Aug 19, 2020, 4:31 PM
(From Inside Higher Ed) Two more universities have walked back plans to resume in-person undergraduate instruction, continuing an uncertain rollout for fall reopening efforts across higher education. The University of Notre Dame announced it was suspending in-person classes for almost 12,000 students, moving undergraduate classes to remote instruction for two weeks, in response to a rising number of confirmed cases in the school. “It has become evident to me that, despite our best efforts and strong planning, it is unlikely we can prevent widespread transmission of COVID-19 between students if our undergraduates return to campus,” said President Samuel L. Stanley.
The announcement came at the same time Michigan State University announced it will transition classes planned for in-person instruction to remote formats. It’s unclear whether Notre Dame will be able to resume in-person instruction when the new suspension periods end.
(From Forbes) In an effort to retain newly enrolled students, several small colleges are trying a new pitch: enroll this year and get an additional semester or two for free later. In Kentucky, for instance, one liberal arts college is offering two free semesters in addition to free summer courses on campus for students whose classes in 2020-21 are only available online.
“We know that this semester may look a little different due to the pandemic,” said the provost of Beloit College, one of two liberal arts schools in Wisconsin offering incentive free, add-on semesters to newly enrolled students. “We’re offering this PLUS year to ensure that students get every opportunity to experience our university at its full, most vibrant capacity.” It remains to be seen how much of an incentive free, add-on semesters will prove to be for these institutions.
(From The New York Times) New research indicates that humans have a “robust” immune response to COVID-19 that may protect them from further infection, even if they had mild symptoms. How long that protection lasts is still unclear, but many experts consider the data a welcome indication that the body’s cells are doing their job — and will have a good chance of fending off the coronavirus, faster and more fervently than before, if exposed to it again.
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