The Fighting Irish And Their Fight for In-Person Classes

By Tim Kennedy The discussion about how and when K-12 will be returning for in-person instruction has dominated the policy debate over the past couple of weeks. However, little attention has been given to the other much larger elephant in the room, college campuses. Many higher-ed institution across the U.S., both private and public, have already resumed in-person instruction for the fall semester. And, some have already called it quits before the semester could take off. The University of North Carolina (UNC), one week into hybrid classes, announced an immediate shift to remote classes for all undergraduates. A week prior, 130 students tested positive for COVID-19. Students were encouraged to leave campus and the surrounding Chapel Hill community. University officials permitted campus residents to cancel their housing plans without facing any financial penalties. By taking an “off-ramp” approach, university administrators threw in the towel indefinitely. Other colleges and universities across the nation aborted their fall 2020 re-entry plans even before students were given a chance to step foot on campus, sometimes on relatively short notice. The George Washington University (GWU), located in the heart of Foggy Bottom D.C., planned to resume in-person instruction on Aug. 31. The University took various precautions, such as ensuring that all students returned home during Thanksgiving break, finishing up the last two weeks of the fall semester online in order to limit travel to and from campus. GWU’s plan was approved by the D.C. Office of Planning and Department of Health. However, on July 27, University President Thomas J. LeBlanc and his administration made the discussion to move all undergraduate courses online for the fall semester. Only a limited number of students, about one in four, would be permitted to stay on-campus. Those who had pre-arranged off-campus leases could either find a sub-leaser, return to D.C, or absorb the cost and stay home. While many universities have given into the fear COVID-19 projects, others are fighting tooth and nail to keep their students on campus. Notre Dame University, located in South Bend, Indiana, made headlines early in the summer, becoming one of the first universities to announce plans to move-up in-person instruction to Aug. 10. All returning students were required to submit a negative COVID-19 test prior to their arrival. Once on campus, students were encouraged to follow CDC guidelines, such as avoiding large gatherings and staying 6 feet apart. The university also mandated that all students, staff, and faculty wear masks at all time both inside and outside, unless within their own room or office. Officials also rolled out a comprehensive contact tracing strategy. Once a day, typically before 9 a.m., students are required to log their symptoms through Notre Dame’s Return to Campus Advisor website. Should a student experience major symptoms, such as a fever, shortness of breath, and/or loss of taste and smell, they will be given a “red pass” and required to report to an on-campus testing site. In these cases, the university uses rapid testing. Should a student test positive for COVID-19, they will immediately be put into isolation, where they will remain for at least 10 days. If they test negative, they are then swabbed for a PCR test and sent into quarantine for up to seven days. To the surprise of few, Notre Dame was not immune to many of the imperfections plaguing America’s higher-ed reentry strategies. On the first day of classes, six individuals had tested positive for COVID-19. By the start of the next week, that number had risen to 102 cases. University administrators quickly traced the outbreak to various off-campus parties. Different from UNC, Notre Dame President Father John Jenkins employed a strategy designed to slow the spread of the virus. Within days the university temporarily transitioned to online classes for a two-week period. During which time off-campus students were barred from stepping foot on campus. Since Aug. 21 the university has conducted more than 5,000 surveillance tests on random segments of the on-campus population. The university’s strategy seems to have paid off thus far, as the number of positive tests has begun to level off with only one case reported on Monday. By this week, nearly all classes have resumed in-person instruction. In a letter sent to all students on Tuesday, Provost Dr. Marie Miranda touted the University’s apparent success; Today we noted a combined seven-day moving average of 3.7 daily cases, something that might not have seemed possible just a few weeks ago. While there is no room for complacency, we are cautiously optimistic that we have regained our footing. Not only have in-person classes resumed, but university administrators are still committed in their pursuit of sponsoring a football season for the Fighting Irish this fall. Notre Dame, St. Mary’s College, and Holly Cross students are the only ones allowed to fill the stands this season. Jack Malec, 20, is a junior at Notre Dame studying mechanical engineering who tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 18. He spent 10 days in isolation at the Landings, an apartment complex turned isolation ward adjacent to Notre Dame’s campus. Jack was permitted to re-enter the Notre Dame community on Aug. 28 and by Monday was back in class with the rest of his peers. When asked about the student bodies outlook towards a 2020 football season, he expressed that he and his fellow Fighting Irish are, “overwhelmingly happy and excited” to regain a bit of normalcy. Although Notre Dame’s success story provides us with insight into how patients and determination can eventually lead to positive results for re-opening, Joe Biden has wasted no time badgering President Trump on his K-12 policies. In July the Biden campaign presented “five key steps” to reopening schools this fall and continues to stress how the president has taken none of their recommendations into consideration. This could not be further from the truth, given that many of the campaign’s so-called “authentic” recommendations could already be found almost word-for-word on the Center for Diseases Control’s (CDC) website. Especially the section advocating for federal officials to defer judgment to, “state, tribal, territorial, and local health officials.” President Trump has gone on the record noting how children seem to fair better against the virus. As discussed by Speaker Gingrich during his podcast a few weeks ago, President Trump’s official campaign twitter account, Team Trump, was temporarily suspended after sharing a video from a Fox &Friends interview. During the interview, President Trump asserted that children were “almost immune” to the virus. According to the CDC, those between the ages of 5-17 account for 6.4 percent of total COVID-19 cases. If in-person learning at America’s college and universities has shown us anything thus far, it’s that any and all initiatives are bound to hit roadblocks eventually. However, it’s what direction administrators choose to take when they hit a fork in the road that matters most. Notre Dame’s strategy, whether by chance or not, seems to have alleviated tension. Order Newt's Latest Book: https://www.gingrich360.com/trump-and-the-american-future