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Post by hchoops on Mar 12, 2020 13:57:06 GMT -5
College kids are pretty great, and people who work at colleges can be great people, too. I have posted before about the fact that I have one daughter who is a Mount Holyoke alumna and another who is a student (now a junior) there. MHC will be sending the kids home with the start of Spring Break tomorrow and, although they hope to have commencement in May, don't know whether that will be possible. The MHC commencement is a two day affair full of traditions as you can imagine would be beloved at a historic women's college. The most famous is a Laurel Parade where seniors, dressed in white to honor the suffragists, march carrying a laurel chain to the grave of the college's founder where they sing, among other songs, the Alma Mater. Concerned that they would not get a real commencement, the students, with college support, marched as best they could today. Faculty attended in academic regalia and other students cheered vigorously on the sidelines. The college publicized it late this morning and 4500 people watched it on Facebook Live. I watched a few moments of the archived video just now and it was awfully nice, during these lousy times, to see a bunch of young people taking care of each other with support from faculty and administrators. I hope all graduating college students, especially at HC, find a way to celebrate together. Terrific thank you for posting, alum
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Mar 12, 2020 14:32:29 GMT -5
How is a one-day announcement in an emergency not reasonable notice.
When I was in grad school in Boston, an excavator working on the lot next to our apartment on symphony road broke through the foundation of our building. The City condemned our building and we had a few hours to move everything out and find a new place. I would imagine the HC students can even leave some stuff in their rooms if they have to do so.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 12, 2020 14:57:25 GMT -5
Clark is bucking the trend. Will remain open.
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Post by longsuffering on Mar 12, 2020 16:05:15 GMT -5
Clark is bucking the trend. Will remain open. Fascinating. The two approaches could be tracked by positive tests among the student body, retention levels of returning students, etc. I imagine Clark will do it's best with distance learning for the students who voluntarily self isolate at home.
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Post by timholycross on Mar 12, 2020 19:56:53 GMT -5
Hope I don't hear of any outbreaks at "Clahk" as I saw a game in their gym last week.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Mar 12, 2020 19:59:53 GMT -5
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Post by longsuffering on Mar 12, 2020 20:05:24 GMT -5
Harvard is helping students with pro-rated room and board charges. That could throw a big monkey wrench into HC's budget if refunds becomes required for colleges who shut down the dorms and dining halls. I wouldn't put it past MA. Atty General Maura Healy to take colleges to court to enforce refunds for her future voters when she runs for Governor.
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Post by hcpride on Mar 12, 2020 21:02:30 GMT -5
Harvard is helping students with pro-rated room and board charges. That could throw a big monkey wrench into HC's budget if refunds becomes required for colleges who shut down the dorms and dining halls. I wouldn't put it past MA. Atty General Maura Healy to take colleges to court to enforce refunds for her future voters when she runs for Governor. Interesting. If HC decides to throw the kids off campus don't they have some sort of a moral (if not legal, as I have not read the housing agreement) obligation to return a prorated portion of room and board fees? No idea if they have some sort of insurance for this but it would seem the right thing to do since the kids are neither occupying dorm space nor eating food. Absent insurance, this could be a pretty hefty hit to the college's anticipated revenue. (And if the kid is on some sort of a monthly payment plan one could see that as kind of awkward if he is paying while living back at mommy and daddy's house and eating their food.)
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Post by Tom on Mar 13, 2020 7:51:57 GMT -5
For a sum of money, I agree to feed you for 15 weeks (or so).
I decide, even if for a very good reason, I ma not going to feed you for the last 7 weeks. I would think the school should and will give out pro-rated rebates (or for non-seniors give a credit on next year). I know lawyers are paid to think of every contingency, but I doubt there's a pandemic clause in the housing contract. Maybe a generic state of emergency clause.
The school might also incur reduced expenses. They aren't feeding the kids, so they might not be buying the food. I imagine there is some contract in place for a percentage of the food and the school could be on the hook for that. It's not the meat wholesalers fault that you sent all the hungry kids home. HC might still have to buy a lot of food and have no kids to feed it to. One close to home example, but this is going to have all kinds of economic ripple effects
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Post by alum on Mar 13, 2020 8:43:50 GMT -5
Google led me to the 2018-19 Housing Contract. It does not appear to contemplate a pandemic closing of the dorms and dining hall. www.holycross.edu/sites/default/files/files/housing/residence_housing_and_board_agreement.pdfThey will have to come up with a formula to calculate what they owe the students. Different housing costs different amounts. Some students are on the meal plan and others are not. www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-fees If we figure they are half way through the semester, full pay students in standard rooms (who are therefore on the meal plan) have a claim for about $3900 back. Then they will have to take into account financial aid. Are college funded grants applied to tuition as opposed to room and board? What about outside grants? What about partial athletic scholarships? Whatever the decision is to be, they ought to make it quickly and then deal with the inevitable fallout. The situation is not going to get better with the passage of time.
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Post by rgs318 on Mar 13, 2020 9:07:40 GMT -5
All Bergen County, NJ high schools will shut starting on Monday and students will be able to work online. Many of the schools are using this time to disinfect their school buildings.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 13, 2020 12:21:08 GMT -5
The HC students who are likely to be screwed are those in off-campus housing (excepting the apartments in downtown worcester that HC apparently leased). They are likely out of two months of rent, assuming the lease expires end of May.
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Post by longsuffering on Mar 13, 2020 13:43:57 GMT -5
The HC students who are likely to be screwed are those in off-campus housing (excepting the apartments in downtown worcester that HC apparently leased). They are likely out of two months of rent, assuming the lease expires end of May. But they don't have to go home. They can distance learn from down the street. The kids who are screwed at Harvard are the low income kids from far away and overseas who are on 100% financial aid for everything. They won't get any refunds and now have to feed and house themselves and/or pay for expensive flights back to their home country or region. While on campus they are among the world elite, but if they have to fend for themselves they are homeless in poverty. Even their student jobs for spending money are cancelled because the campus is closed.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 13, 2020 13:56:04 GMT -5
The HC students who are likely to be screwed are those in off-campus housing (excepting the apartments in downtown worcester that HC apparently leased). They are likely out of two months of rent, assuming the lease expires end of May. But they don't have to go home. They can distance learn from down the street. The kids who are screwed at Harvard are the low income kids from far away and overseas who are on 100% financial aid for everything. They won't get any refunds and now have to feed and house themselves and/or pay for expensive flights back to their home country or region. While on campus they are among the world elite, but if they have to fend for themselves they are homeless in poverty. Even their student jobs for spending money are cancelled because the campus is closed. Harvard's financial aid is all grant. Those students receiving 100 percent aid, don't get refunds as their bill, in effect, was $0. Harvard apparently will also pick up the cost of travel home. dso.college.harvard.edu/coronavirusfaq
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Mar 13, 2020 14:11:08 GMT -5
Harvard picking up the cost for the flights home is great, but it will zero affect on the school's finances. Harvard has more $$$ than any school could every spend even if it never charged tuition again
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Post by hcgrad94 on Mar 14, 2020 13:53:14 GMT -5
The HC students who are likely to be screwed are those in off-campus housing (excepting the apartments in downtown worcester that HC apparently leased). They are likely out of two months of rent, assuming the lease expires end of May. Why can't they stay and learn from Caro St?
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 14, 2020 14:52:04 GMT -5
The HC students who are likely to be screwed are those in off-campus housing (excepting the apartments in downtown worcester that HC apparently leased). They are likely out of two months of rent, assuming the lease expires end of May. Why can't they stay and learn from Caro St? I suppose they could, X number of students will apparently remain on campus, and I assume that on-campus and Caro St students would remote learn like their peers who have returned home. ________________ As an aside, the Massachusetts Congressional delegation is asking how the students who returned home to a location other than the city or town of residence while at school will be counted in the Census. Perhaps there will be an adjustment like this for the 2010 Census. "For persons in short-term jails, awaiting a hearing, we direct that the person should be included at their residence that they usually occupied before the jail incident. For those in hospitals for a short-term stay we direct that they be counted among their usual household."
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Mar 14, 2020 15:44:42 GMT -5
While theres not much LEFT of Caro Street, those students who live off campus still are paying rent though June 30th and certainly could stay there if they so choose. I'm sure numerous off campus houses will remain party central for those displaced students looking to enjoy some weekends in Worcester with friends between now and the start of summer vacation / graduation.
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Post by hchoops on Mar 14, 2020 16:01:15 GMT -5
While theres not much LEFT of Caro Street, those students who live off campus still are paying rent though June 30th and certainly could stay there if they so choose. I'm sure numerous off campus houses will remain party central for those displaced students looking to enjoy some weekends in Worcester with friends between now and the start of summer vacation / graduation. So much for social distancing
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Post by timholycross on Mar 14, 2020 16:44:15 GMT -5
My daughter's in a similar situation at JMU.
She's got an apartment, lease goes to July 31; we figured that into the cost for the year, but it would have cut the bill a little if the apartment got subleased for May-July. I'm not holding my breath at this point that will happen, that's what we feel is the biggest loss financially.
She went to Florida for Spring Break, which would have ended tomorrow. She's going back there for now considering that's where she got the ride down South from. Whether she stays there or not remains to be seen. They're not encouraging kids to be around campus, so maybe she ends up home at some point. We'd rather she stayed; just gotta make sure, as mentioned above, there is some understanding of small group socialization versus what they're all used to.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 19, 2020 18:29:00 GMT -5
Given the number of rooms lighted in Figge, it would appear students remaining on campus are quartered there.,
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Post by Crucis#1 on Mar 19, 2020 21:05:20 GMT -5
There also appears that rooms are lit in Clark.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 20, 2020 18:00:40 GMT -5
Harvard has announced that the 2020 commencement will be virtual, diplomas will be mailed. A real commencement will be held on a future date to be announced. My guess is that the 2020 and 2021 commencements will be held seriatum, because they can use the residential houses for lodging.
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Post by Tom on Mar 31, 2020 13:48:47 GMT -5
I heard an fairly official announcement that all students living on campus will receive a pro-rated refund on the room and board.
Also, somewhere someone posted about seeing lights on in a dorm. There are about 60 international students still on campus who couldn't get home. They are all living in Williams
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Apr 2, 2020 20:41:01 GMT -5
Fr. B.'s podcast on the corona virus and HC.
He has moved out of Ciampi and now lives in Loyola. It seems they are dispersing the 17 Jesuits who live in the residence. He said his sister is a nurse in Washington state and has tested positive.
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