COVID-19 and Higher Ed: Biweekly Update
Updates from New England Institutions
Check out NEBHE's COVID-19 updated dashboard for complete data
This week, we've expanded our summary of the data — including information about how fall 2020 plans have evolved in recent weeks — and we've highlighted some interesting and innovative practices. See below.
How Have New England Institutions' Fall Reopening Plans Evolved Over the Summer?
UNC-Chapel Hill made headlines this week with their announcement that all undergraduate in-person instruction will suddenly shift to remote learning following a surge of COVID-19 cases on campus.

This news has us wondering: How have fall 2020 reopening plans evolved at New England's higher education institutions? What are the most common elements of these reopening plans, and what are some standout innovations? This week, we take a look a closer look at the region's emerging and changing reopening plans.

1) INSTRUCTIONAL MODALITIES
As of August 21:

  • 58 HEIs: Fully face-to-face course delivery (last week: 63)

  • 42 HEIs: Entirely online modality (last week: 41)

  • 104 HEIs: Some type of hybrid model (last week: 99)

How have HEIs' original plans shifted since they started announcing them?

Since July 16:
  • 25 HEIs: Shifted their course delivery to either a hybrid format or fully online after originally announcing plans to meet face-to-face in the fall.

  • 13 HEIs: Pivoted from a hybrid fall course delivery, which originally included some face-to-face instruction, to fully online.

Notable Strategies:
  • Quinnipiac University (CT): Online classes will be employed for the first two weeks for all students to support a staggered return to campus. Students will complete a mandatory module before prior to their return to campus. 
  • University of New Haven (CT): Has added Saturday classes for labs and other longer courses.
  • Northeastern University (MA): Their hybrid delivery model, called NUflex, will prepare classrooms for in-person learning to meet public health guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, as well as for remote instruction; under this plan, students may choose on a weekly basis whether they'd like to take classes in person or remotely.
  • University System of New Hampshire: Has employed a green, yellow, red stoplight system to categorize COVID-19 outbreaks. If the meter goes to red, the campus will be evacuated. Currently, USNH is planning for on-campus instructional delivery. The campus is currently at a yellow level.
  • Brown University (RI): Has postponed its return to campus until October 5, pending the status of the virus.
  • Some institutions, including Bates College, Bennington College, Assumption University, and Regis College have divided the fall semester into two terms in order to allow for flexibility in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.

2) HOUSING
  • 60 HEIs (last week: 61) are offering their regular housing options but have modified the rooms so that they are either single or double occupancy.

  • 48 HEIs (no change from last week) have announced reduced housing options, allowing only certain students to return to campus — i.e., designated classes (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors), students whose majors require them to be on-campus for labs, students who are unable to study from home, and international students who have been living on campus all summer.

  • 6 HEIs are not offering housing at all. This figure is down by 2 over last week because 2 institutions switched to online instruction during this period.

Notable Strategies:
  • Tufts University (MA): Will allow students to form residential cohorts of up to 12 people, where they will be able to socialize within their cohort but not outside of it.
  • Bay State College (MA): The Revolution Hotel, located a short walk from the Back Bay campus, is available for students who require housing. There will be increased access to single rooms, with double rooms serving as the maximum capacity. The hotel has a common area in the lower level where students can adhere to social distancing measures while completing their studies. The hotel has implemented additional cleaning measures to ensure the health and safety of all residents. 

3) TESTING
The vast majority (117 (last week: 118)) of HEIs across New England have announced a testing strategy as part of their reopening plans. Nearly all are requiring students either to present a negative test result upon arrival or to take a test upon arrival and self-quarantine until results are returned. Most HEIs also plan to periodically test students throughout the semester. Many institutions have partnered with the Broad Institute to deliver testing to students, faculty, and staff. Some institutions that are in close proximity to another one have partnered with each other to deliver testing.

Notable Strategies:
  • The University of Maine System: Every student, faculty, and staff member coming from outside Maine will be required to have a negative COVID-19 test in-hand when the semester begins. UMS is extending asymptomatic COVID-19 testing to include a second round of screening for all students or staff arriving from out-of-state, residence hall students, and special populations. A second follow up screening will occur 7-10 days after arrival testing and is part of a three-phase surveillance strategy recommended by the UMS Scientific Advisory Board to lower the risk of disease transmission on campus from asymptomatic carriers. 
  • Castleton University (VT): A group on Mental Health Awareness has been formed to consider adjustments to services for the fall and to evaluate the unique needs in the era of COVID-19 for the entire Castleton Community.

4) QUARANTINE PROCEDURES
76 HEIs (last week: 73) in New England have developed quarantine procedures as part of their fall 2020 reopening plans — both for individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 or for those who are awaiting test results.

  • Amherst College (MA): Has created a "bubble" around the campus with strict rules around entry, exit, and conduct in a bid to prevent spreading the virus outside of the college community.
  • Framingham State University (MA): Is requiring residents to provide emergency travel plans, off-campus treatment, and isolation plans in case the dormitories are required to close or in case of illness or medically recommended self-quarantine.
  • Middlebury College (VT): A keystone of Middlebury's return-to-campus plan is pre-arrival quarantine. All students returning to Middlebury for in-person learning will need to begin return-to-campus preparations two weeks ahead of their planned arrival. This includes a 14-day home (or other single location) quarantine followed by travel as directly to campus as possible. All students, regardless of what location they are coming from and regardless of their mode of travel will room quarantine once on campus and will move to campus quarantine if they receive a negative day-zero COVID test. During the campus quarantine period, students may move about campus, following all physical distancing and safety protocols in place at the time.

5) Additional Elements: Number of HEIs that have included protocol for the following features as part of their fall reopening plans:

N.B.: Some of these numbers have gone down since last week because some HEIs have switched to a fully online modality

  • Contact tracing: 74 (last week: 72)
  • Active monitoring: 84 (last week: 81)
  • Quarantine procedures: 76 (last week: 73)
  • Employee protocol: 75 (no change)
  • Athletics: 37 (last week: 35)
  • Infrastructure changes: 125 (last week: 124)
  • Schedule changes: 82 (last week: 83)
  • Phased return to campus: 46 (no change)
  • Liability protocol: 57 (last week: 53)
For more, visit NEBHE's COVID-19 Resource Page
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