VALPO TO BE OPEN IN THE FALL!!

[vu72]

https://youtu.be/7sb8xh69_Uw

[wh]

Give credit where credit is due.  With all of the indecisiveness about what universities are going to do in the fall, Valpo jumps ahead of the curve in an attempt to gain a competitive recruiting advantage.  Very savvy.

[valpo64]

Well done.  Happy to hear the Campus will be open this Fall!

[FieldGoodie05]

https://youtu.be/7sb8xh69_Uw

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Was that posted on April 24th?  That was quite early.

[vu72]

https://youtu.be/7sb8xh69_Uw

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Was that posted on April 24th?  That was quite early.

Not sure what the April 24 date is all about, but it hit my Facebook page today.

[M]

April 24 was the date this video was posted on YouTube it looks like.

[vu84v2]

It is very good that Valpo made this announcement. Marquette made the same announcement today, which included moving the Fall schedule earlier and starting the Spring semester a little later.

Interesting that part of the message is directed at international students. Not sure that we are going to see travel bans lifted by the end of summer...and if they are lifted, will there be restrictions (14 day self quarantine).

[VUGrad1314]

I just hope this ends up being the right decision for the universities that are choosing this route. I have my reservations but I understand why they are doing this and I hope it works out for everyone.

[mj]

Heckler said that Valpo "intends" to have face to face instruction. That's not the same thing as definitely 100% open. All schools intend to be open in the fall but reality might change that.

[wh]

Heckler said that Valpo "intends" to have face to face instruction. That's not the same thing as definitely 100% open. All schools intend to be open in the fall but reality might change that.

Semantics aside, private universities are in a highly competitive market vertical that has reached its saturation point. If Valpo remains shuttered in the fall, it will likely suffer a financial disaster of epic proportions.

[vu84v2]

Heckler said that Valpo "intends" to have face to face instruction. That's not the same thing as definitely 100% open. All schools intend to be open in the fall but reality might change that.

Semantics aside, private universities are in a highly competitive market vertical that has reached its saturation point. If Valpo remains shuttered in the fall, it will likely suffer a financial disaster of epic proportions.

Absolutely agree. Additionally, despite not fully being able to control the situation, university administration, faculty, staff, etc. must do everything within reason to make the campus as safe as possible AND create an honest perception (for students and parents) that it is safe (of course, you cannot guarantee safety 100%). Many of these people have had their pay cut temporarily, but they will need to really come through in the next several months.

[mj]

No doubt that Valpo and many other schools are facing difficult decisions. If you open the school too early and kids get sick then...Valpo is done. No one is going to Corona U after that.

On the other hand, if Valpo and every other school is closed, then I think you have a better shot at weathering the storm. I would assume that Valpo already has most of their incoming class already lined up. Just a matter if keeping them at this point.

[valpo95]

I would assume that Valpo already has most of their incoming class already lined up. Just a matter if keeping them at this point.

I have no inside knowledge about the incoming class at Valpo. On the positive side, Valpo has made some changes in the admissions and recruitment front that could improve their standing for the fall of 2020.

However, there is considerable uncertainty about the size of the incoming class at virtually every university. Most selective universities have made more admission offers due to the uncertainty in hopes of having a large enough class for the fall - what that means is that some students who would normally have come to Valpo may have offers at other selective universities where they might have been wait listed in other years. That strategy does not work for VU, as Valpo has a high admission rate to begin with (approximately 85% as of 2018) and reaches some natural limits if any semblance of quality is to be maintained. In addition, the usual decision timeline has been pushed back, as students are allowed to decide later this year than in the past.

Finally, some students may be deferring their admission or staying close to home. This might mean students take a gap year, or live at home and start at local university. That would be very difficult for Valpo, as the previous fall's entering freshman class was already the smallest in some time at 587 students. 

[vu72]

Notre Dame is bring back students two weeks early and finishing the fall semester before Thanksgiving.  Purdue is planning to bring students back.  Valpo has no choice.  They have the space to give every on-campus student their own room. 

[vu72]

From the Torch

http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_d80d01a2-99e1-11ea-b9fb-9bddf1948a3c.html?fbclid=IwAR1PAZXUu0jh5ioXqAKhtzoYOGfvUNZlOYteV-jODal8sFzilUjr0QGqojA

[JD24]

I assume that the early finish and late start to spring is to get around a possible, if not probable, re-ignitment of the virus during the winter?

[crusader05]

Yes it seems that many schools are concerned about another peak in the fall as this seems to have some seasonality to it, plus the cold weather increases the amount of indoor time which seems to be the big way this gets passed around. Constant, indoor contact.

Some specific areas I wonder about: how do they do choir practices and indoor sports or exercise classes. All of these have been linked to spreader events. Do you prioritize testing for athletes/musical students?

In a perfect world we would have access to easy to administer rapid tests that are relatively reliable but without that sort of infrastructure is it all just a hope and a prayer?

[valpo95]

I assume that the early finish and late start to spring is to get around a possible, if not probable, re-ignitment of the virus during the winter?

It is partially seasonality, yet the bigger issue is that  the early start allows classes to finish by Thanksgiving break. The theory behind this is that it would be bad to have students depart for a week at Thanksgiving to parts unknown, then return for two weeks of class (with a few more new infections from travel), then head home again for Christmas. If they are done by Thanksgiving, then there is one less major return to campus to worry about.

[wh]

I assume that the early finish and late start to spring is to get around a possible, if not probable, re-ignitment of the virus during the winter?

I recall hearing experts expressing great concern about having to deal with coronavirus during flu season. Typically, flu season reaches its peak during the elongated gap between semesters.

[crusader05]

Yes I believe Flu season is November-March or so but I didn't even think about the travel factors for breaks and that seems like an even bigger concern than even flu season.

[vu72]

It seems to me that Valpo would be at a big advantage over other schools who don't have the number of dorm rooms available.  Student X and his/her parents are nervous about Covid.  Valpo says "you can have your own room"  Butler says, "sorry, you'll need to have a roommate.  Valpo wins that one.

[vu84v2]

Yes it seems that many schools are concerned about another peak in the fall as this seems to have some seasonality to it, plus the cold weather increases the amount of indoor time which seems to be the big way this gets passed around. Constant, indoor contact.

Some specific areas I wonder about: how do they do choir practices and indoor sports or exercise classes. All of these have been linked to spreader events. Do you prioritize testing for athletes/musical students?

In a perfect world we would have access to easy to administer rapid tests that are relatively reliable but without that sort of infrastructure is it all just a hope and a prayer?

A group of university presidents met with Pence, DeVos and Brix last Thursday. My understanding (from one of those university presidents) is that universities are ramping up their own testing capabilities. The university president that I heard this from said that his university had acquired the equipment to process tests and was training people, but all of the university presidents told the administration that they needed access to an ample supply of testing supplies (they do not exist now). I don't think they were asking for a hand-out, but they need sufficient supply so that they can acquire enough at a reasonable price to meet their testing requirements. The degree that acquiring these supplies is successful will likely be a key part of whether sports and other larger group activities are allowed.

[wh]

I was passing through the downtown area this afternoon and noticed Mileek (and someone I couldn't make out at a glance) walking down the street. I was a little surprised because I assumed the university (including the ARC) was completely closed to everyone, including the bb team. Hopefully, that's not the case, and the guys are still there working on their game. Can someone shed some light on this?

[M]

I would imagine he lives in an apartment off campus in town someplace.

[vu72]

I was passing through the downtown area this afternoon and noticed Mileek (and someone I couldn't make out at a glance) walking down the street. I was a little surprised because I assumed the university (including the ARC) was completely closed to everyone, including the bb team. Hopefully, that's not the case, and the guys are still there working on their game. Can someone shed some light on this?

As I recall from Oren's interview with Daniel Sackey, the guys are playing on the outdoor courts on campus.