively close-knit as this one. All kinds of characters here! Many people know eachother outside this board, and even knew eachother prior to coming here. I was very happy to see many of the old guard from Laxpower migrate here, and keep their same names. This is a great group, and I've come to expect, and appreciate, a high level of discussion, whatever the topic.

All I am saying is that this topic has become uncomfortable, and I am not sure we should continue with it. Its late, but I wanted to get this up here. What do you all think? I don't know if there is a right answer...

[Reddogg]

It’s not about whether the kids will get the virus or not. It won’t reduce the chance of them getting it and they are not at serious risk even if they get it. The strategy is to slow the rate at which the virus spreads. It’s going to spread no matter what but reducing the social contact of large groups of people (ie college campuses) will reduce the speed at which the virus moves through the population. It’s about the overall impact on society, not about the risk to the individual.

How does sending kids from areas with no infections to areas with infections stop the spread of disease? HiThe CDC has not recommended shutting down schools where the virus is not present at this time but the schools have determined that it is in their best interest to do so. They could easily cancel spring break and classes without sending students home, increasing the risk of infection on planes, trains or through other travel.

Insurance and legal are the primary concerns for the schools, not the safety of students or the spread of the disease. There is no concern for the local businesses that will suffer greatly as a result of schools closing in areas where there are no cases.

The students are going to disburse all around the country and then need to stay away for at least 14 days from the date of possible infection. So, when are they going to go back?

[RedIvy]

It’s not about whether the kids will get the virus or not. It won’t reduce the chance of them getting it and they are not at serious risk even if they get it. The strategy is to slow the rate at which the virus spreads. It’s going to spread no matter what but reducing the social contact of large groups of people (ie college campuses) will reduce the speed at which the virus moves through the population. It’s about the overall impact on society, not about the risk to the individual.

How does sending kids from areas with no infections to areas with infections stop the spread of disease? HiThe CDC has not recommended shutting down schools where the virus is not present at this time but the schools have determined that it is in their best interest to do so. They could easily cancel spring break and classes without sending students home, increasing the risk of infection on planes, trains or through other travel.

Insurance and legal are the primary concerns for the schools, not the safety of students or the spread of the disease. There is no concern for the local businesses that will suffer greatly as a result of schools closing in areas where there are no cases.

The students are going to disburse all around the country and then need to stay away for at least 14 days from the date of possible infection. So, when are they going to go back?

My guess is that administrations are concerned about the disbursement of students to various places during spring break and some being exposed and then coming back to campus. So better to return to homes and go online for a “self quarantine period”, this may be why they are leaving open for late in the semester to allow those who don’t show symptoms or develop to return. (Just thinking if this is the concern perhaps the best alternative would have been to cancel spring break.... but that was likely not realistic to successfully execute....). Interestingly if disbursement to spring break destinations is the concern this may allow administrations to exempt athletic teams that are much more controlled around travel and other conditions and add other precautions by limiting size of gatherings for games.

I appreciate QuakerSouths thoughtful post. I work in Health Tech and can honestly say my days and nights have quickly shifted to be dominated by preparation and contingency planning/execution for actual and potential consequences of the Virus. There is no easy answer and we should trust that administrations are doing their honest best in new territory to keep their student body and employees as well as society overall safe.

Having said that I hope that we can find a way to keep the season going while protecting everyone involved (directly or indirectly) and it seems like most administrations are trying to accompish this very difficult task.

[bauer4429]

I agree and am glad universities are doing what they can to eliminate risk. I am sure a big worry is not the majority of students that will follow guidelines, but the ones who won’t. The first patient in NH that was asked to self quarantine crossed stare lines to attend a gathering, and a father recently attended a father/daughter dance when he had another daughter self quarantining. These universities basically have to take into account the minority of fools that put us all at risk.

[seacoaster]

Going to throw something out there...

The fact that all of us are on this board at all tells me that we are somewhat of information junkies, right? Is that fair to say? Opinions, facts, etc. We all like to exchange this banter as it applies to lacrosse.

I think we are off the rails with this thread, however. The first couple pages were fun, but this topic has become much more serious. I learned Tues evening about Yale telling kids to stay at home, don't come back, classes online, etc. After I posted it, I started to think that part of the problem/potential problem is all of us discussing it and posting about it. I am guilty with that post.

We all need to be as informed as we can be about all this, but I think this thread may be stirring the pot so to speak. Yes, we are just a small corner of the world, and this started with good intentions seeing how it will impact lacrosse games. Noble. But we are well past that now.

Who knows who reads this stuff, but rest assured, when a topic gets legs, it can go viral pretty quickly well outside our little world here. And I am guilty when I say this. With every school we point out that is closing, canceling, going online, etc., we are creating a narrative. I would hate to see forums like this being read by college administrators and them pointing out "look at all the schools closing." It could create a herd mentality.

I think we would all be surprised at how small corners of information can be gathered to create a narrative that can influence important decisions. Decisions that most of us here are not qualified to make, for many reasons, one of which is that we don't have all the information. And when narratives are created, and then reflect deteriorating social conditions, decision makers can tend to lean toward panic. Because they want to err on the side of safety.

There are very few groups as well informed, smart, accepting, tolerant, open, fun, and relatively close-knit as this one. All kinds of characters here! Many people know eachother outside this board, and even knew eachother prior to coming here. I was very happy to see many of the old guard from Laxpower migrate here, and keep their same names. This is a great group, and I've come to expect, and appreciate, a high level of discussion, whatever the topic.

All I am saying is that this topic has become uncomfortable, and I am not sure we should continue with it. Its late, but I wanted to get this up here. What do you all think? I don't know if there is a right answer...

Good and thoughtful post; thanks for the thoughts. But I think the information sharing -- spitballing, frankly -- here is drops in the ocean and helpful in spurring thinking on what is happening, how to cope with it, etc. If you go to the Politics threads, you will see, perhaps have seen, numerous pages of posts from super-informed folks, with access to communities not all of us have. I understand the panic of crowds and ill-informed blather, but by and large I am seeing a lot of good information being shared about a concededly confusing and alarming topic.

[OCanada]

A number of schools have made the decision but have not announced because they are finalizing logistics for things like food programs and travel etc for all students. One has decided they will keep full service meals and grab and go buy not buffers and serve yourself. Done kids might be allowed to stay because of travel costs or the school will pay for travel. It’s complicated

[rolldodge]

How does sending kids from areas with no infections to areas with infections stop the spread of disease?

Sorry to sound like a broken record but this is an important point. It doesn't stop the spread of the disease. The disease is going to spread throughout the entire population. It reduces the speed at which the disease spreads. It's not about stopping it, it's about keeping the healthcare system from being overwhelmed.

[RedIvy]

How does sending kids from areas with no infections to areas with infections stop the spread of disease?

Sorry to sound like a broken record but this is an important point. I doesn't stop the spread of the disease. The disease is going to spread throughout the entire population. It reduces the speed at which the disease spreads. It's not about stopping it, it's about keeping the healthcare system from being overwhelmed.

Agreed and well worth repeating......

[Peter Brown]

Going to throw something out there...

The fact that all of us are on this board at all tells me that we are somewhat of information junkies, right? Is that fair to say? Opinions, facts, etc. We all like to exchange this banter as it applies to lacrosse.

I think we are off the rails with this thread, however. The first couple pages were fun, but this topic has become much more serious. I learned Tues evening about Yale telling kids to stay at home, don't come back, classes online, etc. After I posted it, I started to think that part of the problem/potential problem is all of us discussing it and posting about it. I am guilty with that post.

We all need to be as informed as we can be about all this, but I think this thread may be stirring the pot so to speak. Yes, we are just a small corner of the world, and this started with good intentions seeing how it will impact lacrosse games. Noble. But we are well past that now.

Who knows who reads this stuff, but rest assured, when a topic gets legs, it can go viral pretty quickly well outside our little world here. And I am guilty when I say this. With every school we point out that is closing, canceling, going online, etc., we are creating a narrative. I would hate to see forums like this being read by college administrators and them pointing out "look at all the schools closing." It could create a herd mentality.

I think we would all be surprised at how small corners of information can be gathered to create a narrative that can influence important decisions. Decisions that most of us here are not qualified to make, for many reasons, one of which is that we don't have all the information. And when narratives are created, and then reflect deteriorating social conditions, decision makers can tend to lean toward panic. Because they want to err on the side of safety.

There are very few groups as well informed, smart, accepting, tolerant, open, fun, and relatively close-knit as this one. All kinds of characters here! Many people know eachother outside this board, and even knew eachother prior to coming here. I was very happy to see many of the old guard from Laxpower migrate here, and keep their same names. This is a great group, and I've come to expect, and appreciate, a high level of discussion, whatever the topic.

All I am saying is that this topic has become uncomfortable, and I am not sure we should continue with it. Its late, but I wanted to get this up here. What do you all think? I don't know if there is a right answer...

I'm not certain I understand this post. Are you implying that if only FanLax posters would stop debating Covid-19 school closings etc, that somehow schools won't know to close?

One thing I assure you of, Quaker, is the insurance carrier lawyers informing school admins that the insurance carriers will hold admins personally liable for any Covid19 breakout and claims if the admins don't immediately cease large gatherings (classrooms included), is, ummmm, infinitely more pressing on the school cancellation decision tree than a small band of washed-up lacrosse players debating on a rather tiny online lacrosse forum.

Indeed, I'm 100% certain that Dewey, Screwem, and Howe (DSH), attorneys of record for Chubb, have zero awareness how dear lacrosse is to a small band of online agitators. What Dewey Screwem and Howe is aware of however is they need for once to pretend to add value to their clients, clients who never hear from Dewey Screwem and Howe unless there's a complete clusterbomb on their hands.

I believe the term is 'self-preservation'.

[dp68]

Has their been any talk about canceling the NCAA basketball tournament? Call me jaded, but to this point the focus is on eliminating the spring sports season, which is (for the most part) non-revenue generating.

I agree with the decisions universities are making nationwide, if for no other reason than they’re informed decision makers, and I’m just a random dude stating his opinion on a sports forum.