Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

TexasTowelie

(111,288 posts)
Fri May 8, 2020, 03:32 AM May 2020

Texas A&M is looking at Saturday and late-night options to reduce class sizes and comply with social

Texas A&M is looking at Saturday and late-night options to reduce class sizes and comply with social distancing

by Stacy Fernández, Texas Tribune


In an effort to reduce class size to comply with social distancing, Texas A&M University System officials are mulling a schedule in the fall that could allow class slots from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and include Saturdays, said John Sharp, system chancellor, during an online speaking event Thursday.

The chancellor’s remarks come exactly a week after he announced to all 11 university presidents in the system that campuses will reopen in the fall and be ready to play sports. The University of Texas System and Texas Tech University also announced that they intend to reopen in the fall.

The school system won’t finalize its fall reopening strategy until at least the end of May, when the university board is expected to call a special meeting. Changes proposed by the university committee working on its reopening strategy must receive board approval, system spokesperson Laylan Copelin told The Texas Tribune.

In addition to reducing the number of people who are in class and on campus at the same time, common areas may be closed off and have furniture removed to discourage gathering in large groups.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/07/texas-am-coronavirus-reopens-saturday-classes/
2 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Texas A&M is looking at Saturday and late-night options to reduce class sizes and comply with social (Original Post) TexasTowelie May 2020 OP
I wonder how they'll handle professional schools Laurelin May 2020 #1
I bet that plan changes. Because all these reopen states are in for a world of hurt. Squinch May 2020 #2

Laurelin

(518 posts)
1. I wonder how they'll handle professional schools
Fri May 8, 2020, 04:39 AM
May 2020

I don't know how big the medical school classes are but the veterinary classes are big. Anyway I'm glad my daughter is done. I guess. She's still working at a vet school with pretty big groups.

Even when I was at A&M the freshman core lectures had 300 or more students. How would you socially distance that? What about dormitories with shared bathrooms? Dining halls? I'm glad I' don't work at a university. Unfortunately, a lot of my friends do. People keep saying that opening colleges is fine because the people being exposed are young, but faculty and professors are not all young, and service employees, and bus drivers, and all the stores, restaurants, bars and movie theaters in college towns might have older employees. And all those college students will go home and potentially spread disease.

My other daughter was at UT during (I think) H1N1. There were signs everywhere, wash your hands. She was careful. She got sick.

I think they should stay online.

Latest Discussions»Region Forums»Texas»Texas A&M is looking at S...