A growing number of college students are being told to finish classes remotely amid coronavirus outbreaks. Some schools, such as Harvard University and Amherst College, are taking it a step further, however, and advising students not only to stay out of classes but to leave campus entirely. One underdiscussed issue: Not every student has a home to go to.
In a lot of ways, holding online classes in lieu of in-person lectures makes sense. Remote learning minimizes the number of big groups and reduces pressure for people to come to work or class sick. Residence halls, food courts, on-campus gyms, libraries—countless areas where large groups of people gather—will remain empty. Given how many students study or volunteer abroad, or even just take international vacations, campuses have clear reasons to be concerned about coronavirus transmission.
Still, for students who are told to leave campus and not return for the semester, finding a safe place to go on short notice can add a whole new layer of stress. Some students choose to live in dorms because of violence at home, lack of acceptance of sexual orientation or gender identity, or estrangement. Others simply don’t have another home to go to—parents might be homeless, for example, or living in shelters. Some families have unstable or sporadic housing, like crashing on couches or subletting spaces too small to add another person into the mix.
There’s also the reality that on-campus housing (as well as meal plans) is generally paid once a semester, and can be covered by a combination of grants, scholarships, and student loans. Not all students have the resources to pay rent on such short notice, much less purchase furniture and cover utilities, including the internet access needed for remote learning. Students with disabilities might also struggle to find housing that’s accessible on short notice.
International students, too, face a difficult situation. Even if their home country isn’t under quarantine, many people are avoiding international travel. And the cost of a last-minute international flight isn’t cheap, even as airlines may feel the pressure of a drop in ticket sales.
Luckily, so far, colleges have said that students can apply for waivers if moving out isn’t an option. At Amherst College, for example, students who do not travel during spring break may apply to stay on-campus for the rest of the semester. "Those students will be able to petition to stay on-campus through the semester, but those of you who need to stay here will also need to be here through spring break. Travel during spring break is one of the greatest [risks] that we’re trying to mitigate," said Biddy Martin, president of Amherst College.
Smith College, which is in the same region of Massachusetts as Amherst College, is also closing dorms, noting that students with “extenuating circumstances” will be allowed to stay in residence halls, as reported by the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
Harvard President Lawrence Bacow explained the school’s decision in a statement on Tuesday, saying, “The goal of these changes is to minimize the need to gather in large groups and spend prolonged time in close proximity with each other in spaces such as classrooms, dining halls, and residential buildings.” At Harvard, students who need to stay on campus will also attend classes remotely, as reported by CNN. It’s unclear how such need is to be determined, but a coronavirus FAQ tells concerned students to talk to their resident dean.
St. John’s University in New York is also going virtual and sending students home, though it specifies that students who cannot return home may stay in their assigned dorms; no visitors or guests will be allowed for the time being.
While these schools are clearly trying to make reasonable exceptions in favor of student needs, as more colleges may consider closures, it’s important that schools don’t overlook the vulnerable students who live on campus and have no other options.
