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Entire UMass system shifting to online classes, but maybe not for entire semester

By adamg on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 11:59am

Word first broke at UMass Lowell of a new policy that applies to all five UMass campuses. Unlike at many other colleges, however, there's still a chance UMass students could return to campus, on April 6.

The UMass System president and chancellors have together decided to transition course instruction online, with students not returning to campus, until at least April 3 as UMass continues to work to minimize health risks to members of the university community stemming from the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). The situation will be closely monitored to determine whether classes will return to normal mode on April 6.

While UMass Lowell has been conducting contingency planning for weeks, the acceleration of new COVID-19 cases has demanded that we speed up our timeline, even as we realize we will not immediately have answers to all the questions that will arise in the coming days.

To help create additional time to prepare, Spring Break will be extended an additional two days with classes resuming virtually on Wednesday, March 18. UMass Lowell will remain open and operational for faculty and staff.

In an e-mail to students, UMass Amherst wrote:

Starting Monday, March 23 and continuing through Friday, April 3, Amherst campus classes will be taught remotely using web, video and teleconferencing tools that are available to faculty and are already being used in many classes. The Provost’s office is working with the Deans to identify laboratory, studio and capstone courses where face-to-face instruction is essential. Students in these courses will be notified that they should return to campus after Spring Break. All other students should remain away from campus until further notice and should pack accordingly. Exceptions will be made for students in special circumstances.

So, speaking here as a now confused UMass Amherst parent, it sounds like students should go home with most of their clothes and stuff they'll need for a few weeks, but that they might still return to campus by April 6, but maybe not, and if that's the case, the schools will arrange a way for them and their families to move all their stuff out at some undetermined date.

Free tagging: 
UMass Amherst
students
Covid-19


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Comments

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 12:43pm.

Do they have to be gone by Friday or will they get the entire weekend to move out?

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By adamg on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 12:58pm.

E-mail's just now going out to students, but the copy I saw just tells them to pack as if they won't be coming back, without any further details.

As you know, UMass is pretty good about arranging times for pickups, so I'm hoping they do something like they do for normal year-end moves, because I'd hate to get stuck in the traffic jam if everybody tries to drive on campus at the same time.

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By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 1:38pm.

My guy has a small car but he can't haul everything in it and will need another car load.

I can't drive right now so we need to figure this out.

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By Rob on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 2:30pm.

So, your convenience is the consideration and a car - and maybe wanting a bigger one - is the answer.
Why is that always your thought process?
Maybe you should give public transportation or bicycles some thought.
[/S]

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By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 8:25pm.

Grownup stuff. You might find out about it someday.

Note that this has nothing to do with the size of anyone's vehicle - and much to do with an administration that cannot write a clear e-mail to save anybody's life.

Oh, and there is very little/no public transit to the state's largest university, honey. I've been working on that ... you? Transporting that many people should not rely on automobiles.

In the meantime, I hope all these course cancellations don't interfere with you getting your Masters of Debate from the Jack Assery University of Mansplaining. That would be tragic.

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By Rob on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 9:05pm.

If you can't recognize some good-natured sarcasm and facetiousness poking a little fun at an ironic contrast to what you talk about here maybe one-third of the time, then escalating is not a good approach.

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By anon on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 1:03pm.

Life is going to be very surreal for those UMass students at Amhearst who are sticking around for their labs. Going to be a very very empty place.

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By adamg on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 1:10pm.

The e-mail UMass Amherst just sent students is, at least to me, very confusing. I think what they're saying is:

Students, who were going on spring break this weekend, should pack like they might not be coming back for the rest of the month, except students who have lab or studio work, who should return to campus the Monday after spring break. Everybody else: Just stay tuned until the school makes a final determination about the rest of the semester at some point before April 6. And if the school decides to stay with online for the rest of the semester, then they'll make arrangements for students to clear out their dorms.

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By adamg on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 1:12pm.

Maybe somebody else will get a clearer picture from it than me:

March 11, 2020

Dear Campus Community,

Due to heightened concerns about the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and the Governor’s declaration yesterday of a state of emergency in Massachusetts, upon the conclusion of spring break, UMass Amherst, along with the other four campuses in the UMass system, will suspend in-person instruction and will transition to remote course delivery. UMass System President Martin Meehan’s memo to the Board of Trustees informing them of this decision can be found here.

Starting Monday, March 23 and continuing through Friday, April 3, Amherst campus classes will be taught remotely using web, video and teleconferencing tools that are available to faculty and are already being used in many classes. The Provost’s office is working with the Deans to identify laboratory, studio and capstone courses where face-to-face instruction is essential. Students in these courses will be notified that they should return to campus after Spring Break. All other students should remain away from campus until further notice and should pack accordingly. Exceptions will be made for students in special circumstances. More information will be shared with students by Student Affairs and Campus Life.

Academic support will be provided to those students for whom this transition presents hardship. We will reassess the situation as it progresses and notify students, staff and faculty by April 1 whether we need to prolong the distance learning modality beyond April 6. We will develop plans for how students may retrieve belongings that they may leave behind in residence halls if the transition to remote learning is extended beyond April 3.

Graduate assistants should consult their supervisors about continuing their duties during the March 23-April 3 period.

As outlined in the President’s memo to the Board of Trustees, the campus will also take the following steps:

Restrict campus-related foreign and domestic travel of students and employees and discourage personal international travel.

Hold conferences and other discretionary gatherings virtually or cancel them.

Continue internal business, including but not limited to mandated public hearings and board meetings.

Discourage external work-related conferences, seminars and events. Alternatively, employees are encouraged to participate remotely.

Discourage sick employees from coming to work.

Encourage employees in high-risk groups (older workers, those with pre-existing conditions, etc.) to talk with supervisors about alternative work assignments.

While at this time there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on our campus or in the surrounding community, we are taking these steps as a precautionary measure to protect the health and well-being of our students, faculty and staff. Upon extensive consultation with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, we have determined that by reducing population density on campus we will enable the social distancing that will mitigate the spread of the virus. There is presently no evidence that our campus is unsafe, but our transition to remote learning is intended to create a safer environment for all – for the students who return home and the faculty and staff who remain.

I fully understand that the transition to remote learning is a massive disruption for our students and faculty and may be uniquely challenging for many members of our community. I want to assure you that the campus is committed to doing everything possible to help our students, particularly those with the greatest need, meet these challenges and to support our faculty and staff in this difficult period. The welfare of every member of our community is our top priority.

More information will be forthcoming from various campus units about those efforts, and we will continue to keep the campus updated as this situation unfolds. Please visit our coronavirus website for the latest information.

Sincerely,
Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy

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