Student Union
Students Want Campus But Will Leave If COVID-19 Surges
The party’s on hold, so they say.
Most college and university students are willing to sacrifice social aspects of the college experience because of the coronavirus, according to a new poll from Axios.
Nearly 80% of students said they won’t attend parties, while 71% said they wouldn’t attend sporting events.
And if a severe outbreak of COVID-19 broke out, 67% of students said they would leave campus, while 54% would voluntarily download an app to conduct contact tracing.
COVID-19, or coronavirus, is a viral pandemic that appeared in late 2019 in China and spread around the planet. Most recently, it has surged in the U.S.
Most students — 76% — said they are planning on returning to campus this fall if they have the option, and 66% said that they will attend in-person classes if their university offers them, according to Axios.
“If you are a Marietta College student, I am straight up begging you to avoid COVID hotspots before we return,” Tyler Walker (@tbawalker) of Marietta College in Ohio tweeted. “If you bring the virus back to school with us, our semester will be finished at home. Don’t be the one responsible!”
If you are a Marietta College student, I am straight up begging you to avoid COVID hotspots before we return. If you bring the virus back to school with us, our semester willl be finished at home. Don’t be the one responsible!
— Tyler Walker (@tbawalker) July 14, 2020
Although universities have announced measures to maintain social-distancing protocol, some students and teachers are worried about returning to campus.
“If I were president of a college or university, I wouldn’t let people back on campus unless they could get a COVID test in the days before they move in,” Reilly Cosgrove (@reillycosgrove) of Creighton University in Nebraska tweeted.
I’m ngl if I were president of a college or university I wouldn’t let people back on campus unless they could get a covid test in the days before move in (I know this isn’t practical lmao I just am so scared about August being really bad)
— Reilly is indoors🏡 (@reillycosgrove) July 10, 2020
Most students said they plan to be cautious when returning to campus. Ninety-five percent said they wear masks if unable to physically distance.
For many international students, on-campus housing is their only option. Student Chantelle Houareau asks her classmates to understand that foreign students can’t move home easily.
“Increasing the number of people on campus will increase the chances of people contracting coronavirus and causing an outbreak,” tweeted Chantelle Houareau (@chahouareau) of Lake Forest College in Chicago. “International students HAVE TO be there. You don’t.”
domestic students i am BEGGING you to please stay at home if you can this fall. increasing the number of people on campus will increase the chances of people contracting coronavirus and causing an outbreak. international students HAVE TO be there. you don’t.
— saint chan 👼🏼 (@chahouareau) July 7, 2020
Some universities that offer in-person classes for the fall semester are providing students with personal protection equipment and free testing, as well as mandatory screenings and safety training.
The Texas A&M University system, for example, plans to offer free testing for students, faculty and staff. The plan states that “approximately 15,000 test kits will be sent to system campuses each month.”
“I would not be on campus right now if I did not feel safe. When we follow all [Centers for Disease Control] guidelines, it isn’t scary!” tweeted Abby Seeber (@AbbySeeber) of Valparaiso University in Indiana.
I would not be on campus right now if I did not feel safe. When we follow all CDC guidelines, it isn’t scary! If you are genuinely fearful, I would love to talk through any fears one may have about the coming school year! Let’s talk so we can reach a shared accountability!
— Abby Seeber (@AbbySeeber) July 14, 2020
As of July 14, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, 56% of U.S. colleges and universities said they plan to reopen their campus this fall; 30% are proposing a hybrid model of part online and part in class; and 9% will hold courses fully online.
See all News Updates of the Day
- By VOA News
Many African students are experiencing US visa rejections
In 2022, 71% of student visa applications from Western Africa were rejected.
Visa agents are not happy – and are finding ways to help applicants with paperwork and the interview. Maina Wururu reports for The PIE News. (April 2024)
- By Tina Trinh
US college students face muted graduations amid Gaza war protests
Commencement ceremonies are being scaled back or canceled at U.S. universities because of security concerns over pro-Palestinian student protests. While some campus demonstrations have resulted in concessions, others have led to violent confrontations. VOA’s Tina Trinh has the story from New York.
- By Melos Ambaye
Police arrest 33 at George Washington University protest encampment
Police in Washington cleared a pro-Palestinian protest encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday, arresting 33 people, authorities said.
Arrests were made on charges of assault on a police officer and unlawful entry, the District of Columbia's Metropolitan Police Department said.
A congressional committee canceled a hearing on the university encampment Wednesday. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Washington Police Chief Pamela Smith had been scheduled to testify about the city’s handling of the protest before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
University parents and faculty members gathered Wednesday afternoon for a press conference to condemn the handling of the protests by police and school leaders.
“The university clearly does not value the students at all and has endangered the safety of our children by unleashing officers dressed in full riot gear to assault and spray our children in their eyes with pepper spray,” said Hala Amer, whose son participated in the campus protests.
Police said they dispersed demonstrators because "there has been a gradual escalation in the volatility of the protest."
American University professor Barbara Wien said she stayed in the encampment with GW students. She described the student protesters as democratic and peaceful.
Police started to shut down the tent encampment after dozens of protesters marched to GW President Ellen Granberg's on-campus home on Tuesday night. Police were called, but no arrests were made.
Speakers at the conference called for Granberg’s resignation because, they alleged, she refused to meet and negotiate with student protesters.
“You keep inciting violence and ignoring the students,” Amer said about Granberg in an interview with VOA after the conference. “It will just lead to more violence. You need to talk to your students.”
GW officials warned students that they could be suspended for engaging in protests at the school’s University Yard, an outdoor spot on the campus.
"While the university is committed to protecting students' rights to free expression, the encampment had evolved into an unlawful activity, with participants in direct violation of multiple university policies and city regulations," a GW statement said.
More than 2,600 people have been arrested at universities across the country in pro-Palestinian protests, according to The Associated Press.
Students are calling on their university administrations to divest investments from Israel or companies with ties to Israel. Demonstrators have gathered in at least 50 campuses since April 17, carrying signs that read "Free Palestine" and "Hands off Rafah."
Rafah is Gaza’s southernmost city, where most of the territory’s population has clustered. The area is also a corridor for bringing humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory.
Israel seized the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday, while shutting off the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing, drawing criticism from humanitarian groups. Israel said Wednesday that it had reopened Kerem Shalom.
The nationwide campus protests started in response to Israel's offensive in Gaza that began after Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages.
More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel warned it could "deepen" its operation in Rafah if talks failed to secure the release of the hostages.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.
- By VOA News
What to ask on a college visit
Sarah Wood lists 32 questions for applicants to learn more during a campus visit. (April 2024)
- By VOA News
US is now the most desirable country for international students
That’s according to this year’s Emerging Futures research survey, from education consultant IDP Connect. Other Western countries have slipped due to new visa restrictions and caps on international students. Read a summary of the research from ICEF Monitor. (April 30, 2024)
