Morehouse, Spelman, Clark Atlanta and Oglethorpe have now joined Emory University in moving to online classes online as concerns over the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) mount.
Emory was the first Georgia campus to make the move on Wednesday night, following a trend happening around the country.
Georgia’s 26 public colleges and university’s have said they will stay open, but are monitoring the situation. Georgia State University posted on its website that “Campuses remain open. However, we are prepared to make changes should public health authorities recommend otherwise.” This news comes in spite of professors proactively cancelling classes and a student petition with 15,000-plus signatures demanding campuses be closed, according to a report from The Signal.
Since the campuses will close, all dorms and living facilities will be closed as well, giving students a short window to pack and leave. Officials said they would work with students who have extenuating residential circumstances.
What this article fails to highlight is that in order to vacate, students who are on break (which is most of the student body) will inevitably have to come back to campus to collect their belongings.
This is 10,000 young people who are told to come back to Atlanta. How many of them are already infected without knowing it? How many of those who come will get infected in airports and on campus? How many university workers and Atlanta residents will get infected as a result?
Officials should instead of “work with students who have extenuating residential circumstances”, instead tell everybody to stay where they are (and only vacate if you happen to be stuck on campus now).
What this article fails to highlight is that in order to vacate, students who are on break (which is most of the student body) will inevitably have to come back to campus to collect their belongings.
This is 10,000 young people who are told to come back to Atlanta. How many of them are already infected without knowing it? How many of those who come will get infected in airports and on campus? How many university workers and Atlanta residents will get infected as a result?
Officials should instead of “work with students who have extenuating residential circumstances”, instead tell everybody to stay where they are (and only vacate if you happen to be stuck on campus now).