Colleges May be Ground Zero for COVID0-19, but Students are Going Back Anyway

Hi All,

Yes, I think it is accurate to say that colleges are potential hotbeds for high COVID-19 infection rates, and yes, some, notably the UNC system schools may be populating their dorms in much the same way as they did last year, so, what can we do?

In an article published July 22, 2020 in Inside Higher Ed, Greta Anderson discusses the pending start of the Fall 2020 semester and the state of residents halls at North Carolina’s state universities. Stating concerns that againstthe advice of the CDC, many residence halls will be at full capacity, thus accepting the highest level of risk, Anderson offers sobering considerations for students and families.

As a seasoned educator with a solid theoretical understanding of adolescent behavior, and mom to a daughter who is scheduled to move into a college dorm with a roommate in less than a month, I have thought about this predicament quite extensively; and honestly, I have no great answers. For me, I have decided the following:

• I feel that I have provided my daughter with sufficient information about COVID to understand the risks involved and what she can do to mitigate the risks
• I believe that my daughter knows where to get reliable information about the virus
• If I were to forbid her from starting her freshman year on campus, I believe it would damage our relationship.
• Once my daughter leaves, she cannot come back to visit without following social distancing guidelines (e.g. sitting outside)
• Should she need to move back home for any reason, she will quarantine for two weeks
• I have tried to help my daughter understand that with increased adult decision-making power (e.g. living in a dorm with a roommate during a pandemic), comes increased responsibility for herself and those around her.
• I have done the absolute best that I can to prepare her for college during a pandemic, and I am at peace with her decision

I wish I could offer some more profound words of wisdom, but I can’t. Like everyone else, I am doing my best to navigate a really complex situation. While I may not get it right all the time, I feel satisfied that I am working hard to be a critical thinker and a considerate and responsible citizen during crisis.

Do you have your own back to college COVID story? Feel free to post on Kathy Griswold Fine’s Kathy Griswold Fine's Blog page.

Stay healthy. Stay hopeful.