2020 was the most difficult year of many people’s lives. Coronavirus and racial injustice will always be associated with 2020. And it wasn’t just difficult for individuals. Colleges across the world had to adapt their models to a new way of life and new calls for social justice. Some institutions struggled to make the necessary changes. Others put measures in place that protected students, staff, and curricula and showed that they cared about equality. The 30 colleges in this article all excelled at those goals.

Of course, 2021 will still be a challenging year. Even with the coronavirus vaccines and changes in government policy, the issues that plagued the world in 2020 will still be present for some time. Therefore, colleges have to maintain their strategies and innovations for dealing with these issues. Luckily, all of the colleges in this article can demonstrate that their plans are strong enough to endure until the crises ease.

Colleges need to recover from the long term effects of 2020. Just like the global financial crisis of 2007 to 2008, the world will take time to adjust to and overcome 2020’s aftermath. That means that every current prospective student should select a college based on how it handled 2020. Because if a college managed that year well, then it is likely to manage the following years with a similar level of expertise.

Any one of the colleges below is a solid choice for a student who wants to attend an institution that can handle a challenging year like 2020. However, it’s also possible that none of the colleges below are right for you. If that’s the case, then this article can still be a vital resource. Every entry has a summary of what the college did to navigate the difficulties of 2020 and what they’re doing to maintain their strengths in 2021. If any college you’re interested in attending is doing what the below colleges are doing, then that’s a strong sign that it’s a college worth attending.

Methodology

The sources that made up the basis of the research for this article provided two kinds of data: colleges that have successfully navigated 2020 and colleges that have been unsuccessful. Naturally, colleges with inadequate responses to the crises of 2020 have been omitted from the final ranking. Our full list of sources is as follows:

• Inside Higher Ed, Live Updates: Latest News on Coronavirus and Higher Education
• The New York Times, Some Colleges Plan to Bring Back More Students in the Spring
• The New York Times, Tracking the Coronavirus at U.S. Colleges and Universities
• U.S. News, Colleges, Universities Continue Battling Major COVID-19 Spikes
• National Geographic, The colleges with virtually no coronavirus cases
• Inside Higher Ed, Putting Action Behind Words
• The Chronicle of Higher Education, Are Colleges Really Falling Short on Racial Justice?:

After sourcing the colleges from these articles, we conducted further research into their handling of the crises of 2020. We also compared enrollment figures to positive coronavirus cases on campus. Any college with over 1,000 coronavirus infections and/or an infection rate higher than 10% of the college’s overall student population by December 11th, 2020, was excluded from the final ranking.

The final ranking is based on the following criteria: Evidence of colleges keeping coronavirus cases on-campus low, evidence of colleges making significant changes to promote racial justice, and colleges that have strong strategies at the start of 2021.

The ranking, from 30 to one, is below:

30. University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut

Website

US News notes that, in 2020, the University of Connecticut was quick to contain a coronavirus outbreak in an off-campus apartment building, which resulted in an on-campus positivity rate of 0.72% following the containment. And in August, the college was quick to evict students who had held a high-density party with no face masks or other social distancing methods, Inside Higher Ed notes. By December 11th, 2020, 832 coronavirus cases had been detected on campus, and 90 of these had occurred at the college’s medical school, The New York Times reports. And in September 2020, the University of Connecticut introduced a new course that would educate students on the foundations and systemic effects of racism.

29. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Website

In January 2021, the University of Pittsburgh told students not to return to campus immediately at the start of the term. The college also said that it would provide two weeks of notice before recommending students to return to campus, Inside Higher Ed notes. In 2020, the college managed to contain its campus well considering its size, with the college seeing 810 coronavirus cases by December 11th, The New York Times states. And in August 2020, the college announced that it was launching an anti-racism course, which has the goal of encouraging students to become activists through their study.

28. University of Central Oklahoma

Edmond, Oklahoma

Website

On January 14, 2021, the University of Central Oklahoma announced that it had decided to begin the spring semester online and assess a return to in-person learning from February onward, Inside Higher Ed states. This cautious approach worked in 2020 when the college saw 690 coronavirus cases on campus by December 11th, The New York Times reports. In summer 2020, the University of Central Oklahoma stated that it would focus on transformational learning to become more equal. The college committed to listening, understanding, and changing through a process of self-reflection and with guidance from others.

27. Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Website

Boston University’s community is taking coronavirus so seriously that even the college’s basketball team members wear masks while competing, Inside Higher Ed notes. By December 11th, 2020, there had been 600 cases of coronavirus on the college’s campus, The New York Times states. In the summer of 2020, the president of Boston University summarized the college’s response to social justice. He said that, “This is a time when it’s vitally important to listen and learn.” He also assured the community that while change would be difficult, it would happen.

26. Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana, Pennsylvania

Website

On January 5^th, 2021, Indiana University of Pennsylvania decided to deliver the first three weeks of its term virtually due to concerns about increasing virus spread because of the holidays, slow vaccine roll-out, and other issues. In 2020, the college successfully kept coronavirus cases low, with the college recording 486 cases by December 11^th, The New York Times notes. In the summer of 2020, Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion announced that it would increase the quality and the quantity of its anti-racism work. However, the commission also clarified that it would not rush its new initiatives and that it wanted to hear from its community in building an anti-racism framework.

25. University of Montana

Missoula, Montana

Website

Inside Higher Ed notes that in 2020, the University of Montana launched two courses based on racial equality and criminal justice. The New York Times notes that the college had seen 480 cases of coronavirus on campus by December 11th, 2020. The University of Montana is using its Incident Command Team to manage the on-campus coronavirus response. The Incident Command Team is formed out of people from over 30 different campus units, ensuring that the college can monitor and address a wide range of coronavirus issues.

24. Harvard University

Boston, Massachusetts

Website

In early 2021, thanks to strong coronavirus containment measures, Harvard University was able to double the number of students in on-campus housing, The New York Times states. The other New York Times source notes that by December 11th, 2020, the college had only had 318 cases of coronavirus. Additionally, National Geographic praised how the college used its public health infrastructure to combat coronavirus transmissions. In 2020, Havard University’s Dean of Students Office committed “to becoming an active anti-racist organization.”

23. Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York

Website

While Syracuse University had reported 801 cases of coronavirus on campus by December 11th, 2020, none of those could be traced to classroom learning, The New York times reports. The source also notes that the college decided to speed up coronavirus test turnaround time by creating its own testing lab. Additionally, when coronavirus was being spread on campus, the college made strong efforts to curb its spread. On October 7th, 2020, the college limited its social gatherings to five people, Inside Higher Ed notes. Also, in 2020, Syracuse University announced significant funding for anti-racism efforts. For instance, it invested $5 million for minority scholarships and made it mandatory for students, faculty, and staff to undergo anti-racism training.

22. University of California, San Diego

San Diego, California

Website

The New York Times notes that the University of California, San Diego planned to provide over 11,000 students with on-campus housing for the spring semester, thanks to its low case rate. The other New York Times source notes that the college was able to keep coronavirus cases in its community to a minimum in 2020, with the college only seeing 720 cases by December 11th. This figure is impressive, as the college brought back over 9,000 students in the fall of 2020. And since students started returning to campus, the coronavirus cases have remained low. The college’s current coronavirus plan is called the Return to Learn Program, which has three pillars: Risk Mitigation, Viral Detection, and Intervention. And in August 2020, the University of California, San Diego released its strategies for addressing racism. This document showed that the college took racial justice and equality seriously, with significant efforts being made all over the college, such as departments holding town halls on race and committing to hiring more diverse staff members.

21. Boston College

Boston, Massachusetts

Website

By December 11^th, 2020, Boston College had seen 445 cases of coronavirus on campus. It had also decided not to participate in college football to stem virus outbreaks, The New York Times reports. In 2020, Boston College created the Forum on Racial Justice in America. This forum aims to make Boston College an academic leader in fighting racism. This forum will also help a range of anti-racism efforts taking place within different departments of the college. For example, the college’s Schiller Institute is in talks with the forum to run a program on environmental racism.

20. Prairie View A&M University

Prairie View, Texas

Website

By December 11^th, 2020, Prairie View A&M University had seen 444 cases of coronavirus on campus, according to The New York Times. The Chronicle of Higher Education also selected one of the college’s professors to discuss racial justice and academic life. In the summer of 2020, Prairie View A&M University announced that it would create the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice. This center aims to “encourage teaching and scholarship that contributes positively to overturning systemic biases.” Once the center opens, every student who attends the college must take a course on racism and class in America. The center will also host lectures and partner with outside organizations to improve racial equality in a range of work environments.

19. Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Website

Marcia Chatelain, a history professor at Georgetown University, spoke to The Chronicle of Higher Education in 2020 about racial injustice and academics. She highlighted the fact that colleges needed to improve the opportunities for minority employees beyond faculty members. Additionally, The New York Times notes that the college had 289 positive coronavirus cases by December 11th, 2020. And Georgetown University’s president, John J DeGioia, also announced in 2020 that the college would be accelerating its commitment to racial justice and addressing its own historical connections to slavery.

18. Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Website

Thanks to low in 2020 coronavirus infections and the ability to perform 40,000 tests a week, Cornell University is hosting more students in early 2021, The New York Times states. The source’s other article notes that by December 11, 2020, the college had only recorded 308 coronavirus cases. And Inside Higher Ed reports that the college improved its coronavirus testing turnaround times in January 2021. Additionally, National Geographic highlights Cornell University for creating a mathematical model for keeping coronavirus low on campus. The other Inside Higher Ed article praises Cornell University for raising funds for minority students. Additionally, the college has created a range of anti-racism initiatives on campus, such as requiring all students to undertake for-credit programming on racism.

17. Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

Website

By December 11, 2020, Princeton University had only seen 161 positive coronavirus cases among its community, The New York Times reports. The other New York Times article notes that the college had done such a good job of adapting to coronavirus that it was able to offer increased in-person tuition in 2021. The Chronicle of Higher Education notes that Princeton University’s faculty members had urged the college to adopt a range of anti-racist practices. This action led the college to decide to rename its school of public and international affairs and one of its residential colleges because they were named after a racist president of the United States. The college has also created and joined a range of initiatives to expand education to underserved communities and committed to increasing its faculty diversity.

16. Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island

Website

Thanks to strong coronavirus measures, by December 11th, 2020, Brown University had only seen 164 coronavirus cases, The New York Times reports. Thanks to this, the college has tripled the number of students in on-campus housing in early 2021, the other New York Times source states. Additionally, in 2020, Brown University also created a range of initiatives to increase equality. For example, it created a task force for anti-racism, established the Addressing Systemic Racism Fund, increased minority enrollment efforts, supported local public schools, and more.

15. Nazareth College

Rochester, New York

Website

In early 2021, the president of Nazareth College assured its community that the college would use vigilance with its coronavirus safety measures. It also stated that it would be proactive in vaccination efforts and preparing for the post-pandemic, Inside Higher Ed reports. By December 11^th, 2020, the college had only reported 113 cases of coronavirus on campus. And in 2020, Nazareth College’s Vice President of Community and Belonging announced that its students were successfully encouraging the college to become an anti-racist campus. This statement claimed that the college would focus on three areas of the student’s demands: increasing societal access to higher education, diversifying the college community and creating both curricula and co-curricular experiences that engage in societal issues.

14. Rice University

Houston, Texas

Website

Inside Higher Ed notes that in late 2020, Rice University turned to a novel form of enforcing its coronavirus restrictions. It created a student-run coronavirus court, handing out penalties such as performing community service for violating social distancing protocols. The New York Times notes that Rice University had only seen 210 cases of coronavirus on campus by December 11th, 2020. Additionally, Inside Higher Ed’s other article notes that student leaders praised Rice University’s commitment to help students of color and search for broader solutions to inequality. These actions included creating new equality related jobs, requiring students to attend a course on diversity, and initiating a fund that allows students to engage in equality related work in the city of Houston.

13. Colgate University

Hamilton, New York

Website

In The Chronicle of Higher Education, Colgate University’s provost and dean of Africana Studies discusses the importance of using multiple approaches when colleges hire diverse faculty. The New York Times also notes that Colgate University had only seen 54 coronavirus cases on campus by December 11th, 2020. When it came to planning for reopening the campus, Colgate University’s Task Force “reviewed dozens of other colleges and university statements and plans, attended various webinars from public health agencies and university associations, as well as consulted widely with our colleagues at peer institutions.”

12. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Website

National Geographic highlights that Swarthmore College’s economics professor, Jennifer Peck, developed a mathematical model for coronavirus scenarios. Thanks to this kind of research and planning, the college had only seen 42 positive coronavirus cases by December 11^th, New York Times reports. Various departments within Swarthmore College have responded to the social justice issues of 2020. For instance, the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry stated that it would create a diversity and inclusion plan. Details of this plan will be announced in June 2021.

11. Colby College

Waterville, Maine

Website

Colby College’s president informed The New York Times that his community had been able to eradicate all coronavirus transmissions on-campus in 2020. Thanks to these efforts, the college only saw 27 cases of coronavirus by December 11th, 2020, The New York Times’s other article states. Additionally, Colby College also did well financially in 2020. Despite the recession caused by the coronavirus, the college was still able to gain over $83 million in new commitments and $72 million in cash and assets. Additionally, in the summer of 2020, the college’s president stated that the college’s leaders would “work more assertively to make additional changes that not only realize our commitment to creating a more inclusive community but also affirm our desire to work actively to become an anti-racist college.”

10. Wheaton College

Norton, Massachusetts

Website

By December 11^th, 2020, Wheaton College had recorded just 23 cases of coronavirus in its community, according to The New York Times. The other New York Times article reports that by the end of 2020, the college had 1,200 students on campus and was adding approximately 100 more in the next semester. And in 2020, Wheaton College’s community became active in national anti-racism efforts. For instance, in September, the college’s faculty, students, and staff participated in #ScholarStrike, which engaged people with meaningful conversations about race.

9. Salve Regina University

Newport, Rhode Island

Website

By December 11^th, 2020, Salve Regina University had only recorded 47 cases of coronavirus on-campus. In early 2021, the college was just as stringent with its coronavirus safety protocols. For example, the college ordered its students to shelter in place when coronavirus cases began rising, and students started disobeying social distancing rules, Inside Higher Ed reports. And in 2020, Salve Regina University announced that it would take new steps to eradicate racism and make its campus more diverse. These steps included training its community about equality, launching an equity and inclusion summit, hiring more diverse community members, and more.

8. Union College

Schenectady, New York

Website

When coronavirus cases started increasing in January 2021, Union College quickly imposed a two-week campus quarantine, Inside Higher Ed notes. Measures like this were successful in 2020, with the college only recording 34 coronavirus cases by December 11th of that year, The New York Times notes. In summer 2020, Union College held a forum on racial injustice to explore how it could improve its equality measures. This resulted in the college’s president launching the Presidential Initiative on Race, aiming to unify the college in its future equality measures.

7. Linfield University

Portland, Oregon

Website

In early 2021, Linfield University was able to stop the spread of coronavirus on campus by pausing in-person classes for four days, Inside Higher Ed reports. This success in stopping coronavirus is unsurprising, as the college had been effective in preventing transmissions in 2020. In fact, The New York Times reports that by December 11th, 2020, the college had only recorded 17 coronavirus cases. And in the summer of 2020, Linfield University’s faculty members published a letter stating that they would not be complacent in the face of racism. This letter also stated that “the expertise and engagement of students, faculty, and staff at Linfield are urgently needed.”

6. Howard University

Washington, DC

Website

When National Geographic reported on colleges with very few coronavirus infections in November 2020, Howard University had only seen 39 positive cases. The New York Times’s report on December 11^th, 2020, states that that figure had increased to 54 positive cases. Inside Higher Ed also notes that the president of the historically black Howard University has urged African Americans to get the coronavirus vaccine. Additionally, the other Inside Higher Ed article notes that Howard University professors are contacting other colleges to increase the opportunities for minority students. The college’s pandemic response follows four principles: support, advocate, facilitate and educate.

5. The New School

New York City, New York

Website

Despite being located in the early epicenter of the US coronavirus outbreak, The New School had seen just 16 cases of coronavirus on-campus by December 11^th, 2020. And in September 2020, The Chronicle of Higher Education selected the college’s economics and urban policy professor to discuss racial injustice on college campuses. Additionally, The New School has used both the coronavirus pandemic and the social justice calls of 2020 to highlight inequality. For example, the college’s Digital Equity Lab released an in-depth case study on how community internet projects can improve equality.

4. Paul Quinn College

Dallas, Texas

Website

The Chronicle of Higher Education led a conversation on racial injustice in academic life with the president of Paul Quinn College. The college was founded on the principles of racial justice. In 1872, it opened to educate formerly enslaved people. And in 2020, Paul Quinn College partnered with Capital One and Impact Ventures on a $200 million initiative that would help underserved communities’ growth and socioeconomic advancement. Additionally, Paul Quinn College has been able to control coronavirus on campus. For instance, on December 14th, 2020, the college only had four active coronavirus cases.

3. Sarah Lawrence College

Bronxville, New York

Website

By November 23^rd, 2020, Sarah Lawrence College had only recorded 11 coronavirus cases, National Geographic notes. By December 11^th, that figure had increased to 12 cases, The New York Times reports. Additionally, Sarah Lawrence College has built a strong plan for the spring 2021 semester by adapting and learning from its fall 2020 plan. And the college held a range of anti-racism initiatives in 2020. For instance, it arranged several events that reflected upon and discussed racism in America.

2. St. Lawrence University

Canton, New York

Website

In late November 2020, St. Lawrence University recorded nine active coronavirus cases on campus. The college acted swiftly, moving entirely online for the rest of its semester and conducting contact tracing, Inside Higher Ed reports. Thanks to these efforts, coronavirus cases remained low on campus. The New York Times states that by December 11th, 2020, the college had only seen 17 cases of coronavirus overall. In the summer of 2020, Bill Fox, the president of St. Lawrence University, announced some of the racial justice initiatives that the college was undertaking. These initiatives included tasking each college division to develop diversity/inclusion tactics, increasing the number of positive multicultural exhibits on campus, creating a Black Laurentian Initiative Fund, and more.

1. Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

Website

In early 2021, Williams College announced the tightening of its already strict coronavirus rules, Inside Higher Ed notes. Students would have to provide a negative coronavirus test before returning to campus, for instance. The college’s 2020 coronavirus measures ensured that the campus only saw 13 positive cases by December 11th, 2020, The New York Times notes. In the summer of 2020, the Williams College president announced that the college would “confront and fight racial and social injustice.” The announcement stated that the college would do this via creating new student engagement initiatives, investing $500,000 in racial justice organizations, forming partnerships with racial justice organizations, and more.

Related Resources:

• 30 Colleges That Are Promoting Ethnic Awareness
• Is Choosing a College That Emphasizes Diversity a Good Idea?
• 5 Advantages to Diversity on College Campuses
• 30 Organizations That Are Boosting African American Educational Achievement
• Top 30 Schools Successfully Fighting COVID
• College Students Report Financial, Mental Health Challenges: GVC Covid Study 2021
• How the COVID-19 Crisis is Affecting Students’ Mental Health
• 10 Steps Schools Can Take to Keep On-Campus Students Safe During Covid-19
• College During COVID-19: Online Classes and Risky Reopenings

The post 30 US Colleges That Handled The Crises of 2020 Well – These Colleges Navigated A Difficult Year With Expert Responses appeared first on Great Value Colleges.

The headlines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic have been mostly about the number of deaths it has caused. But there have also been substantial impacts on mental health. Studies indicate that people of all ages and from all walks of life have experienced mental health issues as the pandemic continues to rage. Students in college or heading to college certainly have not been spared COVID-related mental health issues. In fact, both current college students and prospective students report an array of mental health challenges as a result of the pandemic, from anxiety and depression to feelings of isolation and concerns about the future. Great Value Colleges recently conducted a survey about the effects that the pandemic is having on the college plans of both prospective and current students. A summary of the results of this survey has recently been published.

If you have similar feelings, you are not alone. This is a widespread problem, and one that mental health experts warn could have lasting effects. From higher rates of substance abuse to the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), people around the globe will face persistent mental health issues even after the pandemic is over.

Let’s explore some of the common ways that COVID-19 has impacted mental health.

Depression is a Concern

Depression is the most common mental health condition. It has been a pervasive presence on college campuses for many years. The COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened this situation.

Even before COVID-19, depression was becoming more and more common amongst college students. In a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health and reported by Reuters, the rate of moderate to severe depression among college students rose nearly 18 percent between 2007 and 2018.

That study involved surveying more than 610,000 undergraduate students between 2011 and 2018. Another 177,000 undergraduate students were involved between 2007 and 2018. Of the students surveyed, most were between the ages of 18 and 22. Male students comprised 43 percent of respondents, with females comprising 57 percent. The vast majority of respondents – 74 percent – were white.

So while this study has some limitations in terms of generalizability to groups of a different age or racial group, it paints a pretty bleak picture of the mental health struggles of college-aged students. And while college counseling centers have reported higher rates of students using mental health services, the rates of depression have continued to grow.

This bears out in the data from a recent survey conducted by Great Value Colleges in which 70 of 176 respondents indicated that the COVID-19 crisis had affected their mental health.

Among those 70 responses, many people referenced feelings of depression as well as feelings of “sadness,” feeling “disconnected,” and that “isolation…has added to my depression.”

Furthermore, many respondents linked their feelings of uncertainty to increased feelings of depression. From worrying about present and future challenges to “becoming introverted” to feeling like “the world is against me,” the uncertainty of life during the pandemic is wreaking havoc on college students and incoming college students.

However, the same survey revealed some good news – all but 20 respondents reported feeling that their school is taking proper steps to keep students safe during the pandemic. 

Naturally, feeling safe is a critical part of good mental health. For students who are already feeling depressed, worrying about their health and safety at school will only exacerbate those feelings of depression.

Anxiety is Common

Like depression, anxiety is a widespread mental health condition. This is particularly true of college-aged and pre-college students. And, much like depression, rates of anxiety have only increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

According to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, 71 percent of participants reported “increased stress and anxiety due to the COVID-19 outbreak.”

Among the stressors most commonly reported include:

• Fear about personal health
• Worry about the health of loved ones
• Difficulty concentrating
• Disrupted sleep patterns
• Decreased social interaction
• Increased worry about academic performance

Our survey of 176 students generated similar results. Of the students that noted increased feelings of anxiety due to COVID-19, responses ranged from “feeling unmotivated” to feeling “less focused.” Others reported feeling anxious from being “overworked” and not having adequate interactions with family and friends.

Yet other respondents zeroed in on another source of anxiety – being cooped up indoors most of the time. This type of “COVID cabin fever” can be difficult to overcome, given the strict rules regarding what people can do, where they can go, and when, during the strictest of lockdowns. Additionally, social distancing and isolation go against our very instincts, which can cause great stress as lockdowns continue.

Another study by researchers at Boston University found that a primary stressor for college students and incoming college students during the pandemic is related to finances.

This bears out in two distinct ways. First, students are worried about the cost of attending college, and second, they are worried about their prospects of getting a job in an economy that has been hit hard by the pandemic.

That same study revealed another concerning issue: many students are worried about a lack of easily accessible mental health care. In other words, students that are already highly anxious due to traditional stressors and COVID-19 are also stressed about not having easy access to help.

For many colleges and universities, budgets are beginning to tighten. Unfortunately, in some cases, this means cutting programs for student mental health.

However, Boston University researchers argue that “there is a strong economic case for investing in programs and services to support student mental health.” Why? There is a two-fold increase in college dropout rates among students with depression or a related mental health issue.

So, not only are depression and anxiety very serious mental health issues but, left untreated, they could have significant effects on a student’s ability to continue their education.

In that regard, this becomes a vicious cycle – feelings of anxiety make it hard to concentrate on schoolwork. As one gets further and further behind, the anxiety level only increases. This, in turn, makes it even more difficult to catch up, and with incomplete or missing assignments, missed deadlines, and missed tests adding up, dropping out of school becomes more likely. The prospect of “being a failure” adds more anxiety, as do the diminished financial prospects of not completing one’s college degree.

In a very real sense, the anxiety that college students and incoming college students feel today due to the pandemic could impact their overall mental health and financial security for years and years to come.

Feelings of Isolation Have Increased

For many college students, the prospect of living on campus with other students is one of the most exciting aspects of going to college.

Likewise, looking forward to meeting new people, making new friends, and having new life experiences is something many college-aged students hold dear. So too is taking part in class discussions with other students that are passionate about their studies. Going to the library, having dinner together in the cafeteria, and congregating together outside for frisbee, BBQs, and other activities make the college experience something special to look forward to.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has changed all that.

Since many colleges and universities have moved to online education, virtually all of the social activities listed above are no longer available. Sure, you can take online classes and “meet” with professors and classmates via video chat, but it just isn’t the same as human interaction in the real world. What’s more, the college experience in 2020 is without many other social events. Commencements have been moved online or canceled altogether, robbing graduates of having that moment of recognition with their families. Speaking of families, some college students aren’t able to go home to see their loved ones. This made holidays in 2020 a challenging time for many college students who found themselves alone for the first time.

Another component of this isolation is quite literal – thousands of college students that might have had the option to study on campus have found themselves isolated in quarantine after traveling to campus or testing positive for the coronavirus once they got there. Without face-to-face contact with other people (except medical staff coming to check on them) for two weeks straight, some students face college being an extremely lonely place.

This detachment is causing significant feelings of isolation among college students and high schoolers headed to college.

In our survey of 176 students, the topic of isolation was quite common. Comments about feeling “alone,” “disconnected,” and “confined” show that some respondents have developed an extreme sense of isolation from others as the pandemic has unfolded. College-aged students are already at high-risk for feelings of loneliness, and the pandemic has exacerbated that situation. 

However, there are things you can do to help drive these feelings of loneliness and isolation away.

• First, understand that it’s okay to feel this way. Moreover, understand that many other people are in a similar situation and are having the same emotional response.
• Second, talk about your feelings with people you trust. This might be your parents or siblings, a good friend, or your significant other. Even if you can’t have face-to-face conversations, frequent phone calls, or video chats can go a long way in helping you deal with isolation.
• Speaking of communication, the third thing you can do is be proactive about reaching out to others. Call friends you’ve lost touch with. Have a daily video chat with your family. Ask your friends and neighbors to get together outside for some socially-distanced visiting. The more effort you put into connecting with others, the less secluded you will feel.
• Fourth, take time for yourself each day. It can be easy to get overwhelmed with schoolwork and worries about the pandemic. By taking a few minutes each day to focus on yourself and do something you enjoy, you’ll find that your mood will be lifted and your spirit regenerated.
• Lastly, develop a daily routine. Wake up and go to bed at consistent times. Practice good hygiene. Eat nutritious meals. Set goals for what you want and need to accomplish with your studies each day. Having a routine gives structure to your day, helps you set and achieve goals each day, and gives you a variety of activities to look forward to each day as well.

There are Concerns About the Future

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of havoc. But it isn’t just the past or present that incoming college students and college-aged students are worried about; they’re also worried about the future.

How much longer will we be under stay-at-home orders? Will in-person classes come back next semester? When will the virus end? Will I be able to find employment after I graduate? Are my loved ones okay? These are just a few questions that people wrestle with each and every day.

Our survey revealed a wide range of concerns about the future among respondents. Some noted that new regulations regarding masks and vaccines cause them concern. Others noted that they have become more introverted and are “always worried about the future.” Still other respondents explained that they have “lost interest in socializing and learning,” which understandably results in concerns about loss of relationships and future difficulties with school.

Additionally, a majority of respondents indicated that the COVID-19 crisis has impacted them financially. While many have felt the pinch of tough economic times, they’ve retained employment, at least for now. However, some respondents noted that not only are they out of school but that they also do not currently have a job. This has led to feelings of being “pretty much screwed.”

It isn’t just one’s personal future that causes concern, either. Many people – high school and college students among them – are rightfully worried about what the future holds for their loved ones. In fact, one respondent in our survey spoke about the emotional toll of having loved ones suffer through COVID. The worry and stress of what might happen to you in the future are enough to be overwhelming. Also, worrying about the future of your loved ones can be downright unbearable.

However, there are some students that see a silver lining.

One of our survey respondents talked about having more time to “focus on my physical and mental wellness that I never seemed to be able to when I was so busy with everything else but myself!” Using your spare time for self-improvement could be key in helping you develop and maintain a more positive outlook for the future.

Harvard Business Review reports much of the same; that students are developing more concern for others and devising ways to help people in need. What’s more, students are reporting greater interest in careers that focus on helping others and improving society.

So, while it’s easy to feel like the world is crashing down around you, there are still opportunities to see the positives in what the future might hold.

What You Can Do to Improve Your Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As bleak as things are, there are specific, actionable steps you can take to improve your mental health. The tips outlined below will be effective for you now and in the future, as you strive to overcome the effects of living in such uncertain times.

Improve Your Diet

Being stuck at home and isolated from your family and friends makes it easy to let your dietary habits go by the wayside. While it’s easy to pop something in the microwave for dinner or open a bag of chips as a nighttime snack, proper nutrition is crucial for improved mental health.

Research shows that eating less junk food and more foods with proper nutrients can positively impact mood. Specifically, foods like vegetables, fish, and legumes have been shown to diminish feelings of depression.

Additionally, rather than relying on pre-packaged foods, preparing meals is often a more nutritious route to take. Besides, taking time to cook meals can help break up the monotony of the day and give you a chance to learn new skills that can have long-lasting positive impacts on your life.

Get Enough Rest

There is a strong connection between sleep and mental health. Studies show that people who have depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other mental disorders have a much higher incidence of sleep difficulties. Between 50-80 percent of psychiatric patients have sleep problems as compared to 10-18 percent of the general population.

Even if you have minor sleep problems, and even if you’re in lockdown and can’t go out much, it’s still important to maintain an adequate sleep routine.

To increase your chances of falling asleep more quickly and staying asleep longer, try to go to bed around the same time each night. Create a restful space to sleep that’s dark, cool, and free of distractions. Once you get into bed, avoid watching TV or checking your phone. Instead, focus on relaxing and getting a good night’s rest.

During the day, get in some physical exercise. Also, be sure you watch what you eat and drink – if caffeine is part of your daily intake, it could significantly impact your ability to sleep. These are just a few tips to help you develop habits to help you sleep better.

Quit “Doomscrolling”

It’s human nature to want to learn what’s going on around you. When you’re depressed, it’s also human nature to seek out information that confirms how you feel.

In modern times, this takes the form of doomscrolling – the act of constantly scrolling through news and social media feeds online or on your phone. It has taken on a new meaning during the pandemic as there is a constant stream of headlines about the virus and what it is doing to communities, economies, and our way of life.

There’s only so much bad news you can take before it begins to have severe consequences for your mental health. And while part of doomscrolling might be to see what good things have happened, by and large, it’s an exercise in reinforcing negative feelings and emotions.

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to stop the cycle of doomscrolling and get into a better headspace. The Cleveland Clinic has a great list of things you can do to ditch the doomscrolling.

Connect With Others

As noted earlier, connecting with others, to the extent possible, is a critical part of overcoming your COVID-19 mental health troubles.

Social distancing allows you to safely interact with friends and family while talking on the phone and video chatting gives you the chance to catch up with loved ones in real-time while minimizing the risk of viral transmission.

Many people are using technology to help them engage with others for meaningful events beyond simply talking. Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, and other services are great options for having group chats, virtual birthday parties, and even having dinner with one another from a distance.

Get Exercise

Just like sleep and mental health are closely intertwined, so too are physical exercise and mental health.

Studies show that within minutes of exercise, you experience mood-enhancing effects. There are long-lasting effects, too – regular exercise has been shown to decrease the incidence of depression.

For people that are in quarantine, exercise is crucially important. Being stuck at home means less exercise throughout the day from normal daily activities. Adding exercise activities into your daily routine will help you keep in shape and help reduce the risk of a more sedentary lifestyle, like respiratory and circulatory problems.

Mental Health Resources

One of the best things you can do to protect your mental health during the pandemic is to equip yourself with resources to help you cope. 

Below is a list of resources you might find helpful. Note that this is just a partial list – there are many other valuable resources available to help you through the COVID-19 pandemic.

• COVID-19 Resource and Information Guide (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• Shareable Resources on Coping with COVID-19 (National Institute of Mental Health)
• Maintaining Health and Stability During COVID-19 (Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health)
• 7 Science-Based Strategies to Cope With Coronavirus Anxiety (The Conversation)
• Cope With Stress (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Taking Care of Your Emotional Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Coronavirus Updates (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Resources for Students During COVID-19 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• COVID-19 Resources for Schools, Students, and Families (U.S. Department of Education)
• Coping With the Loss of a Loved One (Los Angeles County Departments of Public Health and Mental Health)
• Mental Health and Coping during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
• Finding Local Mental Health Resources During the COVID-19 Crisis (American Psychological Association)
• Taking Care of Your Mental Health during the COVID-19 Infectious Disease Outbreak (Northwestern University Counseling and Psychological Services)
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• Teens Helping Teens

GVC Related Resources:

• We Heard Voices and This Is What They Said (GVC COVID Survey Results)
• Heroes Wear Many Faces: Colleges and Universities Retooling to Fight COVID-19 (A Running List)
• The Impact of Covid-19 on College Sports
• College During COVID-19: Online Classes and Risky Reopenings
• 10 Steps Schools Can Take to Keep On-Campus Students Safe During Covid-19
• Colleges Making Big Changes to Admissions Policies Amidst COVID-19
• 30 US colleges that are likely to manage the coronavirus recession with ease, based on how they handled the 2007-2009 recession
• How the Coronavirus Recession Will Affect College Students and Recent Graduates: 5 Grim Realities and How to Make the Best of Them

The post How the COVID-19 Crisis is Affecting Students’ Mental Health appeared first on Great Value Colleges.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to present unprecedented challenges to America’s institutions of higher education, we felt that it was our obligation here at GreatValueColleges.net to keep our finger on the pulse of the impact on prospective and current college and university students. In keeping with this responsibility, our senior editors recently developed a survey and made it available to our readers and online visitors. After nearly 200 responses to this online survey, we’ve decided to publish the results as well as insights taken from our subsequential analysis.

A relatively small subset of respondents (18%) did not fall into any of these three categories and instead self-reported as working professionals, stay-at-home parents, and senior citizens.

Related:

• Best Online Degrees for Seniors and Older Adults
• Colleges Making Big Changes to Admissions Policies Amidst Covid-19
• How the Coronavirus Recession Will Affect College Students and Recent Graduates

Challenges Experienced by College Students Amid the Covid-19 Pandemic

Unfortunately, no one has been untouched by the wide-ranging effects of the public health crisis, whether financial, emotional, or career-related. One of the key questions posed by our editors in this survey, however, was one that probed the unique challenges faced by college students amid the pandemic. We wanted to know exactly how postsecondary students (both current and prospective ) were coping with the pandemic and precisely which obstacles they were facing. Thus, one of the central questions asked of survey respondents was: “What are your biggest challenges during the Covid-19 crisis?”

Not surprisingly, just over half of respondents (50.57%) cited health and safety as the key concern. They were faced with decisions regarding how to move forward with their higher education plans despite a global public health crisis. Students enrolled in college in the Spring of 2020 were forced to transition to online learning for a time. As some campuses around the country began to reopen, many of these students had to choose whether to return to school on-campus, take classes online or via a hybrid format, or postpone their academic plans until the pandemic waned. To make matters worse, little was known about the virus at the time, so these decisions were extremely challenging. Some students found themselves concerned about their own exposure to the virus and the potential of spreading it to friends and family members, especially older adults and those with underlying health conditions.  

Related:

• 10 Steps Schools Can Take to Keep Students Safe on Campus Amid Covid-19
• CDC: Considerations for Institutions of Higher Education
• CNBC: What It’s Like to Return to Campus During a Pandemic

Following closely behind health and safety as a primary challenge during the coronavirus pandemic were concerns over financial security (36.93%) and separation from family and friends (34.09%). Finally, nearly 20% of respondents cited their living situation as an overwhelming source of anxiety as they attempted to navigate the pandemic.

Nearly 10% of respondents cited other concerns such as the government’s response to the pandemic as well as academic opportunities, including scholarship availability.

Views on the Traditional College Experience Versus Online Learning

Our editors inquired as to how important the traditional college experience was to each respondent.

Before delving too deeply into the survey itself, we wanted to gauge our respondents’ general feelings about higher education, particularly regarding on-campus versus online learning. Respondents were directed to enter a number on a scale of 0-100 to represent the priority they gave to traditional learning methods over remote instruction. Responses varied widely, but the average of all responses equaled 60, which our editors interpreted as a slight preference toward traditional learning overall.

Interestingly, this numerical figure is just below the percentage of U.S. college students enrolled in exclusively on-campus courses. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that nearly 65% of postsecondary students studied traditionally in 2018 compared to just over 35% who took at least one remote course.

Of course, the pandemic has turned these numbers on their heads, at least temporarily. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, colleges and universities across the country were forced to transition to online learning, and many classes have remained online to some degree. Proponents of online learning argue that this isn’t a bad thing, necessarily. In some ways, the pandemic has given students devoted to the traditional college experience the chance to enjoy the many benefits of distance learning, such as enhanced flexibility and 24/7 access to course content and materials, for instance. On the other hand, critics worry that the switch to virtual learning will force students to sacrifice valuable aspects of traditional college like face-to-face instruction and social interactions with peers.

Related:

• National Center for Education Statistics Fast Facts: Distance Learning
• Wired: Why Online Learning Is More Valuable Than Traditional College
• CNN: College in America Could Be Changed Forever

Covid-19’s Impact on College Plans

Higher education is a sector of our society that has been especially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, causing colleges and universities nationwide to close their campuses and end in-person learning, at least temporarily. Since the onset of Covid-19, a few schools have had to close their doors permanently while others have resumed some semblance of normalcy in terms of a class schedule. To discover exactly how GVC readers were impacted regarding their academic plans, our editors posed the question: “How has the pandemic affected your plans for attending college or university?”

The findings revealed that current and prospective college students’ plans had been impacted in myriad ways. While the biggest impact (36.36%) was felt by students who decided to attend classes completely online, a significant number of respondents (22.16%) reported going ahead with in-person instruction despite the public health crisis. A similar number reported electing a hybrid schedule (21.02%). Perhaps most concerning to our editors was the large number of students surveyed (i.e., over 20%) who decided to put their college plans on hold until they felt it safe to attend class in person.

While taking a gap year can be beneficial for some students, doing so amid a pandemic with no definitive end in sight could present additional challenges down the road. Students who choose to take this route are best served by taking some online classes (for-credit or otherwise) or engaging in an independent study option. At the same time, they await a vaccine or other such go-ahead to resume their original college plans.

Related:

• Washington Post: College Students Consider Gap Years During the Pandemic
• College During Covid-19: Online Classes and Risky Reopenings
• Colleges and Universities Retooling to Fight Covid-19

Level of Satisfaction Regarding University Responses to the Pandemic

College and university administrators have faced difficult decisions amid the Covid-19 crisis. These school officials have been forced to weigh student safety against their own institutional goals while considering their students’ academic aspirations. It has not been an easy road, and there has been no shortage of critics on all sides. Still, America’s institutions of higher learning have not taken the pandemic’s blows lying down. Instead, they’ve taken what some may say are extraordinary measures to remain afloat and relevant during the pandemic while creating a safe haven for their students. Some of these measures include ramping up cleaning regimens, reconfiguring classrooms and meeting spaces to accommodate social distancing, and mandating self-monitoring and Covid testing for on-campus students.

For our editors, however, the primary point of interest was not what steps were being taken but rather how the students themselves felt about their own institutions’ response to the pandemic, particularly where student safety was concerned. Encouragingly, the vast majority (88.6%) of survey respondents reported being satisfied with their college/university’s attempts to keep students safe amid the pandemic.

The relatively small percentage of students who expressed dissatisfaction with their school’s Covid-19 response cited concerns over the health risks of in-person learning, inadequate cleaning and sanitation policies, and lack of transparency regarding positive Covid test results.

Related:

• Top 30 Schools Successfully Fighting Covid
• 8 Colleges Stepping Up to the Distance Learning Challenge
• Which U.S. Colleges Have Made Social Distancing Easy?

Covid-19 and Finances Among College and University Students

The financial impact of Covid-19 has been top of mind since the beginning of the pandemic, so our editors were eager to discover precisely how prospective and current college students were being affected on an economic level. To our pleasant surprise, over 36% of survey respondents reported no financial impact due to the coronavirus. Others were not so lucky, however. Roughly 26% of those surveyed reported some negative financial impact despite remaining employed during the global public health crisis. Furthermore, just under 12% cited a significant effect resulting in a new job search. Among the most impacted group of respondents (i.e., 15.9%) reported that the pandemic had disrupted their ability to attend school and maintain employment. Nearly 10% of those surveyed reported other financial impacts such as loss of housing and changes to other household members’ employment status, including parents and spouses.

Related:

•  10 Trades That Will Survive the Coronavirus
• 10 of the Best Degrees for the Future
• Thinking About Going to Grad School During the Recession?

Covid-19 and Its Effects on Post-Secondary Students’ Mental Health

Of particular concern to our editors was the large number of survey respondents who reported a significant impact on their mental health due to the pandemic. Nearly 40% of those surveyed said Covid-19 had negatively affected their wellbeing, using adjectives like detached, anxious, isolated, and disturbed to describe this effect. In a recently published article, GVCs editors have delved deeper into the effects of the pandemic on student’s mental health.

Interestingly, although significant, this percentage is much lower than that identified in a comparable study conducted at Texas A&M University earlier this year. This could be a simple matter of timing. Texas A&M’s survey was distributed in May of 2020, only about a month after the state of Texas issued its stay-at-home order. GreatValueColleges.net developed its survey approximately five months later. It is possible that students had time to adjust to the “new normal” within this span of time and therefore reported a lesser degree of negative mental health effects.

It is also important to note that Texas A&M’s study involved participants who were all enrolled in college classes at the time of the study, while GVC’s involved both current and prospective students.

In our survey, only one respondent reported feeling better in terms of mental health amid the pandemic, reasoning that the isolation has resulted in more time for self-reflection and a heightened focus on personal physical and mental wellness.

According to Yale Medicine, experiencing mental health challenges during a pandemic (or similar crisis) is a natural response.  Experts say it’s important to keep tabs on how you’re feeling from day to day and take note if symptoms like anxiety, fatigue, or sleep disturbances worsen. These could be signs of a more serious condition like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Related:

• Effects of Covid-19 in College Students’ Mental Health in the U.S.
• Yale Medicine: Taking Your Mental Health Temperature During Covid-19
• CDC: Covid-19- Coping with Stress

Going Forward Despite the Pandemic

GreatValueColleges.net remains committed to ongoing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, especially where it pertains to higher education and the impact of the global public health crisis on university students and college hopefuls. We desire to continue providing the most current and relevant information available to help our readers make pressing decisions regarding their academic opportunities during these challenging times, whether it be in the form of informative articles regarding trends in higher education or rankings of the most affordable and flexible degree plans available today. Check back here for the latest updates and information about Covid-19 and what it means for colleges and universities.

Related Resources:

• How the COVID-19 Crisis is Affecting Students’ Mental Health
• Heroes Wear Many Faces: Colleges and Universities Retooling to Fight COVID-19 (A Running List)
• The Impact of Covid-19 on College Sports
• College During COVID-19: Online Classes and Risky Reopenings
• 10 Steps Schools Can Take to Keep On-Campus Students Safe During Covid-19
• Colleges Making Big Changes to Admissions Policies Amidst COVID-19
• 30 US colleges that are likely to manage the coronavirus recession with ease, based on how they handled the 2007-2009 recession
• How the Coronavirus Recession Will Affect College Students and Recent Graduates: 5 Grim Realities and How to Make the Best of Them

The post College Students Report Financial, Mental Health Challenges: GVC Covid Study 2021 appeared first on Great Value Colleges.

There’s no sector of society that the Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t touched, and college athletics are no exception. In fact, the impact of the coronavirus on collegiate athletics is both complex and far-reaching. Usually, making calls in this specific arena consists of throwing flags and citing fouls. The stakes are much higher now, though, for those making the big decisions regarding who will play and when. Specifically, there’s big money as well as the overall health and safety of young athletes hanging in the balance. In this article, we’ll probe the state of college sports amid the pandemic and uncover some of the hidden motivations behind the game-changing decisions being made behind the scenes.

Poverty or Pestilence: The Heart of the Dilemma

The issue at the center of Covid-19 and college sports is a microcosm of the core problem our nation faces amid the pandemic. In essence, the virus has dealt us an impossible hand, and we have two plays we can make: either shut down schools and businesses and watch our economy tank or risk our health to earn enough money to keep ourselves afloat. It’s a nearly impossible choice. Like the country at large, though, college athletic departments have made the decision to go ahead with their money-making endeavors despite the known health risks. Of course, precautions are being taken. Implementing some of these safeguards has been challenging, to say the least, though. While face coverings and social distancing protocols are not a problem for most athletes and coaches, the mixture of contact tracing and mandatory quarantines have made for a bitter pill.

Contact Tracing: A Problematic Solution?

When the coronavirus first struck the United States in early 2020, universities faced the grim reality of shutting down campuses indefinitely. Classes were canceled, students were sent home, and college sports were no more. As the Center for Disease Control (CDC) learned more about the disease and how it spreads, the organization developed guidelines for how schools might reopen safely and resume normal operations, including athletics. Coaches and players jumped on the chance to resume practices and begin playing games again. They saw the CDC guidelines as a welcome go-ahead to get back to normal, gladly donning their masks on the sidelines and submitting to routine Covid-19 testing. One aspect of the CDC’s protocol would quickly become problematic, though: contact tracing.

What is contact tracing, and what specific challenges does it pose for college sports? Contact tracing is actually not a new concept, but most Americans had never heard of the practice until it became a quasi-solution to the coronavirus problem in 2020. In reality, contact tracing has been in use since the 1920s. The pandemic has granted contact tracing its moment in the spotlight, so to speak, and not everyone is happy about it, least of all college coaches and athletic directors.

Here’s how contact tracing works in collegiate sports: If an athlete has been within six feet of someone who recently tested positive for Covid-19, they are put in quarantine for 14 days whether or not they show any symptoms of the disease. Of course, this means no practice and certainly no field time for the athlete for a two-week period. If enough members of a team are quarantined at a time, games are forced to be postponed or canceled. Dozens of college football games have already been delayed or dismissed altogether due to the fear of Covid spread, and we can expect to see the same with basketball and baseball once their seasons begin.

Of course, from a business perspective, these delays and cancellations are costing schools a lot of money. Some have even had to cancel their seasons and get rid of some of their smaller leagues. There’s plenty of monetary incentive for things to go back to normal as quickly as possible, despite the rising coronavirus cases or recommendations from regulatory agencies like the CDC. Stakeholders are calling for contact tracing protocols to be relaxed and quarantine periods to be shortened.

Related:

• CDC: Contact Tracing for Covid-19
• Ohio State University: History of Contact Tracing
• CDC: Covid-19- Considerations for Institutes of Higher Education

The Very Real Health Risks

While those at the top of the collegiate sports’ food chain are chomping at the bit to put their players on the field, not everyone thinks it’s a good idea or even a moral one. After all, these players are kids, and they aren’t compensated for their efforts on the field (aside from perhaps a scholarship). Yet, they’re all but forced to put their very lives on the line for the sake of other people’s profit and entertainment. In this light, the idea of playing college sports during a pandemic sounds a lot like exploitation.

Still, there are coaches, directors, and fans alike who argue that Covid-19 has little effect on young people. While there is some evidence to back up this claim, there’s also science on the other side of the argument. A small study published in September of 2020 suggests that athletes recovering from even mild coronavirus cases may develop myocarditis (a heart condition) from the disease. Moreover, so much is still yet unknown about the novel coronavirus’s long-term effects that willingly putting oneself or others at risk of contracting the disease is ill-advised. The CDC reports the highest risk of contracting Covid-19 while playing sports occurs when teams from different parts of the country play one another. This is precisely the type of high-risk competition that is currently taking place in college stadiums around the nation.

Related:

• NBC: Covid Related to Heart Inflammation in College Athletes
• CDC: Covid-19: Playing Sports

The Issue of Fairness

While the players’ safety is the real issue here, it’s worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic may have tipped the scales in favor of some teams while putting others at a marked disadvantage. That’s because not all schools are handling safety protocols and mitigation strategies in the same way. Some teams are being tested daily while others get a weekly test, for instance. Some athletic departments are being forthcoming about test results, while others refuse to disclose their numbers. Contact tracing is also managed differently from one college to the next. Are schools with stricter protocols at a competitive disadvantage? Some believe it to be the case.

The Dark Side of College Sports

And the issue surrounding the coronavirus and college sports gets even more complex beneath the surface. Already shaken by the pandemic, the United States found itself facing a (perhaps) equally disruptive issue in May of 2020 when George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis. The tragedy sparked widespread uproar and caused us all to rethink how race is regarded in America, both individually and systematically.

Just a few months later, findings published by the National Bureau of Economic Research unveiled what some may consider a dark side to college sports. Called “rent-sharing” by researchers, a system was uncovered that takes money from sports played by minority, lower-income athletes (think football and basketball, for instance) and redistributes it to those sports primarily played by white, higher-income students.

Related:

Who Profits From Amateurism? Rent-Sharing in Modern College Sports
ESPN: 2019 College Racial and Gender Report Card

What does this rent-sharing model have to do with a global pandemic, though? Valid question. While it may seem unrelated, the inherent bias toward privileged collegiate athletes is particularly interesting—and dangerous—when held under the glaring light of a public health crisis. When players’ health is at risk and money is lost when a game isn’t played, the decision to put an athlete in or sit it out can pose serious questions. Which players are we willing to put at risk so that others can enjoy their sport of choice?

The Effects of Covid on Less Lucrative Sports

Though they’re predictably getting the bulk of the attention, football and basketball aren’t the only sports being impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the college teams battered the hardest by Covid-19 are those playing less popular sports like tennis, track, swimming, and volleyball. While the average person may not even notice these sports have departed the playing field, those college athletes who have built their hopes and dreams on participating at a higher level (think Olympics) have been devastated by the blow. One has to wonder whether these sports would have been canceled if they had routinely drawn the same fanfare as the SEC or NCAA, for instance.

Related: NBC: College Sports Cuts in the Wake of Covid-19

Any decision made during a global pandemic is sure to be a tricky one. Those weighing health and wealth against one another are particularly difficult, though. While it’s easy to sit back and make judgments on the sidelines, we can only sincerely hope that those people who have the power to call the shots here are doing so with the health and safety of college athletes as their highest priority.

Sources:

• Sports Illustrated: Should College Football Change Its Approach to Contact Tracing?
• Time: College Football Seems All Too Normal During the Pandemic
• Brookings: The Pandemic Is Revealing the Regressive Business Model of College Sports

Related Resources:

• Heroes Wear Many Faces: Colleges and Universities Retooling to Fight COVID-19 (A Running List)
• Top 30 Schools Successfully Fighting COVID
• 10 Steps Schools Can Take to Keep On-Campus Students Safe During Covid-19
• College During COVID-19: Online Classes and Risky Reopenings
• 8 Colleges Stepping Up to The Distance Learning Challenge Posed By COVID-19
• Colleges Making Big Changes to Admissions Policies Amidst COVID-19
• 30 US colleges that are likely to manage the coronavirus recession with ease, based on how they handled the 2007-2009 recession

The post The Impact of Covid-19 on College Sports appeared first on Great Value Colleges.

Related: CDC: Considerations for Institutes of Higher Education

1. Restrict Campus Access

Traditionally, colleges in the U.S. have been places filled with a bustling activity where visitors often come and go as they please. Unfortunately, the current public health crisis has quieted the quads and lecture halls of universities nationwide. Their once vibrant atmospheres have been sacrificed to some degree in exchange for safe havens in which students are protected from the outside world. Restricting campus access was one of the very first things schools began to do to protect their students and faculty members from unnecessary exposure to Covid-19, and it remains a fundamental safeguard.

Various colleges and universities have implemented campus access restrictions in different ways, and their approaches are continually evolving as the pandemic surges and wanes. For some schools, these restrictions include banning visitors, requiring student quarantine upon arrival to campus, and providing remote learning opportunities to certain students. Other schools are restricting student movement outside of campus as well. Students at Williams College in Massachusetts, for example, are only allowed to leave campus for essential activities.

2. Require a Daily Health Check

As an extension of their campus access restrictions, many colleges have implemented a required daily health check for all students who plan to attend classes on campus. To complete the daily health check, students must self-assess any coronavirus symptoms and report them via an online form. They will then be directed to either stay home and/or contact a healthcare provider or proceed to class. The daily health check requirement is intended to help students remain mindful about their own health and protect other students from exposure to the virus by symptomatic classmates.

3. Test, Test, and Retest

Although schools across the nation have developed unique Covid-19 testing protocols for their students, colleges and universities’ consensus is a “more is better” approach. In addition to required testing before returning to campus, students are expected to be re-tested at routine intervals, whether or not they show symptoms of the virus.

Schools with the most robust testing procedures categorize students’ testing needs based on how often they interact with campus facilities. For example, a student who takes most of his or her classes online and only comes to campus once a week will be tested less frequently than a student who lives on campus and attends most classes in person.

Even for students living on campus, though, the frequency of testing will vary by school. For instance, UNC-Chapel Hill recommends their on-campus students be tested every 5-9 days while Northeastern University requires all full-time undergraduate students to be tested once every three days.

Related: NPR: Most Colleges Aren’t Aggressively Testing Students

4. Implement Contact Tracing

Contact tracing—the process of identifying close contacts of an individual infected with the novel coronavirus—has been widely adopted as a principal strategy for mitigating the spread of Covid-19 throughout the nation. Colleges and universities should use a similar protocol for identifying close contacts of any students or faculty members who test positive for Covid-19.

Many schools around the country have established comprehensive contact tracing guidelines. Those who have excelled in this area of their coronavirus response have even established apps that notify students of any potential exposure to the virus. Georgia Tech’s contact tracing app—called NOVID—leverages a phone’s Bluetooth technology to take note of other devices that are within six feet for more than 15 minutes and identifies the phone’s user as a close contact.

Related: Georgia Tech: Contact Tracing

5. Isolate and Quarantine Sick Students

In the case of a positive Covid-19 test result, schools have a responsibility to isolate and quarantine the sick student for the safety of other students and staff members. Students who have been identified as close contacts of the infected students should also be notified and instructed to self-quarantine. Schools with the resources to do so should provide a quarantine space for students and offer them support services as they recover from the coronavirus. The University of Virginia is among several schools that are doing this well; quarantined students at UVA receive regular check-ups from Student Health and Wellness medical staff and access to virtual support groups from the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services.

Related: University of Virginia: Resources for Coping With Quarantine and Isolation

6. Enhance Cleaning and Sanitation Protocols

Most colleges already have a dedicated janitorial staff tasked with cleaning classrooms and campus facilities regularly. Now that Covid-19 transmission is a concern, schools are doubling down on efforts to keep buildings and surfaces disinfected. Most are complying with CDC recommendations by thoroughly cleaning facilities once per day and between use when possible. Others, like Columbia University, are going above and beyond by using enhanced sanitation methods such as fogging and electrostatic cleaning.

Numerous schools are eliciting their students’ help, ensuring that the campus remains thoroughly sanitized, too. By strategically placing cleaning materials, including disposable antibacterial wipes around campus, these colleges and universities ensure students are equipped to clean their own spaces such as desks, tables, dining areas, and other frequently-used surfaces.

Related: Covid-19 Resource Guide for the Columbia Community: Cleaning and Disinfecting

7. Reduce Dorm Density

For many students considering a return to campus amid the pandemic, visions of packed dormitories gave them pause. Thus, college and university administrators knew that the number of students living in residence halls on campus would likely need to be decreased significantly for students to safely return to school. After all, reducing the number of students living in college dorms enables schools to accommodate and enforce proper social distancing. That’s why some have lifted the mandatory on-campus housing requirement for incoming first-year students, allowing these students to live off-campus during the pandemic. Others have eliminated triple and quadruple-occupancy dorms, meaning students are more likely to have just one roommate or even live alone.

In Washington, D.C., American University has slashed its on-campus occupancy by half, insisting on one student per dorm room amid the pandemic. Northeastern University has approached the task of reducing dorm density a bit differently. Instead of decreasing the number of residential students, the school has chosen to secure more space for its on-campus students by partnering with nearby hotels and apartment complexes.

Related: Washington Post: Fewer Roommates in the Fall

8. Make Dining Safer

The CDC has identified communal dining halls as potentially high-risk settings for coronavirus transmission on college campuses. To reduce the risk, colleges and universities have developed various policies regarding their food services. For the most part, buffets and other self-serve options have been eliminated and replaced by pre-plated and packaged options. Students have more options to “grab and go,” and seating within dining halls is limited to accommodate sufficient social distancing. Hand sanitizer dispensers are strategically placed around dining halls for use by faculty and students before, during, and after eating. The CDC also recommends that universities utilize contactless payment systems in all food service contexts.

Related: CNN: College Dining Will Look Completely Different This Fall

9. Re-Design Classrooms

One of the chief concerns about students returning to campus amid a global pandemic is how they will coexist within a classroom environment without potentially exposing each other to the coronavirus. One way colleges and universities are navigating this challenge is by redesigning their classroom environments to accommodate proper social distancing. Creating space between desks, taping off rows in lecture halls, or migrating smaller classes to larger rooms depends on the individual school and classroom.

Some colleges and universities are taking creative measures to increase useable classroom space on campus. For instance, the University of Chicago has installed heated tents across its campus for use as outdoor classrooms and event spaces.

Related: The University of Chicago: Facilities Services

10. Provide Mental Health and Wellness Resources

The coronavirus itself isn’t the only significant danger the pandemic poses. The added stress of avoiding infection while earning a degree can be overwhelming for many college students. For those with pre-existing mental health issues, the anxiety can be crippling. That’s why it’s imperative that colleges and universities offer resources for students in the area of mental health and wellness. Schools excelling in this particular category of their Covid response are providing increased psychological counseling opportunities for students, including individual and group therapy options. Additionally, these schools are fighting the pandemic’s collective toll on their student body’s mental health on the informational front, creating webinars, expert forums, and other instructional resources to address coping skills and give students an outlet to discuss their feelings.

Related: CDC: Coronavirus Disease 2019—Coping With Stress

Like many other societal pillars, our nation’s higher learning institutes have been shaken to their core by this unprecedented global health crisis. However, the way American colleges and universities have responded to the pandemic has proven their resiliency and their dedication to both their students and society at large. As a result of their perseverance and hard work, students and their families can rest a little easier knowing that the cost of a college education doesn’t have to include unnecessary risk and exposure.

Related Rankings:

• Top 30 Schools Successfully Fighting COVID
• Heroes Wear Many Faces: Colleges and Universities Retooling to Fight COVID-19 (A Running List)
• Colleges Making Big Changes to Admissions Policies Amidst COVID-19
• 8 Colleges Stepping Up to The Distance Learning Challenge Posed By COVID-19
• Which US Colleges Have Made Social-Distancing Easy? These 30 Colleges Have Ensured That Students Stay Safe While Practicing Coronavirus Safety
• 30 US Colleges that are prepared for natural disasters

The post 10 Steps Schools Can Take to Keep On-Campus Students Safe During Covid-19 appeared first on Great Value Colleges.

Saying that the coronavirus pandemic has upended colleges and universities across the nation is not a stretch. Perhaps more than any other pillar of society (besides our healthcare systems), institutes of higher education have been burdened by nearly insurmountable challenges and obstacles since the onslaught of Covid-19 in the United States earlier this year. While some schools have buckled under the pressure, others have stepped up to the challenge wielding weapons like innovation, perseverance, resourcefulness, and expertise. In this ranking, we highlight the top 30 colleges and universities in the country successfully navigating the global public health crisis.

Rating and Ranking Methodology

One point will be awarded for each policy stipulation put in place by the institution in the following categories:

• Social Distancing
• Face Coverings
• Contact Tracing
• Covid Testing
• Virtual Class Options
• Campus Access
• Student Quarantine Accommodations
• Dorm Capacity/Visitation Guidelines
• Cleaning and Sanitation Protocols
• Mental Health and Wellness Resources
• Dining and Food Safety
• Communications and Technology

Rating and Ranking the Top Colleges and Universities Successfully Battling Covid-19

To develop this ranking, our editors began with an initial pool of the 50 best colleges in America, according to Niche. We then examined each of these school’s Covid-19 responses, using the information provided on the school’s website. Armed with this data, we applied the rating and ranking methodology above. In the case of a tie, the more affordable school was awarded the higher ranking.

#30—Harvard University

Student to Faculty Ratio: 7:1        

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Website

Points: 30

Harvard University has taken an all-hands-on-deck approach to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus on its campus. Intending to invite students back on campus to the extent that it is safe, the school has implemented remote instruction when necessary and limited access to campus to keep students and faculty members protected from exposure to Covid-19. Students living on campus are tested three times per week via self-administered coronavirus tests, and drop-off locations for these tests are located across campus. Students who test positive for the virus are quarantined, and a contact tracing process begins. Quarantined students are provided with daily meals, medical supplies, and health check-ups.

Undergraduate Tuition: $51,925

#29—Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Student to Faculty Ratio: 6:1        

Website

Points: 31

Yale University is taking the responsibility to protect its students and faculty members amid the global pandemic very seriously. For example, students are required to conduct a daily health check for symptoms of Covid-19 before attending any campus class or activity. Numerous other protocols have been established to limit exposure to or spread of the novel coronavirus. The school has provided free testing for all students, and the frequency of the testing is determined by how often each student visits campus. A robust contact tracing system has also been implemented to prevent the virus’s spread once positive tests have been identified.

Undergraduate Tuition: $55,500

#28—Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Student to Faculty Ratio: 6:1        

Website

Points: 32

While its students’ health and safety are of utmost priority to Northwestern University amid this unprecedented public health crisis, the school has also taken significant steps to maintain its academic integrity. Despite being forced to move some instruction online, Northwestern is still upholding rigorous quality standards for curricula and instructional methods. A variety of resources are available to students as they transition to remote and hybrid learning models, and online writing and tutoring services are available. Moreover, the university has also extended resources and assistance to faculty members to adapt to online instruction during the pandemic.

Undergraduate Tuition: $56,691

#27—California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California

Student to Faculty Ratio: 3:1        

Website

Points: 32

Not surprisingly, the California Institute of Technology has instated a technology-based approach to tackling the coronavirus pandemic. The school’s Covid-19 Dashboard is constantly updated, and students can sign up to receive email notifications when there is a new coronavirus case on campus. On the information front, Cal Tech faculty members are developing ongoing webinars for students addressing various aspects of the public health crisis, including the history of pandemics, the environmental effect of the coronavirus, and the social impact of isolation, for example. Steps are also being taken to increase access to remote learning when necessary and enhance virtual learning quality.

Undergraduate Tuition: $54,600

#26—Duke University

Durham, North Carolina

Student to Faculty Ratio: 6:1        

Website

Points: 33

Duke University has taken a student-centered approach to mitigating the spread of the coronavirus on its campus. To remain enrolled during the public health crisis, all students must sign a compact in which they agree to take certain protective measures for their own safety and the safety of others. This includes wearing a face mask, adhering to social distancing guidelines, and complying with proper hand-washing, for instance. Students are tested for the virus periodically whether or not they show symptoms, and aggressive contact tracing is utilized in the case of positive results.

Undergraduate Tuition: $58,031

#25—Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Student to Faculty Ratio: 9:1        

Website

Points: 34

Cornell University’s reactivation plan amid the global public health crisis has been carefully planned and coordinated for the maximum safety level possible. The school’s approach to keeping Covid-19 off campus to the extent that it is feasible includes robust surveillance testing, a required daily health check for all students and faculty, enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocols, and required behavioral guidelines for students includes mandatory face coverings and social distancing. The school has also considered the potential mental health effects of the pandemic on its students and has responded by elevating the resources already available to students experiencing anxiety or distress.

Undergraduate Tuition: $57,222

#24—Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Student to Faculty Ratio: 7:1        

Website

Points: 34

Vanderbilt University’s administrators seem to have thought of everything when planning for students’ return to campus amid the coronavirus pandemic. The school’s exhaustive approach includes facilitating proper infection mitigation procedures around campus and inside classrooms. Students are provided with face coverings, and time between classes has been extended as they take specific routes around campus to avoid close contact with other students. Both on-campus and off-campus students are provided with ample Covid-19 testing opportunities as well as contact tracing services, and accommodations are provided in the case of quarantine and isolation.

Undergraduate Tuition: $52,070

#23—Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

Student to Faculty Ratio: 6:1        

Website

Points: 36

 Williams College boasts one of the most rigorous Covid-19 testing programs in our ranking. The school’s on-campus students are required to be tested for the coronavirus twice per week. Much of the school’s other efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus center around limiting campus access. All campus buildings and facilities are closed to visitors, and students need card access to gain entry. Moreover, students are not allowed to come and go as they were for previous years. Instead, they are only permitted to leave campus for essentials such as grocery shopping. Enrolled students must sign a pact agreeing to these and other precautions, and the school outlines disciplinary procedures should students violate Covid-19 guidelines.

Undergraduate Tuition: $57,280

#22—Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire

Student to Faculty Ratio: 7:1        

Website

Points: 38

At the core of Dartmouth College’s strategy for keeping Covid-19 off its campus is the belief that students can protect themselves and others from infection and exposure when given the proper resources. In this spirit, the school has installed dozens of no-contact infrared thermometers in campus buildings. Students are required to conduct a daily self-assessment, which includes a temperature check. In addition, the university is conducting rigorous Covid-19 testing. Students are tested three times upon initial arrival on campus, and ongoing surveillance testing is also implemented. Even the school’s wastewater is being tested for evidence of the virus.

Undergraduate Tuition: $57,638

#21—Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

Student to Faculty Ratio: 8:1        

Website

Points: 38

While Wellesley College plans for a safe welcoming of students back to campus, school administrators are also dedicated to providing remote services to those students who are learning virtually. This includes academic support and an entire suite of student services, including telehealth, counseling, and even student activities. Only those living on campus have access to buildings and facilities; however, they must agree to a code of conduct and submit a negative Covid-19 test before returning to campus. Dorms have been converted to single occupancy amid the pandemic, though students will need to share a restroom with several other students.

Undergraduate Tuition: $56,052

#20—Davidson College

Davidson, North Carolina

Student to Faculty Ratio: 9:1        

Website

Points: 38

By welcoming its students back to campus during a pandemic, Davidson College has undertaken a seemingly impossible task—bringing its students back together while simultaneously keeping them apart (six feet apart, that is). Much of the school’s Covid-19 reopening plan centers around social distancing protocols. Large gatherings are prohibited on campus, and classrooms and other campus facilities have been redesigned to support proper physical distancing. Students are even encouraged to report fellow classmates who are observed violating social distancing guidelines. Even as the school is mandating these strict social distancing rules, it is also planning for students to socialize within safe proximities. Some of these planned social activities include virtual fitness groups, disc golf, and mindfulness hikes.

Undergraduate Tuition: $53,166

#19—Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island

Student to Faculty Ratio: 6:1        

Website

Points: 39

Much of Brown University’s strategy for keeping students protected amid the public health crisis comprises policies and procedures to limit access to campus. In effect, these procedures are designed to create a safe haven for students to live and learn without unnecessary and risky exposure to the novel coronavirus. For example, undergraduate students are not permitted to travel out of state without emergency approval, and visitors are currently prohibited from all campus facilities. Students are designated to certain “pods” of five students or less with whom they reside. Interaction with pod members is less restrictive, giving students a sense of community, even during a global pandemic.

Undergraduate Tuition: $58,404

#18—Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Student to Faculty Ratio: 3:1        

Website

Points: 39

The stringent policies surrounding Covid-19 on MIT’s campus is a direct reflection of the school’s commitment to the health and safety of its students and faculty. Its multi-faceted approach to keeping the virus off-campus includes a heavy focus on cleaning and sanitation; the school has doubled its efforts to maintain the cleanliness of all campus facilities, including classrooms and research labs. MIT students also have access to numerous resources to protect themselves, including easy access to face coverings, PPE, and hand sanitizer, for example. Mental health resources to help students and faculty members navigate the pandemic are also plentifully available in the form of counseling sessions, videos, and podcasts.

Undergraduate Tuition: $53,790

#17—Washington & Lee University

Lexington, Virginia

Student to Faculty Ratio: 9:1        

Website

Points: 40

When planning for students’ return to campus amid the public health crisis, administrators at Washington & Lee University knew that they needed students to buy into their protocols for them to be effective. That’s why all returning students must agree to the university’s Statement of Community Expectations to live or attend classes on campus. This lengthy document comprises twenty different affirmations that students must comply with regarding behavioral practices such as social distancing, wearing face coverings, submitting to Covid-19 testing, etc. W&L students must also submit a daily attestation and contact log.

Undergraduate Tuition: $54,830

#16—Columbia University

New York, New York

Student to Faculty Ratio: 6:1        

Website

Points: 42

Though the school has developed a comprehensive and multi-pronged approach to mitigating the spread of the novel coronavirus on its campus, much of Columbia University’s efforts are focused on cleaning and sanitation. In addition to doubling down on its routine cleaning schedule, the school has also installed hand sanitizer dispensers in all campus buildings and implemented new cleaning methods such as steaming, fogging, and electrostatic cleaning. High-touch areas of campus, such as doorknobs, light switches, and elevator buttons are being disinfected twice a day.

Undergraduate Tuition: $61,788

#15—Colby College

Waterville, Maine

Student to Faculty Ratio: 9:1        

Website

Points: 42

Colby College’s commitment to keeping students safe amid the pandemic does not come at the price of reduced academic quality or even loss of social connection. Over the summer, the school’s faculty engaged in numerous workshops and professional development experiences designed to ensure rigorous and engaging remote and hybrid instructional methods were utilized across all campus departments and disciplines. Furthermore, students returning to campus undergo training of their own to learn best practices for mitigating the coronavirus’s spread while in class and on campus grounds. Students are allowed to leave campus as they please, so long as they wear a mask and practice social distancing while out and about; however, travel outside of the state is prohibited.

Undergraduate Tuition: $57,280

#14—Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont

Student to Faculty Ratio: 8:1        

Website

Points: 42

Like many of the colleges and universities in our ranking, Middlebury College’s approach to mitigating Covid-19 on campus is tempered with concerns about maintaining academic integrity as well as the quality of the college experience. That’s why the school emphasizes that the return to campus is a highly personal decision and acknowledges that doing so is a risk. Simultaneously, Middlebury administrators are taking extreme measures to prevent any potential exposure to the novel coronavirus. This includes restricting campus access to only those students living on campus, rearranging classrooms to accommodate social distancing, and implementing enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocols, for example.

Undergraduate Tuition: $56,216

#13—Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Student to Faculty Ratio: 10:1      

Website

Points: 43

Like many other colleges in our ranking, Wake Forest University has developed different protocols for various phases of operations to adequately accommodate the risk the virus poses as it waxes and wanes. As of this writing, the university is in the orange phase, which means it has modified its operations due to increasing Covid-19 positivity rates on campus. This includes restricting students’ movements around campus as well as outside its borders. Dining has pivoted to take-out only, and students are allowed to leave campus only for essential activities. Wake Forest has also increased surveillance testing and adopted more rigorous contact tracing methods.

Undergraduate Tuition: $55,440

#12—Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia

Student to Faculty Ratio: 9:1        

Website

Points: 43

Despite a tediously planned and multi-faceted approach to staving off Covid-19 infections on campus, Emory University administrators realize that some of their students will likely become sick while away at college. That’s why they have paid particular attention to the services they can offer students who are quarantined on campus. These services include meal delivery, linen service, academic support, and counseling and psychological services, to name a few. Emory is hoping to welcome more students back to campus in the Spring but will continue to limit dorm capacity to accommodate single-occupancy rooms.

Undergraduate Tuition: $53,804

#11—University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Student to Faculty Ratio: 19:1      

Website

Points: 43

In addition to limiting campus access and establishing guidelines for student behavior on campus, the University of California-Berkeley has gone a step forward by creating what administrators have dubbed a “social norms campaign.” The idea is to enlist the help of individual students, student organizations, and academic departments to help normalize Covid-19 friendly precautions on campus. The school has created a toolkit for students and staff to use, including digital logos, posters, banners, and templates that support behavior such as social distancing, routine coronavirus testing, hand-washing, and mask-wearing, for example.

Undergraduate Tuition: $14,253

#10—Colgate University

Hamilton, New York

Student to Faculty Ratio: 9:1        

Website

Points: 46

When Colgate University administrators made the difficult decision to invite students back to campus amid the public health crisis, they did so knowing the significant risks such a decision posed. Therefore, in addition to mandating certain behavioral guidelines to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus on campus, the school also made detailed plans for quarantining and isolating those students who become sick or exposed. These plans include hotel-like accommodations for students, daily health check-ins, meal deliveries, and mental health support. Additionally, the university has planned a series of town hall meetings to keep students informed of developments regarding the Covid-19 situation on campus and give them a space to voice any concerns.

Undergraduate Tuition: $58,045

#9—Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Student to Faculty Ratio: 14:1      

Website

Points: 46

Like all of the other colleges and universities in this ranking, Northeastern University has developed a comprehensive and multi-faceted plan for inviting students back to campus amidst an unprecedented public health crisis. Perhaps the most impressive part of this plan, however, is the school’s efforts to sanitize and disinfect every square inch of its vast network of buildings and facilities. Northeastern’s enhanced cleaning protocols include cleaning all classrooms and public spaces up to three times a day, wiping dining tables every thirty minutes, and even investing in high-tech cleaning systems such as electrostatic sprayers and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation units. In addition, 1,300 hand sanitizer dispensers and 700 hands-free towel dispensers have been installed across campus, all to keep its facilities Covid-free to the extent possible.

Undergraduate Tuition: $53,506

#8—Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

Student to Faculty Ratio: 7:1        

Website

Points: 47

Before welcoming their students back to Amherst, the college’s administrators warned students that campus life would be “markedly different” than in prior years. In addition to submitting to a rigorous thrice-weekly Covid-19 testing schedule, students must stay on campus at all times, using university shops and convenience stores for any essential shopping. Moreover, many social events and club activities have either been canceled or repurposed to accommodate social distancing guidelines. Still, the school is working hard to create a new normal for students that support their overall well-being. Counseling and faith-based events have been moved online, and the Student Activities department is hard at work, creating new Covid-friendly things for students to do on campus.

Undergraduate Tuition: $58,640

#7—University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Student to Faculty Ratio: 5:1        

Website

Points: 48

The University of Chicago’s Covid-19 response has been dubbed “Go Forward.” The initiative is a result of hundreds of hours of planning by university officials. It is designed to protect students and faculty from exposure to the novel coronavirus while facilitating some semblance of academic and social normalcy on campus. One innovative way that the school promotes social distancing on campus is through the installation of heated tents outside various university buildings. The tents can be reserved for additional instructional space or events. All students and faculty members returning to campus must undergo formal training and sign a pact agreeing to certain behavioral guidelines, including face coverings and personal hygiene.

Undergraduate Tuition: $60,552

#6—Washington University in St. Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Student to Faculty Ratio: 7:1        

Website

Points: 48

A large portion of Washington University in St. Louis’s approach to protecting its students amid the pandemic centers around efforts to keep them apart while they are together on campus. Notably, the school has installed over a thousand individual cubbies around campus for students to use as personal study pods. Classrooms have also been redesigned to accommodate necessary social distancing measures, and floor decals have been strategically placed to help students maintain distance as they move through campus buildings. Finally, students must follow strict protocols regarding entering and exiting classrooms.

Undergraduate Tuition: $55,292

#5—University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Student to Faculty Ratio: 13:1      

Website

Points: 48

When planning to bring their students back to campus during the public health crisis, administrators at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill knew that they would face a particularly tough challenge when it came to feeding those students. Since eating and drinking around others pose significant risks during a pandemic, careful thought was put into creating an atmosphere that would deter any spread of the virus. Thus, strict dining protocols have been put in place, including employee handwashing every 20 minutes, cleaning tables between every guest, and daily deep cleaning. Employees and students must wear a face covering while in the dining area, except when eating or drinking. Any student who feels ill should avoid coming into the dining area until they have been tested and are feeling better.

Undergraduate Tuition: $8,980

#4—University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Student to Faculty Ratio: 11:1      

Website

Points: 50

The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor’s approach is, not surprisingly, centered on education. Administrators and school officials clearly believe that when their students, faculty, and staff know how to protect themselves and each other successfully, they will take the precautions necessary. In that spirit, the school has developed robust training modules and classes to inform every member of the school community of best practices for virus mitigation, including proper use of face coverings and social distancing. In addition to education, communication and technology are also integral parts of the university’s layered approach to the pandemic. Students complete an online self-assessment each day and sign up for digital messages and updates regarding campus cases.

Undergraduate Tuition: $15,558

#3—University of Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia

Student to Faculty Ratio: 15:1      

Website

Points: 54

In preparing for students’ return to campus amidst the Covid-19 health crisis, the University of Virginia has devoted a substantial amount of resources to testing its student body and quarantining those who test positive. Different types of coronavirus testing are available to students, including both asymptomatic and symptomatic testing and outbreak testing, and even wastewater evaluation. Students who do test positive for the coronavirus are immediately isolated and quarantined. During their quarantine, they are cared for by university staff who provide medical care, meal delivery, laundry service, and more. The university is also employing technology in the fight against Covid-19; students can download an app that will notify them of potential exposure to the virus.

Undergraduate Tuition: $17,798

#2—Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, Georgia

Student to Faculty Ratio: 19:1      

Website

Points: 55

As one of the most innovative post-secondary institutions of higher learning in the country, it’s no surprise that much of Georgia Tech’s response to the coronavirus pandemic is centered on technology. For instance, thermal imaging temperature screening stations have been strategically installed across campus to ensure students and/or staff members with a fever are not allowed in campus buildings. Air quality sensors and purifiers have been employed in classrooms, and data from sensors is continually monitored. Additionally, students have several different ways of staying informed remotely, including a Covid-19 dashboard, virtual town halls, and informational videos.

Undergraduate Tuition: $12,682

#1—Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Student to Faculty Ratio: 13:1      

Website

Points: 56

Not surprisingly, Boston College has identified the classroom setting as a central focus of its Covid-19 reopening plan. As the school prepared to welcome students back to campus amid the pandemic, BC administrators carefully planned out how learning will occur within lecture halls and smaller classrooms alike. In addition to standard precautions such as socially distanced seating and sanitation policies, for instance, the college has taken additional measures to increase instruction safety and quality. For example, sound amplification has been improved in certain classrooms to account for the muffling caused by face coverings. Recording technology has been added to classrooms so that instruction can be live-streamed for students learning remotely. Whether they are classified as remote or in-person, all students are asked to contact instructors via email for any questions during class. Students are also asked to sanitize their seating areas before and after instruction takes place.

Undergraduate Tuition: $57,910

Related Rankings

• Heroes Wear Many Faces: Colleges and Universities Retooling to Fight COVID-19 (A Running List)
• Colleges Making Big Changes to Admissions Policies Amidst COVID-19
• 8 Colleges Stepping Up to The Distance Learning Challenge Posed By COVID-19
• Which US Colleges Have Made Social-Distancing Easy? These 30 Colleges Have Ensured That Students Stay Safe While Practicing Coronavirus Safety
• 30 US Colleges that are prepared for natural disasters
• 10 Steps Colleges Can Take to Keep Students Safe During COVID

The post Top 30 Schools Successfully Fighting COVID appeared first on Great Value Colleges.

The college experience is in a total state of flux due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many schools are opting for fully-online classes and others restructuring their campuses to bring students back. To students’ dismay, the decisions of our college presidents are proving to be as fickle as the country’s current climate. And, as the days go on, we’re learning that each college has a distinct plan of action, all of which include contingency plans for both emergencies and reopening.

COVID-19 College Quick Facts 

1. Between June and July 2020, the seven-day average of COVID-19 cases more than doubled, jumping from 31,402 to more than 66,100. By the end of July, 18 states hit daily records in the number of new COVID-19 cases within one week.
2. In a study of 1,171 high school seniors, Art & Science Group LLC found that 52 percent of prospective four-year college students had at least one parent who lost a job as a result of the pandemic.
3. In response to the spring 2020 COVID-19 campus closures, Davidson College created The College Crisis Initiative, which is actively tracking the plans of about 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities for reopening campuses this fall. As of today (July 30), more than 800 colleges have yet to decide whether to return online or in person.
   • 121 schools are choosing to go completely online this fall
   • 694 are opting to go “primarily online”
   • 480 are taking the hybrid route
   • 631 plan to operate “primarily in person”
   • 74 are choosing to fully reopen in-person this fall
4. Out of 1,287 students surveyed, OneClass found 75 percent of college students were unhappy with the quality of online classes they had to transition to in the 2020 spring semester.
5. Vetern Students/GI Bill Recipients: Do Not Fret! In March, POTUS signed into law S.3503, which gives “VA temporary authority to continue GI Bill payments uninterrupted during an emergency.”
   • This means the VA will continue paying education benefits even if a program has been converted from in-person schooling to online learning. 
   • This stands even if the course/training hasn’t been or can’t be approved.
   • This also means “GI Bill students will continue to receive housing allowance payments at the resident training until December 21, 2020, or until the school resumes normal operations of resident training, for programs converted solely to online training.”
6. Each week, more collegiate sports organizations are signing off for the semester or until the country bounces back to some sense of normalcy. Luckily, the various conferences are still honoring student-athletes’ scholarships, even if the student chooses to sit out this year.
7. Want to know what a typical day might look like for an on-campus college student or faculty member this fall? Vanderbilt University Ph.D. Student Cait S. Kirby has creates online simulations to demonstrate some of the hurdles those returning to campuses could face.

Ok, are you ready for an incredibly extensive low-down on college under COVID?

If there were to be a slogan for the Fall 2020 academic semester, it might be: “We’ll see what happens.”

Without a solid defense against the coronavirus, outbreaks continue to pose a threat to all campuses planning to reopen, especially those in higher-populated areas.

For example, Spelman College, a historically black liberal arts college for women, was originally set to reopen for the fall. Not long after announcing those plans, President Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., reversed that decision. Georgia continues to reach record highs for daily confirmed cases (4,295 on July 24). Dr. Campbell recognized that safely opening a college campus within the City of Atlanta is unrealistic.

Speaking with NPR, Dr. Campbell said, “We felt very comfortable about the protocols and practices we were putting into place on our campuses.” However, she acknowledged that on-campus safety regulations are only a piece of the pandemic puzzle. “Once our students walked outside of those gates,” she continued, “once they went into the city of Atlanta, they were in an environment that we felt was virtually unregulated.”

In exchange for a safer semester, students are losing out on a traditional college experience. For Spelman students, however, this exchange includes a 10 percent discount on tuition and 40 percent off of fees for the academic year. 

Don’t let that sweetened deal fool you, though.

The choice to go fully online for the semester is not a college’s way of copping out or saving money.

“We’re experiencing huge financial losses,” Dr. Campbell said. Until things settle back down, Spelman has to rely on federal relief money from the CARES Act and financial gifts from supporters and alumni.

“Most colleges can’t afford to offer discounts,” said Robert Kelchen, an associate professor at Seton Hall University’s department of education. In this CNBC article, he explained, “Online learning can tend to cost a little more.” Costs like facility upkeep and faculty pay are fixed, regardless of whether students are present on campus. But then there are the added expenses of online classes, like software, faculty training and technological upgrades.

Plus, enrollment is declining and fewer donors are offering financial gifts in this unstable economy. Some students are even opting to take the semester (or year) off in response to their college’s plans for a digital fall. Even more, many schools refunded millions of dollars in room and board fees last spring when they had to shut down mid-semester.

As a result, the Chronicle of Higher Education reports that universities across the country have already furloughed thousands of employees and reported revenue losses in the hundreds of millions.

Still, high tuition costs are a hot topic…

According to the CollegeBoard, tuition and fees have risen every year since the 2009-10 academic year, except 2018-19. These rising costs are occurring at two- and four-year colleges, both public and private. Besides, there is an argument to be made concerning the downgrade from a traditional on-campus learning and social experience to a semester stuck at home in front of a computer.

Like Spelman, a handful of other saintly colleges and universities are taking on losses to ease the financial burden through tuition discounts and/or student fee waivers in exchange for going digital this semester. 

Historically Black Colleges and Universities specifically, are leading the charge in supporting students and their families. Black and Latinx Americans experience higher illness and death rates from COVID-19, as well as more severe economic ramifications.

• Hampton University is reducing its tuition and fees by more than $2,000 to address “the financial burden that the pandemic has had on students and parents,” according to President William Harvey. 
• Paul Quinn College in Dallas lowered its tuition for the fall from $8,321 to $5,996. 
• Clark Atlanta University is cutting tuition by 10 percent in addition to lowering fees for its students, 97 percent of whom live in America’s “high-risk” states. As an added bonus, every financially enrolled CAU student (undergraduate and graduate) will receive a free, new Dell Latitude 3400 laptop through the university’s Laptop Gifting Initiative.

Other colleges and universities have been taking their own measures to offer financial relief for this fall:

• Lafayette College is operating via mostly online classes and reducing tuition by 10 percent for students who choose to stay home.
• In one of the grander gestures we’ve seen, Southern New Hampshire University is offering a one-time full-ride “Innovation Scholarship” to all incoming freshmen, and it plans to cut tuition by 61 percent (down to $10,000 per year) by 2021.
• Despite inviting some students back to campus, Williams College is cutting its total cost of attendance by 15 percent and eliminating its activity fee for all students.
• Georgetown University is discounting tuition by 10 percent for those who aren’t returning to campus, and for the 2,000 who are, both housing and dining charges will be discounted by 20 percent to account for the shorter on-campus semester. If the pandemic causes the university to completely close off campus, all undergraduates will receive the 10 percent discount.

Georgetown isn’t taking these funding cuts lightly. In May, President John DeGioia announced to the university community that the school will:

• Cut spending on new buildings and grounds
• Hold salary increases
• Suspend contributions to retirement plans for the upcoming fiscal year
• Allow 54 administrative employees to reduce their salaries for the upcoming fiscal year (these employees volunteered for the reduction)

But not all tuition heroes wear capes. A larger number of colleges in America are freezing their tuition rates instead of discounting it. The College of William & Mary had a planned tuition increase of 3 percent for this year, but scrapped it to combat the pandemic-induced economic downturn. In a similar move, the University of Colorado Boulder voted in May to proceed into a second consecutive year of frozen tuition costs.

Some professionals are arguing against these tuition cuts because the blanketed discounts aren’t designed to help students demonstrating higher levels of need. In a recent Inside Higher Ed article, multiple players within the higher education industry agreed that increased financial aid should take priority over tuition discounts. David Strauss, a partner at Art & Science, cited the fact that reducing the cost of tuition and fees simultaneously reduces demonstrated need, which would then reduce the student’s individual financial aid reward. 

At the same time, a college degree can cost as much as a house (if not more). So it’s unsurprising that students are demanding tuition discounts for this fall and/or repayments for the spring 2020 campus closure.

… A really hot topic

A number of students have been filing class-action lawsuits against institutions, seeking repayment for things like tuition, room and board, and student activity fees. Some schools involved in these cases include:

• Boston University
• Brown University
• Vanderbilt University
• George Washington University
• all of Florida’s in-state public schools

In the case of Brown and BU, the students are accusing their universities of breach of contract and unjust enrollment. In Florida, the students want refunds for on-campus charges, like student activity fees, related to athletic facilities and transportation. The cases are ongoing, but some of the universities have given students a prorated credit on their accounts for the unused portion of room and board from the spring semester.

In OneClass’ survey of more than 17,000 students, 93.2 percent of American students and 88 percent of Canadian students said they think tuition should be lowered if a college goes completely online for the semester. In simple terms, a Cal Poly student explained, “I’m not paying full price for YouTube university.”

Let’s face it: Online college is not the same

In fact, students are so opposed to paying full price for all online classes this semester that a startling percentage have said they would rather take the semester off than spend it behind a computer screen. 

In a separate study of 1,038 students attending 25 American colleges and universities, OneClass asked what they would do in response to their schools going online for the fall. If they can’t return to campus, 35 percent said they will withdraw for at least the fall semester. In open-ended responses, students most often cited “a poor learning experience” and “poor value” as their reasoning for withdrawal. 

Instead, they would rather:

• Take classes at a community college
• Settle for a gap semester
• Transfer to a school with in-state (or lower) tuition
• Get an internship or a job

For a lot of college students, the on-campus social experience plays a major role in why they enrolled at these schools in the first place. The social experience can even lead to better persistence and performance in academics. Not to mention, some majors and classes require hands-on work like labs, performance/art and clinical training. And then there are the students who struggle to digest and retain knowledge outside of a classroom setting.

Finally, too many students lack proper internet connection and stability in their family homes, where they are now expected to work toward or complete a college degree.

In this same OneClass study’s free-response section, students commented their specific reasoning behind why they won’t stick around for all online classes this semester:

• “Just from doing school remotely for a month, my grades have dropped significantly, and I do not learn well when not in a classroom,” said a University of Cincinnati student.
• “I have not received the same quality of learning since going online, and living at home is not conducive to online school — too many people, babysitting little siblings, bad WiFi,” said a Michigan State student. 
• “There’s no reason to pay out-of-state tuition if I’m at home,” said a University of Georgia student.
• “A large part of why I go to college is about the college experience. I do not see why I would pay $15k to go to UMass Amherst when I can just take a semester off and take classes at my local community college online for much cheaper,” said a UMass Amherst student. 

But there’s more

One other downside to fully online college this fall is the damage happening to the economies of college towns, especially those that depend on student presence. SmartAsset recently conducted a study to uncover places in America that will get hit the hardest if their local campuses remain closed. Here are a few of the study’s findings:

• College towns with city populations of less than 125,000 will get hit the hardest because students and staff make up a majority of the local population and workforce.
• Within the top 11 most vulnerable towns, four are in the Midwest and five are in the South.
• In all but one of the top 11 towns (Flagstaff, Arizona), more than one in 10 workers are employed by local four-year colleges and universities.

Regardless of campus closures, these towns will suffer under the reign of COVID-19 since social distancing guidelines severely hinder the typical collegiate spending habits (football games, bookstores, restaurants/bars, music venues, etc.).

Simultaneously, some towns and entities are fighting back against inviting students from around the world to return to their respective campuses.

In Amherst, Massachusetts, local resident Robin Jaffin created a petition titled, “Do NOT Bring College Students Back To School and To Our Community This Fall.” She created it in response to five local colleges announcing plans to bring back thousands of students to the area. At the time of writing this article, the petition had 1,003 of the 2,000-signature goal (bumped up from the original 1,000 goal). 

While students are passionately fighting to return to campus, faculty members across the country are joining ranks in petitioning against returning in-person this semester.

Loyola University Chicago reversed its original plans to allow students to choose on-campus instruction after more than 200 faculty and grad students objected. These members signed a petition calling on administrators to default to online teaching for the fall. In return, the university announced mid-July that it will shift to mostly online classes.

They aren’t wrong for taking a stand

As this summer progresses, evidence that supports these dissenting opinions is cropping up.

Within one week, the University of California-Berkeley reported 47 new cases at fraternities and sororities, blaming Greek life parties. The University of Washington has had a similar experience this summer. At least 145 students contracted the virus in connection to off-campus Greek life housing. At least nine of those infections did not live in the houses, but were in close contact with their residents.

Student interactions off-campus is one of the more concerning elements of bringing them back in-person this fall. No amount of regulation or number of protocols on these campuses can control students once they leave the grounds. Most schools with plans to reopen are updating student handbooks and/or asking students to sign pledges, saying they’ll act safely and responsibly.

So here’s the big question everyone’s asking:

Can we trust college students, specifically undergraduates, to responsibly follow social distancing guidelines and practice good enough hygiene to prevent an outbreak?

So far, things aren’t looking great.

Near Purdue University, which plans to reopen, mostly maskless students lined up in crowds outside of a bar called Harry’s Chocolate Shop on the first day it reopened in May. While the restaurant owners had done a good job prepping the inside for pandemic patronage, they forgot to consider the long lines of people waiting to get in.

In a more severe case, an outbreak of almost 200 coronavirus cases was linked to a Michigan State student favorite, Harper’s Restaurant & Brew Pub, in June. At least 27 people who contracted the virus in this outbreak did so without going to the bar, but by associating with people who had.

For those finding comfort in the on-campus protocols and regulations that university administrators are putting in place to reopen this fall, these recent outbreaks may change your mind:

• In the second half of July, Harris-Stowe State University had to shut down campus when eight administrative employees tested positive for the virus. The university plans to reopen on August 10.
• At Bradley University’s summer student orientation, at least 12 students contracted COVID-19. President Stephen Standifird said it happened “as a result of a small off-campus social gathering where the use of masks and physical distancing did not occur.”
• Also at the end of July, Agnes Scott College’s President Leocadia Zak was admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, despite being “extremely cautious and careful regarding health protocols and avoiding exposure.”
• All in-person football team activities at Rutgers University stopped when a June outbreak put the entire football program in quarantine. As of the writing of this article, 15 players have tested positive. The source is said to be an on-campus party. 

As we approach this semester, situations like those above are pushing more schools to stay at home. Other reasons behind going online, according to school officials, include:

• Uncertainty of possible closures if numbers were to continue on the rise
• Bringing in students from all over provides “seeds for outbreaks,” according to University of California, Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ
• Lack of residence space to properly follow social distancing guidelines
• No on-campus hospital
• Not enough resources to properly test students and faculty or keep up with sanitizing guidelines
• Not enough classroom space to provide the same education while limiting class size
• Too few faculty members willing to teach in-person

Plus, plenty of students are willing and ready to begin this fall semester with fully-online classes.

Aside from wanting to stay safe during a global crisis, student responses in the above-mentioned OneClass study offer a few more reasons for attending their colleges online:

• A UCLA student cited her goals, saying “This is my dream school; I’m not giving up on it.”
• A student at the University of Illinois lamented that his full-ride scholarship does not extend beyond the traditional four years.
• Others, like a student at Virginia Tech, have already signed a lease in the college’s surrounding area. The same student is equally concerned about not being able to transfer back in after taking a semester off.
• A nursing major at the University of Michigan recognized that withdrawing for a semester would mean having to take the whole year off since certain courses are available only during specific semesters.
• Whether or not the online semester comes with discounted tuition, a University of Florida student recognized that they are still getting out of having to afford housing, a meal plan, etc.
• A University of Wisconsin student put it plainly: “Whether I’m in-person or online, I’m still paying to get the same degree.”

Are you still with me? Because now we’re getting to some good stuff.

As mentioned at the top of this article, a large number of colleges are currently planning to implement at least some kind of in-person learning. Some of these plans come with caps on the number/type of students allowed to return to campus, and others do not.

Possibly the only thing that has remained consistent across campus reopening plans is the simple fact that changes must be made. These changes, for most, are not simple, however. Some even seem a bit wacky. 

First, let’s look at some of the common updates and guidelines we’ve seen across the majority of campuses planning to welcome students back:

• Increased sanitation protocols, required mask wearing (campuses are issuing free face coverings to students/faculty/staff/visitors)
• Social distancing guidelines and physical updates, like more spaced-out classrooms, single-person dorms and specific entrances and exits to control traffic flow
• Updates to student handbooks and/or pledges for students, staff and faculty to sign, promising to uphold the health and safety guidelines set in place
• A shortened semester, ending in-person classes at the Thanksgiving break
• Health/safety training of some capacity for students, faculty and staff
• Daily/regular symptom check-ins
• Free “safety kits,” which include masks, hand sanitizer and pamphlets about the semester ahead
• Special accommodations for any students, staff and faculty who are more vulnerable or high-risk
• Reconstruction of indoor spaces, like updating the HVAC systems, putting up protective clear barriers, etc.
• Extended or appointment-only move-in processes
• A mix of on-campus, hybrid and online classes
• Allowing students and faculty to remain home for the semester if they wish
• Testing, contact tracing, quarantine protocols and reserved quarantine spaces in place
• Grab-and-go dining services
• Additional time to walk between classes

Yet, those common on-campus changes to combat the coronavirus are only half of it. Every college and university opting to reopen has its own, very unique game plan.

Below is a snapshot of some interesting tactics being deployed around the country

• At Harvard University, freshmen and seniors of its Arts & Sciences division can return to campus, but all of the college’s instruction will be delivered online through the 2020-21 academic year. Harvard students receiving financial aid and studying remotely will enjoy an additional benefit in this year’s packages of $5,000 in “remote room and board.”
• Upon entry of any building on Tougaloo College’s campus, every person is required to find the nearest bathroom or handwashing station before heading elsewhere in the building. Before exiting the building, they must wash their hands again. Anyone ignoring these protocols can be asked to vacate the facility.
• Faculty, staff and students will be required to use the University of Mississippi’s COVID-19 Daily Symptom Checker to assist in self-monitoring for virus symptoms.
• Washington State University recently announced its fall semester for undergraduates will happen via online classes across all five campuses. However, those demonstrating financial need and students who don’t have safe, at-home learning environments will be allowed to live on-campus.
• Students at Jackson State University will have assigned seating for better tracing purposes. Additionally, health screenings are required before they can enter classrooms. Check-in stations will be placed around campus for checking temperatures.
• Every 24 hours, students at Mississippi State University must complete a temperature check. Plus, “all employees will be required to conduct a self-screening daily prior to coming to work.”
• In Maine, Bowdoin College is planning to bring back 40 percent of its students. More impressively, the college will give out iPad Pro tablets to every student; they come with a keyboard, track pad and Apple Pencil. Taking it a step further, the college will cover cellular data connectivity costs for those studying from home without reliable internet. The school expects students to turn in the tablets when they graduate, but those who express need can keep them for $1.
• Cornell University conducted a study, suggesting that students will be safer on-campus than at home. The study cites Cornell’s ability to test all returning students as the reason to bring them back to campus. This, Cornell says, will result in fewer infections and hospitalizations. If the students stay home to learn through online classes, Cornell believes it would be leaving them in a non-regulated environment. 
  • On its campus, Cornell is limiting the number of items undergraduates can bring to move into its residence halls. Returning students are to bring no more than the equivalent of two large suitcases and a backpack. Also, no parents or guests are allowed to help their students with the move-in process. When students first get to campus, they’ll be tested for the virus before moving into a quarantine location (like a local hotel) with boxed meals. Most students who test negative will be able to move into their dorms after getting their results.
  • Those coming from certain states, however, may be required by New York State law to quarantine for the full 14 days. Finally, the university is still going ahead with a planned 3.6 percent tuition increase, which it approved back in January.
• At Florida A&M University, class sizes will be limited. Students living in residence halls must schedule their shower times to enable social distancing in the community showers. FAMU “strongly encourages” its students to get tested for COVID-19 upon arriving on campus. Monthly, FAMU will test at least 2 percent of faculty and staff.
• Clemson University, among others, plans to start the fall semester completely online. After reassessing a few weeks later, the university will invite students back to campus by the end of September. 
• Students at Syracuse University will experience an alternating in-person schedule during the fall semester. All students will learn in step with one another, but only half of the population will show up to class one day. The other half will follow along via online classes; and then they swap the next day.
• Despite its state’s already-lifted health restrictions, The University of Alabama is creating its own reopening phase (as are other institutions in the “non-restrictive” states). UA will implement four phases of reopening. It will also test its students for COVID-19 before or when they arrive at campus. Finally, it’s considering limiting holidays and breaks, but closing the semester by Thanksgiving.
• Where most campuses are working to limit the number of students living on-campus, UNC Chapel Hill is planning to go through with filling its residence halls this fall. Along with more frequent cleaning in the dorms and restrooms, the university will enforce physical distancing and occupancy limits for all common areas. Additionally, it will recommend “ideal furniture organization for each room to allow for maximum physical distancing.” The dining halls will be fully open to those living on-campus, but UNC said it might restrict or prohibit guests from visiting dorms.
• Any students, staff or faculty at the University of South Carolina, who don’t follow the guidance set by the school’s pledge system, will face disciplinary action.
• While undergraduate instruction at the University of Vermont will go online by Thanksgiving, graduate courses will carry on in person.
• Some smaller colleges, like Centre College in Kentucky, are planning to try out block scheduling. Centre will divide its normal academic term of 13 weeks and four courses into two six-week blocks of two courses. Their reasoning behind this is that, in the case of a severe outbreak, fewer classes will be disrupted.
• To allow its students an on-campus experience, Princeton will operate on its own staggered schedule. In this schedule, first-years and juniors will return on-campus for just the fall semester while sophomores and seniors will take the spring. Online classes will otherwise supplement the rest of the year’s instruction. With this plan comes a 10 percent tuition discount for all undergraduates during the 2020-21 academic year.
• Despite its state’s practices during the pandemic, the University System of Georgia announced its plan to require all of those on campus to wear “an appropriate face covering” when inside facilities/social distancing isn’t maintainable.
• The University of Southern California, like other colleges in California, initially announced plans to reopen campus. However, the recent spike in coronavirus case numbers changed their minds. Now, only 10 to 20 percent of classes will be in-person/on-campus, with hands-on courses taking priority.
  • Despite making the switch, USC will proceed with implementing a 3.5 percent tuition hike. To “help ensure academic progress,” the university is offering a one-time scholarship, which would grant two free classes to recipients. They will take these free courses during the summer 2021 term. Additionally, the university will offer extra financial and technical support for students with connectivity issues.
  • Students at USC are allowed to cancel their on-campus housing contracts, and those still coming to campus will have their own rooms. Students who live near campus are able to utilize dining and library facilities by appointment.
• Purdue University is calling for its students to return to campus and expects a potentially record number of freshmen this fall, with more than 40,000 total students. In July, the school announced a partnership with Rutgers University and Vault Health to test all returning students for COVID-19. This partnership will make the testing process easier on students and their families by offering free medically-supervised, in-home saliva screenings.
  • The first FDA EUA-authorized solution of its kind, this is the same test that the National Hockey League, the PGA Tour and other national companies use. Students will receive their tests in the mail, and they will take them during a telehealth visit no sooner than 14 days before heading to campus. They’ll get their results via email within 48-72 hours after Vault Health receives it for processing.
  • Anyone testing positive cannot return to campus until they’re able to isolate for 14 days and retake the test. Capable of processing 100,000 tests a day, Rutgers’ RUCDR Infinite Biologics lab will be running the samples. Faculty and staff are only required to take the test if they’re experiencing symptoms or if they’ve been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
  • In the case of an outbreak, Purdue has about 400 beds set aside for isolation and quarantine, with “contingency plans in place should more space be needed.” The University also plans to “order, acquire and maintain at least a 90-day supply of critical equipment and supplies.”
  • Purdue gets another “shoutout” for already reopening its rec center. As part of its social distancing guidelines, students exercising at a moderate intensity must be at least 12ft apart. The rec center’s max capacity is 250 people.

Sources:

• Inside Higher Ed
• USA Today
• NPR
• The New York Times
• OneClass
• The Washington Post

The post College During COVID-19: Online Classes and Risky Reopenings appeared first on Great Value Colleges.

No one knows just how damaging coronavirus will be on the US and global economies. But it has already officially caused a recession and significantly changed the nature of many economic sectors. Coronavirus has financially impacted colleges across America in numerous ways. Many American colleges are now facing uncertain financial futures. This news can seem worrying to prospective students. Luckily, it’s possible to assess which colleges are well equipped to navigate the coronavirus economy by analyzing how they coped with the 2007-2009 financial crisis. This article does exactly that.

Many prospective students may not remember the 2007-2009 financial crisis. It’s understandable, as most of today’s prospective students were children when the crisis occurred. But the Great Recession, as it has come to be known, impacted the education sector in the US and the world profoundly. For instance, state support for public colleges in America decreased by $3.7 billion from the 2007-8 to 2008-9 academic years alone. And philanthropic donations to colleges also decreased significantly during this time, contributing to even the wealthiest college in the world, Harvard University, losing 30% of its endowment.

But of course, colleges in the US survived the 2007-2009 financial crisis. They will also survive the coronavirus crisis. Some colleges, however, will have to make changes that negatively affect the students that enroll in future years. In the Great Recession, many colleges were forced to significantly raise tuition and cut services on offer to students. Others were able to weather the storm without making students’ lives more difficult. Naturally, colleges that overcame the financial hardships of the Great Recession can adapt their approaches to the coronavirus recession. And these colleges have been highlighted in this article.

Any one of the 30 colleges below is a fine choice for a student who wishes to attend a college that will not compromise on its education and support of students, even in times of financial crisis. However, it’s also possible that none of the colleges in this article are right for you. If that’s the case, then this article can still be a vital resource for your college search. Each entry includes a summary of how the college responded to the Great Recession and what it is doing now. These have been included so that you can compare and contrast the highlighted colleges with your own college choices. If any of the colleges you’re considering responded to the Great Recession/is responding to the coronavirus recession in a similar way to the 30 below, then that’s an indication that they’re colleges worth attending during uncertain times.

Methodology

The initial research in this article consisted of consulting articles that examined how colleges adapted to the 2007-2009 financial crisis. It then examined the colleges highlighted in these articles to ensure that they are rising to the challenges of the coronavirus recession.

The sources we used for this research are as follows:

The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Great Recession Was Bad for Higher Education. Coronavirus Could Be Worse: https://www.chronicle.com/article/The-Great-Recession-Was-Bad/248317

U.S. News, The Great Recession’s Toll on Higher Education: https://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2010/09/10/the-great-recessions-toll-on-higher-education

The New York Times Magazine, Students of the Great Recession: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/magazine/09fob-wwln-t.html

The National Bureau of Economic Research, How the Great Recession Affected Higher Education: https://conference.nber.org/conferences/2012/GRHEf12/summary.html

Lumina Foundation, College Costs, Prices And The Great Recession: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED555862.pdf

The ranking of the colleges below has been sorted with the following criteria: Low increases in tuition during the Great Recession, evidence of managing finances responsibility, evidence of saving money in ways that did not harm education and evidence of implementing innovative cost-saving measures.

Our ranking, from 30 to one, is below:

30. Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas

Website

From 2008 to 2012, tuition fees at Texas Christian University only rose modestly, with the largest increase being $2,400 from the year 2010 to 2011. The National Bureau of Economic Research elaborates somewhat on the financial strategy of the college, noting that they determine endowment payouts by carefully weighting the dollar amounts of the college’s spending with higher education price inflation. And in May 2020, Texas Christian University’s chancellor announced a series of budget cuts that should keep tuition fees increasing modestly in the future. These cuts were to coaching and executive salaries, hiring of new positions, employee retirement benefits, and more.

29. Delgado Community College

New Orleans, Louisiana

Website

During and after the Great Recession, Delgado Community College kept tuition increases low thanks in part to a 55% increase in enrollment. Lumina Foundation states that the college was able to raise tuition by $845 from the 2007-2008 to 2012-2013 academic years, despite a 20% cut to appropriations over a similar timeframe. In 2020, the college has implemented a bold new measure to increase enrollment once again. It has eliminated its non-resident tuition fee, meaning that all students will be charged $2,040 instead of the $4,184 that out of state students would have paid. Delgado Community College is also freezing hiring and non-essential purchasing.

28. Central Oregon Community College

Bend, Oregon

Website

Central Oregon Community College was able to keep its tuition and fees at essentially the same level during and after the Great Recession, Lumina Foundation reports. While the college saw a 23% cut to appropriations, it also saw an 87% increase in enrollment, the source also notes. For the proposed 2020-2021 budget, Central Oregon Community College aims to implement a range of cost-saving measures. It has frozen non-essential hiring and spending, laid off 200 part-time employees, furloughed 38 employees and offered employees a voluntary separation option.

27. Northampton Community College

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Website

The New York Times Magazine notes that, like many community colleges, Northampton Community College saw a large increase in enrollment during the Great Recession due to its lower costs and shorter degree lengths. The college was able to rapidly accommodate this larger student body, by finding extra space for classes in empty mall stores and church basements. In 2010, the college itself stated that while it was strained by the influx of students, it maintained its commitment to have a “personal touch” and student-centered focus. The same statement also noted that during the Great Recession, the college was able to fund-raise a significant amount of money. Northampton Community College has not yet released a statement on how it will budget around the coronavirus recession, but it has already secured $3.01 million from the CARES Act to help students.

26. Hagerstown Community College

Hagerstown, Maryland

Website

From the academic years 2007-2008 to 2011-2012, Hagerstown Community College was able to increase its appropriations by 2%. It also saw a 33% increase in enrollment. By 2013, the college had only increased its tuition and fees by $163. In 2020, the college is aiming to boost the US workforce by using its saved up money to benefit students who are likely to attain a degree quickly. Hagerstown Community College’s Foundation has launched a program that offers former students who did not complete a four-year degree to attain an associate degree free of charge, provided that the students are residents of college’s county or border counties in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

25. University of California, Merced

Merced, California

Website

In June 2020, University of California, Merced completed, “the largest public-private partnership social infrastructure project in US history.” This was a 1.2 million gross square foot expansion of the college campus, at a cost of $1.3 billion. This completion means that the college now has significantly more campus space to accommodate socially distanced teaching. One day after this completion, the college’s interim chancellor announced to the campus community that there would be, “essential austerity measures,” implemented across the college. During and immediately after the Great Recession, University of California Merced managed to handle its finances reasonably well. It saw an increase in appropriations of 132% and an increase in enrollment of 177%. From the 2007-2008 to 2012-2013 academic years, it saw a rise in tuition and fees of $5,191, according to Lumina Foundation.

24. Columbus State Community College

Columbus, Ohio

Website

During the Great Recession, Columbus State Community College kept tuition increases below those of other two year colleges in Ohio, Lumina Foundation reports. The college remains committed to providing its education at an affordable level while switching its activities to remote learning. For instance, the college has purchased 600 Chromebooks for students who had no computers at their homes. To date, Columbus State Community College has been awarded almost $6.3 million in government coronavirus relief funding, half of which will go to students.

23. California State University, Long Beach

Long Beach, California

Website

Despite a decrease in enrollment of 9% and a cut in appropriations of 24% from the academic years 2007-2008 to 2011 to 2012, California State University, Long Beach only rose tuition by $2,617 over this period of time, according to Lumina Foundation. This decrease in enrollment was a budgetary consideration. It allowed the college to not have to provide fewer resources to more students. In 2020, California State University, Long Beach has already been able to attain a significant about of coronavirus relief funding. To date, it has been given $41.7 million from the federal government.

22. Georgia State University

Atlanta, Georgia

Webite

From the 2007-2008 to 20012-2013 academic years, Georgia State University only increased its tuition by $2,112, despite a 24% reduction in appropriations, Lumina Foundation states. In 2020, the college has had to plan for a 14% reduction in state funding. The college’s leadership team is implementing the successful budget reduction measures from the Great Recession for the current crisis. These include eliminating vacant positions, reducing staff, implementing a furlough system, limiting new hiring, limiting travel/events, and offering a voluntary separation program for retirement-age employees.

21. University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

Website

The board members of the University of Southern Indiana are taking a step-by-step approach when it comes to budgeting for the coronavirus recession. In May, the college announced that it had approved an interim budget for the fall of 2020. This budget ensured that all faculty and staff members would be fully compensated up until the end of 2020, in an effort to reassure these employees of their immediate financial security. Further budgets for the rest of the academic year will likely reflect the US and state economic outlook at later dates. The University of Southern Indiana was able to restrict tuition and fee increases to just $1,411 between the academic years 2007-2008 to 2012-2013, Lumina Foundation notes.

20. Mount Hood Community College

Gresham, Oregon

Website

Thanks to some clever budgeting, Mount Hood Community College has been able to avoid a $2.8 million deficit for the year 2020-2021. It has done this by decreasing spending in areas that are least likely to impact student success. For instance, the college plans to eliminate 25 full-time positions, however, “all but two of the positions were vacant at the time of elimination.” From the academic years 2007-2008 to 2012-2013, Mount Hood Community College only increased its tuition by $1,008, despite a 40% cut in appropriations and a flat enrollment rate, according to Lumina Foundation.

19. Portland Community College

Portland, Oregon

Website

From the beginning of the Great Recession to the academic year 2012-2013, Portland Community College only raised its tuition by $291. This was possible in part because of a 57% increase in enrollment, which offset a 23% decrease in appropriations, according to Lumina Foundation. In June 2020, Portland Community College’s Budget Committee adjusted the college’s budget up until 2021. It cut $15,248,302 from its planning and capital construction fund. It also noted that it was able to gain $6,269,372 from the federal government and $210,000 from private sources to provide financial aid to students.

18. Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Website

The National Bureau of Economic Research notes that the Yale Investments Office is in charge of managing Yale University’s endowment. In June 2019, the Yale Investments Office had grown the college’s total endowment to over $30 billion. Over the last decade, this office’s investment program had “added $7.1 billion of value relative to the results of the mean endowment.” This office should be able to manage the college’s endowment responsibly during the coronavirus recession. Additionally, Yale University has been preparing for a potential recession for years. In 2019, the college’s leadership team even tasked every school and unit to create a strategy for coping with significant losses in funding.

17. Granite State College

Concord, New Hampshire

Website

As a college that works primarily via online courses, (with supplemental in-person courses and one on one support,) Granite State College already had a curricular model that many colleges across the world are now adopting. During the Great Recession, the college coped well. It saw a 45% increase in enrollment from the 2007-2008 to 2011-2012 academic years, Lumina Foundation states. Thanks to minimal cuts in appropriations, the college also only raised its tuition by $977 from the start of the recession to the 2012-2013 academic year.

16. Indiana University East

Richmond, Indiana

Website

Thanks to Indiana University East being a leader in online education, the college is likely to adapt well to a wider degree of remote teaching during the 2020-2021 academic year. This confidence in online courses will be beneficial in the long run of the coronavirus recession, as it is likely that colleges that excel in remote education will become more popular. During the Great Recession, Indiana University East enjoyed a 61% increase in enrollment. It also had only minor cuts to appropriations. Because of these factors, the college increased its tuition by just $663 from the academic years 2007-2008 to 2012-2013.

15. Fresno City College

Fresno, California

Website

During the Great Recession, Fresno City College saw its enrollment numbers rise to 25,000, The New York Times Magazine states. The college is well placed to accommodate another surge in enrollment, even with social distancing procedures. The fall semester of 2020 will be primarily online, with practical courses being hybrids of online and in-person events. And to accommodate state funding budget cuts, Fresno City College’s president is preparing a revised budget for 2020-2021. Already, the college has put a freeze on non-critical hiring. Each vice president is also developing budget reduction plans.

14. State University of New York College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, New York

Website

Due to very low cuts to appropriations during and after the Great Recession, State University of New York College at Plattsburgh only raised its tuition and fees by $868 from the 2007-2008 to 2012-2013 academic years, Lumina Foundation states. The State University of New York System has provided guidance to all of its colleges in regard to budget management during the coronavirus recession. SUNY College at Plattsburgh has responded to this budgetary guidance by suspending all non-critical expenditures; requiring all critical expenditures to be approved by deans, the college vice president and the college president; requiring purchase requisitions for all expenses; and pausing all hiring.

13. University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon

Website

In the Great Recession, budget cuts to California colleges benefited University of Oregon, which saw applicants from California rise from 4,600 to 7,000, according to U.S. News. From the 2007/8 academic year to the 2009/10 academic year, in-state tuition and fees at the college only rose from $5,526 to $6,260. In this same timeframe, out of state tuition and fees rose from $17,598 to $19,355. In 2020, University of Oregon does not know if it will benefit from a similar increase in enrollment to help offset costs. But even if it does not, it is currently planning to mitigate any financial damage with progressive pay reductions.

12. Valencia College

Orlando, Florida

Website

Lumina Foundation notes that during the great recession, Valencia College remained committed to minimal tuition fee increases. This commitment was due to the college’s foundation as a community college, which later expanded into four-year degrees. For the coronavirus recession, Valencia College has already secured $27.6 million in federal funding to deal with the financial impacts. $13.8 million of this funding will go to students, with the rest being used by the college itself. The college is also in the process of re-budgeting for future years. In April, it announced that some courses will decrease lab fees, while others will raise them.

11. University of North Carolina, Pembroke

Pembroke, North Carolina

Website

While the University of North Carolina system has scaled back its state budget request for the next two years in the wake of coronavirus, University of North Carolina, Pembroke is still in line for generous amounts of state funding. For instance, the institution’s College of Health Sciences is still scheduled to gain $1 million in funding. Additionally, in June, the college was awarded another $1 million in funding to research and fight coronavirus. And if that weren’t good enough, then the college has also received $6.2 million in federal funding for coronavirus relief. Lumina Foundation also notes that during the Great Recession, University of North Carolina, Pembroke was able to maintain some of the lowest tuition fee rises in the State of North Carolina.

10. University of Maryland, College Park

College Park, Maryland

Website

From 2006 to 2010, University of Maryland, College Park only raised its tuition by around $400, states U.S. News. This low rise in costs is impressive, as the college had to cope with a $48 million cut in state funding. It was able to achieve this low tuition rise thanks to falling back on its cash reserves, making staff members take an unpaid furlough, cutting athletic budgets and leaving job openings vacant. In 2020, University of Maryland, College Park is enacting a similar plan. It has suspended all faculty and staff hiring and is getting every division to plan on reducing the rate of expenditures and to delay any nonessential expenditures.

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Website

From the 2007-2008 academic year to the 2012-2013 academic year, Florida State University only raised its tuition and fees by $2,704 despite a 22% cut to appropriations, according to Lumina Foundation. In 2020, Florida State University is in a better position than in 2007. For instance, in 2013, Florida’s state legislature designated the college as a preeminent university, and in 2019 U.S. News ranked it as America’s 18^th best public university. Thanks to these designations and rankings, the college’s recurring revenues increased from $300 million from 2007-2008 to $400 million in 2018-2019. Already, the college has been able to secure $29.3 million in coronavirus relief funding from the government.

8. Houston Community College

Houston, Texas

Website

The federal government has so far allocated Houston Community College $28,294,391 in coronavirus relief funding. The college has a strong track record of appropriating funding, even in times of financial difficulty. For instance, from the 2007-2008 to 2011-2012 academic years, instead of seeing its appropriations cut, the college instead saw a gain of 4%. From the start of the Great Recession until the 2012-2013 academic year, Houston Community College only increased its tuition and fees by $152, Lumina Foundation reports. Luckily, since the Great Recession, the college has also formed a range of partnerships with government departments and private companies that have boosted funding and resources even further. These include the US Department of Labor, the Consulate of Mexico, Sony, CVS, and more.

7. Arizona State University

Tempe, Arizona

Website

U.S. News states that the students at Arizona State University were instrumental in encouraging Arizona’s citizens to vote for the government to maintain funding for the college. Lumina Foundation reports that from the 2007-2008 to 2012-2013 academic years, tuition at the college rose $4,245. For the coronavirus recession, Arizona State University has already managed to secure a substantial amount of relief funding. The Department of Education gave the college approximately $63.5 million, the largest amount given to any college in America. And over half of this funding will be used to help students in the form of emergency cash grants. Much of this money will not be released to students until at least the fall semester, as the college is currently helping students out with money that it had previously saved up.

6. Rio Salado College

Tempe, Arizona

Website

As Rio Salado College is a member of the Maricopa Community Colleges system, it is part of a network that is “fiscally sound and had adequate reserves to meet future contingencies.” However, the college system is being cautious with its members’ expenses. For the 2020-2021 academic year, Rio Salado College’s expenses will be decreased by 2.3%. During the Great Recession until the 2012-2013 academic year, Rio Salado College only increased its tuition and fees by $101, thanks to only seeing a 2% decrease in appropriations and a 17% increase in enrollment, according to Lumina Foundation.

5. The Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio

Website

During the 2008 to 2009 academic year, The Ohio State University was able to hold down tuition increases thanks to the support from its state government. Over that academic year, the college’s leadership was also able to prepare for the long term consequences of the recession, saving $94 million. Thanks to this work, students that were currently admitted and entering in the fall of 2009 benefited from guaranteed financial aid in proportion to tuition increases, increased emergency loan funding, increased assistance in securing financial aid and more. Thanks to The Ohio State University’s commitment to resource stewardship, the college was in a strong financial position at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. It had managed to achieve over $1 billion in new resource generation from 2015 to 2020. The college has also instituted a hiring pause, a faculty/staff annual merit compensation pause, and an off-cycle salary increase pause. It is also assessing all of its capital projects to see how hundreds of millions of dollars can be deferred from these. Lastly, The Chronicle of Higher Education notes that The Ohio State University kept tuition affordable during and after the Great Recession.

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, Indiana

Website

The Chronicle of Higher Education notes that Purdue University went to great lengths to keep its tuition affordable to all students during the Great Recession. For instance, in 2009, the college ensured that West Lafayette Campus state resident students only had to pay an additional $388 in tuition a year for the next two years. For non-state resident students, this sum was an additional $1,394 per year for the next two years. This translated into a 5% increase and a 6% increase respectively. There were also fee increases, however, first-time Indiana undergraduate students were able to get these fees rebated. That year, the college also launched, “more scholarships and financial aid than ever before,” to help students afford college. To keep tuition rises so low and offer more funding opportunities during difficult financial times, Purdue University decided to use government stimulus money to fund only one time expenditures. On top of this, the college used aggressive cost-cutting measures such as flatlining supply and expense budgets. It also ruled out merit salary adjustments for all of its employees. In 2020, Purdue University signed off on a budget that shifted millions in funding to COVID-19 safety. Best of all, the college also committed to not increasing tuition fees until after the end of the 2021-2022 academic year. To ensure that the college is able to afford these measures that help students, the college has reduced nonessential spending, such as “deferring merit increases, reducing travel and purchases, deferring repair and rehabilitation expenses, and instituting a hiring freeze.”

3. Frostburg State University

Frostburg, Maryland

Website

During the 2007-2009 recession, Frostburg State University tried out budget reducing innovative teaching methods with success. For instance, U.S. News notes that the college’s Introduction to Psychology class was reshaped to one demonstration heavy lecture per week, and then students attended a computer lab where software helped them learn. Naturally, teaching arrangements like this can be adapted to social distancing. During the Great Recession, the college successfully managed to increase the amount of financing from state appropriations from $29,667,299 per year in 2007 to $32,765,066 in 2009, becoming less reliant on tuition fees as a result. On June 15th, Frostburg State University stated that it expected its tuition, fees, and meal plans to remain at 2019-2020 levels, thanks to careful budgeting.

2. Thomas Edison State University

Trenton, New Jersey

Website

Despite a 69% reduction in appropriations between the 2007-2008 academic year to the 2012-2013 academic year, Thomas Edison College only raised its tuition and fees by $662 during this time, according to Lumina Foundation. It was able to balance this loss of funding due to a 23% increase in enrollment. In 2020, Thomas Edison State University announced that tuition fees are actually going to decrease in the 2020-2021 academic year, from $3,963 to $3,579 for full-time in-state students. The college is well placed to handle the impacts of coronavirus. It is an institution primarily for adults that are older than the average student. Because of this older student body, the college is more flexible than many others in America, allowing students to finish their degrees, “anytime, anywhere.”

1. Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Website

When it comes to budgeting for the future, Oakland Community College is in a strong place. Previously, the college had won an award for Best Practices in Community College Budgeting from the Government Finance Officers Association’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program. The college recently released its budget and financial forecast for the years 2021-2025. The new budget projection shows that the college’s operating budget revenues for 2020 were $165,974,201. It also predicts a 2.7% tuition rate increase every year from 2021 to 2025. During and immediately after the Great Recession, Oakland Community College only rose its tuition and fees by $235, despite a 21% decrease in appropriations and a 21% decrease in enrollment, Lumina Foundation reports. This decrease in enrollment may sound like a negative, but it does show that the college can successfully budget around a shrinking enrollment, which may take place during coronavirus.

Related Rankings:

• Heroes Wear Many Faces: Colleges and Universities Retooling to Fight COVID-19 (A Running List)
• How the Coronavirus Recession Will Affect College Students and Recent Graduates: 5 Grim Realities and How to Make the Best of Them
• Thinking About Going to Grad School During the Recession? Here Are 10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Enrolling
• Colleges Making Big Changes to Admissions Policies Amidst COVID-19
• 8 Colleges Stepping Up to The Distance Learning Challenge Posed By COVID-19
• Which US Colleges Have Made Social-Distancing Easy? These 30 Colleges Have Ensured That Students Stay Safe While Practicing Coronavirus Safety
• 10 of the Best Degrees for the Future: Careers that will Survive the COVID Outbreak

The post 30 US colleges that are likely to manage the coronavirus recession with ease, based on how they handled the 2007-2009 recession appeared first on Great Value Colleges.

These colleges are making the world a better place through direct community support.

In times of crisis, colleges and other educational institutions can bring stability to communities. Most colleges have the goal of making the world a better place. But only some colleges are proactively practicing what they preach. It can be hard to immediately identify which colleges are making a difference, not just through educating students but also by running programs that improve people’s lives. This article is going to highlight 30 colleges that are setting an incredible example by doing so.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted higher education in a way that was previously unimaginable. Many colleges across the US and the world are facing budget shortfalls. However, some colleges have rapidly adapted to coronavirus. They have been able to not just protect themselves but offer support to a range of communities, on a local, national, and international scale. Some colleges have adapted existing programs. Others have created new programs. But all of these colleges stand out for aiding the vulnerable throughout this crisis.

No one knows just how much devastation coronavirus will cause. But it has already been extensive. Colleges occupy a unique position in the coronavirus crisis. Most American colleges are not government entities. Yet they are incredibly powerful forces in the world of health, economics, and technology. Because of this, many people have turned to colleges for aid during the pandemic. Some have really delivered.

Any one of the colleges on this list is a great choice for any prospective student who wants to attend a college that is proactively helping vulnerable communities. However, it’s also entirely possible that none of the colleges below are right for you. If that’s the case, then this article can still be a vital resource. Every entry has a detailed summary of the community outreach that the college is performing and how it is doing it. These have been included so that you can compare and contrast with your own college options. If any of your college choices are reaching out to communities like the colleges below, then that’s a strong sign that they’re colleges worth attending.

Methodology

There have already been a number of lists published regarding colleges that are conducting admirable community outreach efforts. However, in light of coronavirus, many outreach activities have changed. This article updates those previous entries, reflecting how the colleges have adapted their community support to coronavirus. Our full list of sources is as follows:

The Princeton Review, Most Engaged in Community Service: https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=most-engaged-in-community-service

Engagement Scholarship Consortium, University-Based Engagement Offices: https://engagementscholarship.org/esc-membership/member-institutions/university-based-engagement-offices

Times Higher Education, Top universities in the world for global impact: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/top-universities-world-global-impact

Carnegie Foundation, Carnegie Community Engagement Classification: https://www.aplu.org/news-and-media/blog/2020-carnegie-community-engagement-classification-recipients-announced

After sourcing the most frequently cited colleges from the above lists, we researched their community engagement programs to see how effective they have been and how they are adapting to coronavirus (as well as researching new coronavirus community outreach programs.)

The colleges below have been sorted with the following criteria: Most wide-ranging community outreach programs, aggregated ranking on the methodology lists, evidence of effective response to coronavirus, and innovation in outreach programs.

Our final rankings, from 30 to one are below:

30. Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Website

Perhaps the most impressive community engagement project to come out of Ball State University is the Building Better Neighborhoods Initiative. This initiative connects the college’s resources with a range of organizations to develop the college’s hometown of Muncie, Indiana, and throughout Delaware County. In 2018, Building Better Neighborhoods won the Key Award for Service Program of the Year from the Prosperity Indiana Summit. The college has used one of its resources to fight coronavirus in an interesting way. It is using its planetarium’s computers to help researchers understand coronavirus. Engagement Scholarship Consortium highlights Ball State University’s engagement office as a great community resource. Carnegie Foundation names the college as a community engagement campus.

29. Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Website

Inside Higher Ed notes that Wake Forest University created a task force to “identify areas of institutional strength and weakness across civic ethos, literacy, inquiry, and action” after a 2012 report from the Department of Education urged colleges to increase civic learning and democratic engagement. This task force has since become The Office for Civic and Community Engagement. It now runs programs focused on educational equity in its local county; health and nutrition; and economic empowerment. It currently lists 34 separate programs under these focuses. In one year, these programs were able to raise over $470,000 for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. The Office for Civic and Community Engagement has responded to coronavirus in several ways. It is running a range of virtual events, such as schoolchild mentorships and virtual storytimes for children. Due to Wake Forest University’s ever-increasing community outreach, The Carnegie Foundation has classified the college as being a Community Engagement Campus.

28. Florida International University

Miami, Florida

Website

In 2019 alone, Florida International University was able to place 200 high school students in summer internships, get 1,000 attendees at its community-building events, and much more. In 2020, the college’s Office of Engagement has adapted its services to meet the needs of coronavirus. For instance, it is connecting people who have lost jobs with employment opportunities and providing free resources to make people more employable. Times Higher Education names Florida International University as ranking between 101^st to 200^th on a global list of the colleges that are making the most impact on the world. In 2020, Carnegie Foundation classified the college as a community engagement campus.

27. California State University, San Marcos

San Marcos, California

Website

Of the numerous community outreach programs at California State University, the Tribal Initiative is possibly the most impressive. The Tribal Initiative works in a variety of ways to boost college participation and career achievement among Native American communities. Since 2007, the program has partnered with 25 tribes and has “exponentially increased recruitment and retention of students from this traditionally underserved student population.” California State University, San Marcos is home to the Shiley Institute for Palliative Care. Since the coronavirus crisis emerged, the institute has offered healthcare workers free access to over 20 online palliative care courses. Engagement College Consortium highlights California State University, San Marcos as having a great engagement office. Carnegie Foundation lists the college as an engagement campus.

26. East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

Website

In 2019, East Carolina University’s community outreach efforts received a boost. It launched the Economic Growth Collaboratory. The Collaboratory focuses on pairing the college’s data scientists with North Carolina’s agricultural leaders to increase the state’s economy. However, the Collaboratory is just one aspect of the college’s wide-ranging community outreach efforts, which contribute to $2 billion per year for the North Carolina economy. Currently, East Carolina University is working to improve coronavirus treatments, such as through conducting antibody plasma donations and collaborating with other public health experts. Carnegie Foundation classifies East Carolina University as a community engagement campus. Engagement Scholarship Consortium lists the college as having a strong engagement office.

25. Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Website

Kansas State University considers engagement to be a core value and a key part of its identity. Many of the college’s students are involved in service-learning as a result of this engagement. The most recent report of community outreach efforts on campus revealed that over 9,000 enrolled students had participated in service-learning classes and that there had been 143 recent engaged work projects with a statewide reach. These efforts had benefited over 900,000 Kansans. Additionally, Kansas State University has committed itself to the fight against coronavirus through “research projects, outreach efforts, and faculty experts.” These efforts include developing roadmaps for future research; creating face shields, cloth masks, and other PPE; and assisting small businesses. Engagement Scholarship Consortium praises the college’s engagement office. Carnegie Foundation names the college a community engagement campus.

24. University of South Florida

Tampa, Florida

Website

In 2020, Carnegie Foundation classified the University of South Florida as a community engagement campus. This classification came after years of successful outreach stories. For instance, every semester, around 500 engineering students participate in a course that engages directly with community partners, such as the Tampa Bay Housing Authority. Since coronavirus reached the USA, many community members of the University of South Florida have been going above and beyond to help those in need. One example is Joshua Mizels, a medical student who, with faculty advisors, has established a telehealth clinic that monitors coronavirus patients during self-isolation. Times Higher Education also ranks the University of South Florida between 101^st to 200^th on a global scale of colleges making the most impact.

23. University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Buffalo, New York

Website

Times Higher Education names University at Buffalo as being 101^st to 200^th on its list of colleges across the world that are making the most impact. The source gives the college a score of 82.9 out of 100 for its work on sustainable cities and communities. The college’s Office of Government and Community Relations currently runs 10 programs that help its local community in differing ways. For instance, Adopt a Family works to make holidays brighter for dozens of poor families by providing gifts, and Community Day gets students to work on neighborhood improvement projects. University at Buffalo’s community support efforts have adapted well to coronavirus. Currently, over 500 of the college’s faculty medical professionals are providing care to patients. The college has also developed an app that aims to help with coronavirus contact tracing. Carnegie Foundation also lists the college as a community outreach campus.

22. James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Website

The Community Service-Learning department at James Madison University has existed since 1986 when two of the college’s faculty members sought to integrate community outreach into their courses. Over the next 34 years, community outreach via service-learning has spread all across the college’s campus. Today, the Community Service-Learning department maintains over 100 relationships with community partners in the local region and across the world. Thanks to James Madison University’s commitment to community support, the campus has been quick to help others during the coronavirus crisis. It is currently consulting to help with coronavirus testing in Virginia, creating hundreds of masks, housing homeless people, and more. Engagement Scholarship Consortium praises the partnerships that the college’s engagement office has built. Carnegie Foundation names it a community outreach campus.

21. University of Massachusetts

Amherst, Massachusetts

Website

Times Higher Education ranks the five campuses of the University of Massachusetts as one institution on its list of global impact colleges, ranking them collectively as between 101st to 200th. Carnegie Foundation lists the five campuses separately all as community engagement colleges. In addition to working with all the colleges in the University of Massachusetts system, UMASS Amherst also forms part of the Five College Consortium with Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and Hampshire College to extend its activities. This consortium’s work is extensive, it currently works with organizations like Amherst Survival Center, Cancer Connection and Bright Spot Therapy Dogs to support its community. And that is just scratching the surface of the University of Massachusetts’s community outreach activities. Perhaps the most effective coronavirus response work of the University of Massachusetts system is taking place at Umass Medical School, which has dedicated more than 19 labs for coronavirus research.

20. Auburn University

Auburn, Alabama

Website

For over 100 years, Auburn University has had a mission to partner “with communities, businesses, schools and government to help people meet their educational goals and to improve quality of life.” This mission has been successful all over the world, from healthcare programs in Africa to meals for the local community in Alabama. In fact, $26 million is awarded to college outreach and extension initiatives every year. Since the coronavirus crisis, Auburn University has been donating medical supplies to hospitals, organizing food bank volunteers and making thousands of masks. Engagement Scholarship Consortium praises the college’s engagement office, and Carnegie Foundation lists the college as a community engagement campus.

19. University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Baltimore, Maryland

Website

The Office of Community Engagement at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County has formed strong ties with other college departments to ensure that students, faculty, and staff provide over 2 million hours of community service in Maryland every year. For instance, the office works with the Staff Senate Community Outreach Committee to conduct drives for school supplies and food baskets. The Office of Community Engagement has also made many important partnerships with external organizations. This is continuing throughout the coronavirus crisis. For instance, the office has partnered with the Baltimore Arabber Preservation Society to deliver thousands of pounds of food to communities. Times Higher Education ranks the University of Maryland, Baltimore County as being 101^st to 200^th on its list of global universities that are making an impact. Carnegie Foundation classifies the college as being a community engagement campus.

18. Warren Wilson College

Ashville, North Carolina

Website

The Center for Community Engagement at Warren Wilson College aims to ensure that its students are “prepared to be a catalyst for change in local and global communities.” It is a graduation requirement for every student to participate in some form of community engagement. The college’s primary areas of engagement are divided into five categories: the environment, food security, housing/homelessness, race/immigration, and youth/education. Overall, students alone perform more than 50,000 community engagement work hours every single year. However, thus far, the college has not given many updates into its coronavirus community service. The Princeton Review names Warren Wilson College the sixth-best college for community engagement. Carnegie Foundation classifies it as a community engagement campus.

17. Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Webiste

In 2016, Marquette University’s community outreach efforts were boosted with the opening of the Office of Community Engagement. This office helps a range of groups and individuals at the college engage with the Milwaukee community. It does this through a newsletter, volunteer listings, running programs, giving personal advice and much more. The college also runs a range of community service events. The largest and longest running community outreach event at the college is Hunger Clean-up. This event helps a range of non-profit workplaces, such as food banks. It has been running since 1989 and over 34,000 students have participated. Additionally, the college is combating coronavirus in several ways. It is collaborating with small businesses, helping public school children access education from home, producing PPE and much more. The Princeton Review names Marquette University the 15^th best college for community engagement. Carnegie Foundation classifies the college as a community engagement campus.

16. Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island

Website

The Swearer Center for Public Service has been on the Brown University campus since 1986. The center’s location, in the Dean of the College’s office, allowed it to make an impact on the entire college curriculum. By 2020, the Swearer Center has grown to service 1,200 students per year and formed connections with over 100 community partners. Some of Brown University’s more recent community activities include increasing voter participation, running community school programming, and organizing state problem-solving sessions with community leaders and residents. Since the pandemic affected college activities, The Swearer Center had moved its student taught English for speakers of other languages programs online. It is also working closely with its community partners to “discuss the Swearer Center and Brown’s response to COVID-19 and ways that partner organizations can collaborate and share resources during the pandemic.” In 2020, Carnegie Foundation classified Brown University as a community engagement campus. Inside Higher Ed is impressed with the college’s focus on providing internships that have a civic engagement focus.

15. Tufts University

Medford/Somerville, Massachusetts

Website

Inside Higher Ed notes that Tufts University has an innovative approach to community outreach. In the 2000s, the leadership team created the College of Citizenship and Public Service, later renamed the College of Civic Life. While this department is considered a college within the university, it exists to boost the other colleges’ community engagement efforts. However, before this specific community engagement college, civic responsibility had been a part of the Tufts University model since the 1940s. Some of the college’s community activities include increasing voter registration, a language and literacy early education program, and much more. Since the coronavirus pandemic emerged, Tufts University has been organizing ‘virtual groups to train and deploy volunteers via our Tufts Civic Impact platform.” The college is also a Carnegie Foundation classified community engagement campus.

14. Stonehill College

Easton, Massachusetts

Website

An intrinsic part of the Stonehill College experience is acting to make a more just and compassionate world. Because of this, students at the college give almost 100,000 hours of service to community projects. Projects range from assisting at nursing homes to building houses in Nicaragua. First-year students engage with community outreach before the start of the academic year. Every August, the college organizes Community Engagement Day for freshmen to find out all the community outreach opportunities available to them. Currently, the college is both making face shields and donating equipment to fight coronavirus. The Princeton Review ranks Stonehill College as being the 17^th best college for community engagement. Carnegie Foundation classifies it as a community outreach campus.

13. Berry College

Mount Berry, Georgia

Website

Early in the academic year, Berry College students participate in the Make a Difference Day, which occurs on the third Saturday in October. Hundreds of students come together on this day to work with a range of charitable organizations. In the spring semester, the college encourages further community engagement with the MLK Day of Service. This event occurs on Martin Luther King, Jr, Day and gets students to participate in community engagement. In addition to these events, community engagement opportunities are always occurring at the college, thanks to its dozens of community partnerships. During coronavirus, the college’s students faculty and staff have been hosting food drives, blood drives, creating face masks and writing notes of encouragement to healthcare workers. The Princeton Review considers Berry College to be the 14^th best college for community engagement. Carnegie Foundation names it a community engagement campus.

12. Duke University

Durham, North Carolina

Website

Between 2007 to 2016, Duke University provided financial support to over 2,800 of its students for the purpose of carrying out service projects across the world, Inside Higher Ed notes. However, this program, DukeEngage, has only become more proactive in recent years. The college notes that by summer 2019, over 4,800 students had put in over 1.6 million hours of work with more than 600 community organizations. Some of DukeEngage’s achievements in 2019 alone included providing farm-grown meals for Rwandan hospital patients, teaching STEM classes in California, and planting trees in Costa Rica. Duke University’s outreach led to it being named a community engagement campus by The Carnegie Foundation in 2015. Since coronavirus impacted the USA, the college has supported its community in a number of ways. It has offered free legal assistance to small businesses and nonprofits; created an Inter-Faith Food Shuttle to provide healthy food to children, seniors and families; is running a farm to increase food supplies for the food shuttle; has adapted its crisis response center to help and shelter people while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines; and much more.

11. The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Website

When it comes to serving communities and cities, Times Higher Education gives The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill a score of 91.6 out of 100. Overall, the source considers the college to be the 22^nd best in the world for global impact. The community outreach activities at The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill are extensive. Students always have the opportunity to help communities, from volunteering and living with immigrant communities to enriching the education of K-16 students. In 2019, the college’s Carolina Center for Public Service celebrated its 20^th anniversary. It reflected on some of its key achievements, such as hurricane relief efforts and the creation of public service awards. In March 2020, this center informed its community partners that it would supply whatever resources it could during the coronavirus pandemic. Carnegie Foundation also lists the college as a community engagement campus.

10. Pitzer College

Claremont, California

Website

The Community Engagement Center at Pitzer College has been an important part of the campus for over 20 years. This center has been responsible for an increased level of civic responsibility at the college. And this engagement has increased every year. For instance, the college has reported that from 2009 to 2010, 65% of faculty members taught academic service-learning. Additionally, around 40% of students participated in community engagement. Overall, this translated into over 100,000 hours dedicated to community outreach. However, by 2020, 100% of students were participating in either service learning or community engagement before they graduated. During coronavirus, Pitzer College is producing masks for its community partners, raising funds to provide food and security for people out of work, accepting donations of art supplies and books for a women’s center, and more. The Princeton Review names the college the 18^th best at community outreach. Carnegie Foundation classifies it as a community engagement campus.

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Website

Back in 2012, Cornell University launched Engaged Cornell, a $150 million community outreach initiative, states Inside Higher Ed. Engaged Cornell is still running in the present day. It offers students, faculty, and staff members many different engaging learning opportunities by providing grants, finding programs, providing courses, and more. Some of Engaged Cornell’s work has led to prisoners being given a second chance, peace in conflict zones, and humanized cancer treatment. Engaged Cornell has been quick to adapt to community needs since coronavirus affected the world. For instance, faculty members are collaborating with community leaders to ensure that people have access to food and that food producers stay in operation throughout the crisis. Engaged Cornell has also developed a website that tracks and offers insight into the rate of coronavirus infections in New York State. However, areas of Cornell University that are not officially part of Engaged Cornell are also helping with coronavirus community support. For example, a Cornell administrator has been working to provide masks for every incarcerated person in New York State. If that weren’t good enough, then the college has also provided $100,000 to help small businesses in its home town of Ithaca. Lastly, Cornell University is also classified as a community engagement campus by Carnegie Foundation.

8. College of William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

Website

The Community Engagement department of College of William & Mary has encouraged its students, faculty, and staff to engage in coronavirus relief in a number of ways, such as volunteering at food pantries or by creating art for medical staff and patients. Every year, the college’s students dedicate over 245,000 hours to community support activities. It currently has more than 100 partnerships with non-profits and community organizations. The Princeton Review considers College of William & Mary to be the seventh-best college for community engagement. Carnegie Foundation lists it as a community engagement campus.

7. Arizona State University

Tempe, Arizona

Website

Times Higher Education names Arizona State University as the fifth-best college in the world for global impact. It also scores the college an 88.5 out of 100 for poverty elimination efforts. The college was able to gain these rankings through its incredible programs, such as Bridging Success Early Start and Indigenous Imagination Initiative, which help at-risk and underserved communities access career opportunities. In late March 2020, Arizona State University received a $2 million donation so that it could coordinate responses to the pandemic. It is using this money to test critical workers, assemble test kits, and manufacture PPE. Carnegie Foundation also lists Arizona State University as a community outreach campus.

6. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri

Website

In 2018 alone, Saint Louis University’s students, faculty, and staff managed to dedicate 1.7 million hours to community service efforts. Almost 90 of the college’s courses incorporate service-learning into its studies. In addition to this, the college provides $6 million of free legal services every year, delivers over 2,500 meals to needing families and does so much more, The college places such a large emphasis on community engagement due to its Jesuit identity and mission to improve everyone in the world’s quality of life. During the coronavirus pandemic, Saint Louis University has managed to get its community to volunteer for a range of charitable organizations, such as The Salvation Army and KidSmart. The Princeton Review names Saint Louis University as the college that is the second most engaged in community service. Carnegie Foundation has classified the college as being a community engagement campus.

5. Tulane University

New Orleans, Louisiana

Website

According to The Princeton Review, no college in the USA is more engaged in community service than Tulane University. Carnegie Foundation also names it a community engagement campus. The college has been a leader in community engagement since 2006 when it became “the first major research university in the country to integrate public service into its core curriculum.” Thanks to this, the college has helped New Orleans, the US, and the entire world. For instance, the college’s architecture courses have projects where students get involved with construction in local neighborhoods. Other students go to school classrooms to give children extra educational experiences. Outside of the college curriculum, Tulane University is a hotbed of civic engagement. For example, each semester, around 1,000 students participate in Outreach Tulane, a one-day event that brings students to non-profit and governmental work sites around New Orleans. In the age of coronavirus, Tulane University is “leading the fight against the COVID-19 global pandemic through research, innovation, scholarship and frontline health care.”

4. Colorado State University

Fort Collins, Colorado

Website

As demand for food banks is surging due to coronavirus, Colorado State University is aiming to provide as much food as possible by getting people to create victory gardens. This idea has been adapted from World War One and Two, when communities grew increased amounts of vegetables due to diminished food imports. Already, over 1,400 people are participating in growing and donating efforts. Prior to coronavirus, Colorado State University was already a leading college for community outreach. The Office of Community and Economic Development has won awards from the Association of Land-Grant Universities and the University Economic Development Association for its important work. Engagement Scholarship Consortium also highlights the college’s community engagement office, and Carnegie Foundation lists the college as an engagement campus. Lastly, Times Higher Education ranks Colorado State University between 301^st to 400^th on a global scale of colleges making the most impact.

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, Pennsylvania

Website

Three sources name Pennsylvania State University as being an incredible community outreach college. Times Higher Education ranks it at 35^th on a scale of global impact, noting that it is especially excelling in making cities and communities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Engagement Scholarship Consortium notes the college is a member of its organization with an outstanding engagement office. Carnegie Foundation also classifies it as an engagement campus. Pennsylvania State University’s first formal outreach program dates back to 1877 when it taught farmers about better crop and livestock practices. Today, the college runs over 90 conferences and programs every year; manages the Justice and Safety Institute; leads the Nittany AI Alliance; and organizes many other initiatives. Since the onset of coronavirus, Pennsylvania State University’s health system has adapted its services to help as many patients as possible. It postponed all non-essential surgeries and consolidated outpatient practices, as well as prohibited visitors and offered free coronavirus screenings. Faculty and students of the college have also established the Families in Need COVID Relief fund to help secure food for struggling families.

2. University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

Website

The faculty, staff, and students of the University of Georgia have really stepped up to assist the community during the coronavirus crisis. For example, the School of Social Work is helping East Athens’s struggling communities access food; the free clinic is providing testing; the Business Development Center is assisting small businesses, and a range of departments are creating face shields. Since 2005, the college’s Office of Service-Learning has enhanced students’ education through “quality academic service-learning experiences.” Times Higher Education considers the University of Georgia as being between the 101^st to 200^th best colleges for global impact. Carnegie Foundation names it as a community engagement campus. Lastly, Engagement Scholarship Consortium lists it as a college with a notable engagement office.

1. The Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio

Website

While The Ohio State University ranks between 101^st to 200^th on Times Higher Education’s global university impact rankings, it manages to score 98.4 out of 100 for promoting and building inclusive and sustainable industrialization. Additionally, the Carnegie Foundation classifies the college as a community impact campus, and Engagement Scholarship Consortium highlights the college’s engagement office as being strong. The Ohio State University’s Outreach and Engagement department runs dozens of programs with both on and off-campus organizations. For instance, in the area of community/economic development alone, the department is currently collaborating with 20 different organizations, ranging from The Haiti Empowerment Project to the Ohio Manufacturing Institute. Similarly, the college’s coronavirus response has been extensive, ranging from projects that provide predictive modeling to help guide the State of Ohio, to providing food and support to communities. It is also running initiatives to match health departments with professional volunteers.

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The post 30 US Colleges That Are Excelling At Community Outreach appeared first on Great Value Colleges.

Electrician

Even during a recession, people to continue to rely on basic utilities such as electricity. While some cash-strapped homeowners may take a DIY-approach to various maintenance and handyman jobs, most people are wise enough not to attempt electrical repairs on their own. Therefore, the need for professional electricians will remain, despite the pandemic.

Though a high school diploma or equivalent is sufficient for entry into the field, prospective electricians should expect to undergo an extensive apprenticeship program before they can practice the trade independently. Some employers prefer candidates who have completed a technical school program.

Electricians are generally well-compensated for their work. According to the most recent data from the BLS, these tradespeople make a median annual wage of over $56,000, and top-earning electricians made almost six figures in 2019.

Medical Assistant

One might expect careers in healthcare to be in demand during a public health crisis. Not only are health professionals needed to combat Covid-19 on the front lines, but they are also in continual demand to treat patients suffering from non-coronavirus conditions. This puts an overwhelming burden on the industry, which creates a crucial need for all types of healthcare workers.

Though most professional occupations in this sector require an academic degree, the job of a medical assistant is an exception to the rule. Still, most employers prefer those candidates who have completed a training program from a vocational school or community college.

In 2019, medical assistants earned a median annual wage of $34,800, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These healthcare workers can expect their pay to vary depending on factors like geographical area and years of experience in the field, though. Realistically, they should anticipate making anywhere from $25,000 to $48,000 per year.

EMT/Paramedic

Prior to the pandemic, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that job opportunities for EMTs and paramedics were growing faster than average. Since the public health crisis has overburdened medical facilities across the nation, there’s no reason to suspect this trend will slow. In fact, it may just result in an even greater need for these types of first responders. Not only will EMTs and paramedics be called on to assist homebound Covid-19 patients, but they may also be necessary to provide health services to people hesitant to go to the hospital for fear of infection. In addition, some of these frontline workers are being asked to assist with the coronavirus testing effort, due to their medical training.

While EMTs may be hired after completing a non-degree training program at a vocational school or community college, paramedics usually need an associate’s degree prior to entering the field. Both types of first responders will need CPR certification as well as a professional license.

The BLS reports pay for EMTs and paramedics to fall between $23,500 and $60,000 per year with a mean annual wage of $35,400.

General Maintenance and Repair Worker

In times of economic hardship, people are likely to save their money by repairing things they already own rather than purchasing new assets. This is why jobs for maintenance and repair workers usually soar during a recession.

There aren’t many prerequisite requirements for becoming a general maintenance/repair worker so this could be a good fit for individuals looking for a career change amid the pandemic. As long as you have a high school diploma and are ready to work, you can usually train while on the job.

General maintenance and repair workers make nearly $40,000 per year on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Your wage could vary, however, depending on your employer and where you work, for instance.

Power Line Installer/Repairer

Employment of electric power line installers and repairers was growing faster than average before the coronavirus pandemic hit. This growth was dependent in part on the development of new housing complexes and shopping centers, though. Therefore, it could be somewhat stifled in the coming years, but the market should still remain relatively steady. After all, we still need lights and basic utilities, even during a public health crisis. In fact, without power and electricity, life-saving medical equipment like ventilators would be inoperable.

Though there is no academic preparation necessary for entry into the field, line workers with an associate’s degree from a community college or vocational school may have a leg up on the competition for available jobs.

Power line installers and repairers are generally well-paid. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the median annual wage for these tradespeople to be just over $72,500. Top earners in this particular occupation can make over six figures per year.

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver

Truck drivers are a crucial part of the national supply chain. These professionals are responsible for transporting goods and services from corporate warehouses to local retail stores. While the coronavirus pandemic has caused consumers to buckle their belts in terms of nonessential spending, it has also caused a large portion of the population to begin stockpiling basic goods such as toilet paper, medical supplies, and non-perishable food items, for example. This has kept truck drivers rolling down highways, delivering essential items to communities across the nation.

Though a high school diploma or equivalent is usually sufficient for entry into the field, most truck drivers receive training from a commercial truck-driving school in order to learn how to properly operate these large vehicles.

The BLS reports that truck drivers in the U.S. earn a median annual wage of just over $45,000. Bonuses may be available for those drivers willing to work extra hours or drive longer routes.

Delivery Truck Driver

The Covid-19 crisis has prompted nationwide stay-at-home orders designed to mitigate the spread of the virus. Since individuals are unable to go out to get the essential items they need, they have increasingly relied upon delivery truck drivers to deliver these items to their homes.

No formal education requirements are necessary to work as a delivery truck driver, though some employers prefer a high school diploma or equivalent. In addition, you will need a driver’s license and a good driving record in order to be hired.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), delivery truck drivers make a median annual wage of nearly $26,000, but there are opportunities to earn more. Top drivers made almost $50,000 in 2019.  

Childcare Worker

Like many other facilities, daycare centers and early childhood education institutes have faced mandatory closings amid the coronavirus pandemic. This sudden decrease in demand for childcare workers is just temporary, however. Efforts to restart the U.S. economy will drive more people back to work, and this includes parents who will need childcare services for their kids while they’re on the clock.

It’s possible to enter the childcare field with just a high school diploma or equivalent. However, many employers prefer applicants with some formal training such as the kind offered through associate’s degree programs in early childhood education. Experience teaching and caring for young children is also beneficial.

Childcare workers are typically paid by the hour. According to the BLS, these types of employees can expect to make between $8 and $17 hourly.

Plumber

Prior to the public health crisis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported employment opportunities for plumbers to be growing much faster than average. And prospects for these types of professions are likely to remain good.  Like electricians, plumbers have a highly specialized skillset that protects their jobs during economic downturns. While DIY-ers will likely do what they can to save money around the house during a recession, complex plumbing jobs don’t lend themselves well to this type of approach. They usually require a professional.

Plumbers don’t need academic training in order to enter the profession; a high school diploma or equivalent will suffice. Newly hired plumbers can expect to undergo a lengthy apprenticeship while on the job, though.

Plumbers are some of the highest paid tradespeople on our list. According to the BLS, these laborers can expect to make between roughly $32,000 to $97,000 per year. The mean annual wage for plumbers in 2019 was approximately $55,000.

Automotive Service Technician/Mechanic

As stay-at-home orders are lifted across the nation, more and more Americans will be getting back behind the wheel. Thus, the demand for trained automotive service technicians and mechanics will soon resume. Plus, since concerned consumers aren’t likely to be contemplating a new-car purchase, they’ll want to do everything they can to ensure their current vehicles continue to operate for the time being. This includes taking their cars and trucks to local auto shops for routine service, maintenance, and repair.

A vocational program is usually necessary for prospective automotive service technicians and mechanics. Associate’s degree programs in the field are also available and could help applicants enhance their job prospects.

Pay for these types of laborers can vary widely. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that salaries for automotive service technicians and mechanics can range from around $24,000 to nearly $69,000 per year. The median annual wage was reported to be just over $42,000 in 2019.

A recession is never good news for the job market. If you look closely, though, you’ll find occupations that remain in demand. As our economy rebounds from the Covid-19 crisis, keep your eye on those jobs with steady employment opportunities. Soon enough, other sectors of the economy will catch up, and labor statistics will level out once again.

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