California state university system cancels fall classes on campus

[HobokenHusky]

It shouldn't at this point, but it really does amaze me how an entire state government can come to some sort of consensus that this is a reasonable decision to make on May 12th. Just completely defines all logic.

 

[UCTitleTown]

California goes to the extreme with everything they do. I'd never pay regular tuition for on-line learning, and unless I was a Senior, would seriously consider transferring.

 

[upstater]

I think many universities will do this but I will note to everyone reading this thread that U. Cal. officially put out a statement that read "The University of California system is not following California State University's example, at this point." This statement raised red alerts for me. If these decisions are indeed being made by the Chancellors of the state system and not by consultation with the Dept. of Education and Governor, if indeed the decisions are made separately for all public education systems, then how can we justify divergent responses to a public health issue?

This is why people start becoming suspicious especially in a state like California with its atypical demographics (high birth rate, younger population) and heavy tech-ed. industry. Cal. State is the less affluent system. I don't really believe this decision was made as a dry run for online education throughout the system but you would have to be naive not see that there are powerful interests and actors using this crisis as an opportunity. Again, it is not the reason why the decision was made. I don't believe that. But there are certainly people involved licking their chops.

 

[TXHuskyFan]

Did anyone listen to the head of the system talk about it or is everyone just relying on headlines and being shocked? He said he is doing this to allow the most of time for preparation and decision making. It is not easy to shift an entire system (well almost entire because they will still allow in person learning is some certain cases) to distance learning. Doing this now allows for the professors to prepare to enable the best possible learning situation. Most already know how to teach in person and are on cruise control in the classroom. It is more difficult to switch from in person to distance learning than the other way around. This allows professors time to adjust and prepare and make the best possible learning situation. Also, allows the students to make a decision about their future. Rather than enrolling, paying, and then being blindsided with distance learning at the last minute, they can decide yes or no, and then not have to worry about residential arrangements, etc that may fall through at the last minute. They know what they are signing up for. He made good arguments for making the decision now and living with it. Now for my additional take, I would think that that the Cal State program has a significant Asian population that will not allowed back into the country in August. This is a way for Cal State to receive payment and keep those students enrolled and able to “take classes” and more importantly pay. I may be wrong on that point as it’s my guess, but it’s a los easier to reach California from Asia than the east coast so it seems logical.

 

[Get a Job]

It shouldn't at this point, but it really does amaze me how an entire state government can come to some sort of consensus that this is a reasonable decision to make on May 12th. Just completely defines all logic.

I'm not just picking on you (I'm also picking on @JimHurley, for example) , but, with all due respect, no one on this board has any idea what plates the decision makers in California are spinning. It may or may not be the case that they are jumping the gun and being overly cautious in canceling fall on-campus classes, but to definitively state that the decision is premature, or crazy, or anything else is completely baseless. (Unless you are actually involved in the decision in California. In that case I take it all back.)

 

[JimHurley]

Did anyone listen to the head of the system talk about it or is everyone just relying on headlines and being shocked? He said he is doing this to allow the most of time for preparation and decision making. It is not easy to shift an entire system (well almost entire because they will still allow in person learning is some certain cases) to distance learning. Doing this now allows for the professors to prepare to enable the best possible learning situation. Most already know how to teach in person and are on cruise control in the classroom. It is more difficult to switch from in person to distance learning than the other way around. This allows professors time to adjust and prepare and make the best possible learning situation. Also, allows the students to make a decision about their future. Rather than enrolling, paying, and then being blindsided with distance learning at the last minute, they can decide yes or no, and then not have to worry about residential arrangements, etc that may fall through at the last minute. They know what they are signing up for. He made good arguments for making the decision now and living with it. Now for my additional take, I would think that that the Cal State program has a significant Asian population that will not allowed back into the country in August. This is a way for Cal State to receive payment and keep those students enrolled and able to “take classes” and more importantly pay. I may be wrong on that point as it’s my guess, but it’s a los easier to reach California from Asia than the east coast so it seems logical.

Schools that do fully online will fold, and fast. Kids will not pay full tuition for virtual learning. Tuition has gotten out of control for in person learning, never mind if it all has to be through a computer. Endowments will go down. No revenue from sports. Lots of colleges will not survive this and I think a lot of them know that.

 

[HobokenHusky]

I'm not just picking on you (I'm also picking on @JimHurley, for example) , but, with all due respect, no one on this board has any idea what plates the decision makers in California are spinning. It may or may not be the case that they are jumping the gun and being overly cautious in canceling fall on-campus classes, but to definitively state that the decision is premature, or crazy, or anything else is completely baseless. (Unless you are actually involved in the decision in California. In that case I take it all back.)

48 people ages 15-24 have died from Covid-19 in California to this point. Unsure what 17-22 looks like, but presumably even less. I understand there are also other workers and professors who are potentially in riskier buckets, and that these individuals come in contact with a wide variety of people throughout the course of their days. But those are the numbers we are talking about, and we are potentially putting 100,000's of people in terrible financial situations because of them. There have to be trade offs.

 

[Get a Job]

48 people ages 15-24 have died from Covid-19 in California to this point. Unsure what 17-22 looks like, but presumably even less. I understand there are also other workers and professors who are potentially in riskier buckets, and that these individuals come in contact with a wide variety of people throughout the course of their days. But those are the numbers we are talking about, and we are potentially putting 100,000's of people in terrible financial situations because of them. There have to be trade offs.

There are trade-offs, but you do not fully understand both sides of each one. Presumably the people involved in making the decision have a better handle on it. I am not saying you're wrong, because I can't know if you're wrong. I am ignorant just like you. I am simply saying we should all have some humility.

 

[8893]

I am simply saying we should all have some humility.

Good one!

 

[gtcam]

I'm not just picking on you (I'm also picking on @JimHurley, for example) , but, with all due respect, no one on this board has any idea what plates the decision makers in California are spinning. It may or may not be the case that they are jumping the gun and being overly cautious in canceling fall on-campus classes, but to definitively state that the decision is premature, or crazy, or anything else is completely baseless. (Unless you are actually involved in the decision in California. In that case I take it all back.)

Intelligent people can look at things from a distance and take into consideration past decision making trends from those affiliated with that business to make deductions/opinions.
Based on the governor of California, his affiliations with certain people and groups, I can easily see without reservations that his thumb in on the back of the state university system to force a decision such as this.
BTW, Newsome doesn't spin plates - he breaks them - because of where he came from and who he thinks he is - he can

 

[UconnU]

Closing schools makes no sense. The number of young adults being killed by the virus is close to zero. The CDC number is about one in a million for 18-24 year olds. Keep the kids and teachers with severe underlying conditions home doing online courses and let the rest go about business.

 

[upstater]

We have no idea about the downstream after effects of this virus. People are making statements without knowing a thing. Anyone reading about what this virus does is terrified right now.

 

[8893]

Based on the governor of California, his affiliations with certain people and groups, I can easily see without reservations that his thumb in on the back of the state university system to force a decision such as this.

LOL. Subtle.

 

[M.S.G.]

Yeah the self proclaimed "health experts" on the Yard are a bit presumptuous just because they read an article or went down a rabbit hole on YouTube.

All I know is what I see. If things continue the way they are going, public schools will NOT open in the fall. The teacher's union is as ruthless and iron clad as Jimmy Hoffa's regime. Also to be considered, as a high school teacher myself I have MANY colleagues who are in their mid 50's with varying issues, some even in their early 60's. I am not a tinfoil hat person, I follow the rules set aside by my state and I simply see things getting worse before they get better.

My wife is the director of research at a major hospital in the area and while she's overseeing a handful of COVID studies right now, there's nothing coming down the pike that is going to vaccinate anyone before 2021 and likely not even then.

I remember reading in the "How has your life changed...." thread when this was just starting, and one guy said, I am going to wash my hands LESS! These are the hardos that ruin it for everyone, the loudest guy in the room is not always right. I have been arguing with the idiots on my town FB forum for weeks (too much time on my hands, I know) a guy even DM'd me to ask me to meet him at Home Depot and fight him in the parking lot.

Just breathe, and let it all unfold.

 

[kibblesnbits]

Correct, but it’s not possible to avoid leaving the house completely. People need to eat. It’s when people go out and then stay confined in a house that they see the transmission.

Only because someone picked it up outside first. Once that happens they will transmit it at home regardless of whether there is a stay at home order or not. However, without stay at home they will also transmit it at work, restaurants and many other places.

 

[Adios]

How come people in South Korea and Japan don't cry about wearing masks?

 

[phillionaire]

How come people in South Korea and Japan don't cry about wearing masks?

obviously because they don't value freedom

 

[NJHusky]

Closing schools makes no sense. The number of young adults being killed by the virus is close to zero. The CDC number is about one in a million for 18-24 year olds. Keep the kids and teachers with severe underlying conditions home doing online courses and let the rest go about business.

You are using common sense...STOP THAT. We send age groups that are largely unaffected by this disease (in FL, zero fatalities under 25) away from their peers to live with their over 50 parents/ 70 grandparents to spread the disease rather than staying at school and building herd immunity. Then to compound the problem, we send knowingly infected people to nursing homes to to infect the most vulnerable part of the population. Lastly, we don't even test all incoming staff at these places so an infected worker can spread to the entire community. Yeh, I'm confident in our governors!!

 

[DayDayTFS]

It’s not about freedom, that’s just the easy argument... no matter what is done ppl in this country will always cry woe is me... wearing a mask isn’t just about the person wearing it...

 

[superjohn]

Closing schools makes no sense. The number of young adults being killed by the virus is close to zero. The CDC number is about one in a million for 18-24 year olds. Keep the kids and teachers with severe underlying conditions home doing online courses and let the rest go about business.

We have enough information on the ages of who dies. The #'s are miniscule for kids and just like with the elderly the young who die have comorbidities. There needs to be a risk/reward analysis for everything, I don't understand how destroying a generation of young people is worth it to save a miniscule amount of life. Teachers and students with serious health problems should stay home and we'll find another way to educate those students. Kids need to go back to school with safety measures in place.

 

[JimHurley]

Only because someone picked it up outside first. Once that happens they will transmit it at home regardless of whether there is a stay at home order or not. However, without stay at home they will also transmit it at work, restaurants and many other places.

Not with the use of PPE, social distancing, and common sense...restaurants utilizing outdoor only seating or leaving every other table open possess a low risk.

 

[navery12]

Lot of people who don't like talking politics getting awfully political in this thread

 

[Kemba15]

It didn't walk into their homes. Someone brought it in from outside transmission.

Which is why you do a better job of protecting the vulnerable while allowing others to get back to business. We can accomplish both.

 

[ZenConn]

COVID19 is a moving target so yes these particular goalposts are moving. The rest is a balance between preparation and priorities.

Indeed. C19 is a moving target and the longer this stays out in the wild, the more chance that it has for it to mutate and be more deadly. We should try our best to not spread this virus around just for the sake of exercising our freedoms. If anyone disregards this, they should be liable for the people they infect and waive the right for any public medical treatment.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Here are some of the terms people have used:

"completely defies all logic"

"insane"

"idiocy"

"goes to the extreme with everything"

Here's an explanation that suggests that this wasn't just a made up thing to provoke reactions, be crazy, or such. People's emotions can often erupt into their expressing themselves with exaggerated words. I don't think such words are accurate or helpful.

I don't know whether the Cal State closures are a good idea or a bad idea. I'm not surprised that there are conflicting reports, changes from prior decisions, and confusion.

Did anyone listen to the head of the system talk about it or is everyone just relying on headlines and being shocked? He said he is doing this to allow the most of time for preparation and decision making. It is not easy to shift an entire system (well almost entire because they will still allow in person learning is some certain cases) to distance learning. Doing this now allows for the professors to prepare to enable the best possible learning situation. Most already know how to teach in person and are on cruise control in the classroom. It is more difficult to switch from in person to distance learning than the other way around. This allows professors time to adjust and prepare and make the best possible learning situation. Also, allows the students to make a decision about their future. Rather than enrolling, paying, and then being blindsided with distance learning at the last minute, they can decide yes or no, and then not have to worry about residential arrangements, etc that may fall through at the last minute. They know what they are signing up for. He made good arguments for making the decision now...