Why or why did they open universities

[Alex50]

Universities should all have been online this year, students should never have been encouraged to go. It’s a recipe for disaster. The students will eventually come home as they can’t keep locking the students away week after week.

@Smallereveryday what are you talking about? I live in the South I don't know anyone who has kept their kids at home this year. Everyone has felt strongly they need to have that uni experience. Moreover, my son has gone to uni in Oxford, which is still considered in the South, and there's been quite a significant outbreak there. However I know kids who've gone to Reading, Southampton, Bournemouth and so on and there have been no significant outbreaks. I can't explain why.

Students are voting with their feet. Many don't actually want face to face teaching right now and a fair few are also angry and believe they are being exploited by universities. I taught two sessions earlier today attended by three and one students respectively. Most of the rest emailed me to say they didn't feel safe to attend and would be staying away. And in the last week two out of one group have also tested positive for COVID.

@MarieIVanArkleStinks

Students are voting with their feet. Many don't actually want face to face teaching right now and a fair few are also angry and believe they are being exploited by universities. I taught two sessions earlier today attended by three and one students respectively. Most of the rest emailed me to say they didn't feel safe to attend and would be staying away. And in the last week two out of one group have also tested positive for COVID.

I have permission from my lecturers not to attend campus. I don't fear the virus, I'm not worried about catching it... I'm simply unable to cope with the way the world is now without having awful panic attacks, unable to wear a mask because of PTSD and even being out in the world surrounded by them triggers panic attacks.

Not all of us are staying away because of fear of what you think. I'm desperate to go in for my taught modules - one of them is my favourite aspect of the entire course, something I find challenging but incredibly satisfying once my brain gets around it - but I just can't anymore... I struggle to get around Tesco.

@AlecTrevelyan006

loads of young people getting covid helps us move towards herd immunity

I am suspicious of motives. The government must have known what would happen if schools and universities went back with little mitigation. There are reports of university students in ICU now. www.facebook.com/107654667059/posts/10157950399747060/

Above link is from Manchester evening news.

Domina That must be incredibly tough. I've also heard similar stories, especially surrounding the March-June lockdown and the horrible impact that had on the mental health of so many students. I really feel for this generation of undergraduates. You have it hard.

Dd 2nd year is having a great time - or was before her boyfriend and the rest of her house tested positive for cv

She hates online teaching though.

@AlecTrevelyan006

loads of young people getting covid helps us move towards herd immunity

This is my thought. Schoolchildren and students are basically guinea pigs. As they are "less at risk" than other groups I think they are being used to build herd immunity. But these children and young people are spreading it to their families more than the government expected, hence the shitshow since they have gone back to school/uni.

Well if dd gets it this week, she'll be free and clear by Christmas so can come home and hug grandma with impunity.

@AlecTrevelyan006

loads of young people getting covid helps us move towards herd immunity

Nit much fun for those students in intensive care assuming this is correct.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-students-in-intensive-care-19068537

In answer to Op it's all about the money!

Oops. Sorry posted before reading full thread.

I know there are millions of different views but threads like these had often made me so distressed for my DS, so here is his experience to add in to the mix.

He couldn't stand being at home for one more minute, this was his moment and he was desperate to get away. No it's not what it could have been but he's planning on adding in an extra year to his degree now so he gets the most of it eventually. There aren't all the clubs and societies like they were but he's making some friends through group chats for the ones he will join and making other friends through going for runs and other outdoor things. His flatmates are lovely and at least one of them is on his course so he has a study buddy. Out of his 20 hours a week of lectures 2 are still in person and he's loving that aspect, also having a good bedroom to himself with proper desk because he'd struggle for the space to study that much online and his extra work here.

The uni he is at are bending over backwards to provide different things that they can actually do, there's a real sense that they care for these young adults and are trying really hard to make the most of it for them and look after them.

Yeah it's all a bit shit but he's learning how to be independent and how to feed himself on a budget, he's teaching himself how to cook and how to travel around a city (we are rural). I'm quite pleased for him whilst standing by the front door with my car keys ready to swoop in and get him the minute he wants me to

@Vikingess

Greed. Universities are a business who exist to make profit.

And everyone else works for charitable purposes and the greater good? You give all your earnings to charity, do you?

In what insane version of the economy is it greed to run a business to make a profit? The lack of understanding of how the economy works on here is absolutely terrifying sometimes.

TheOnly yep. It’s ridiculous

In what insane version of the economy is it greed to run a business to make a profit?

I’m guessing the poster is among the clueless wonders on here, who thinks our public services (including wage bills) are funded by magic money trees in the sky that magically transfer to bank accounts,

When they went to uni this year they new it would be the full uni experience. Also it didn’t take a genius to realise that going back would cause problems.
Having said that I do think that students should have been given the opportunity to go if they wanted to. No easy answer to this.

Because the government insisted on it and the universities are too scared to say no.
Universities can stay open while teaching online for a year. It's just wilfully stupid to keep on.with face to face.

@Janevaljane

Well if dd gets it this week, she'll be free and clear by Christmas so can come home and hug grandma with impunity.

Have you seen any evidence the immunity will last this long (genuine question)?

Because the government told us to open and offer f2f teaching.

Because the students told us they wanted f2f teaching.

Because the government fucked up A level results and then told us to take all students we'd made offers to.

Because the government refused to offer any financial bail out to the sector and despite what people think, were not rolling in the cash.

Because not all students have decent internet access or private study spaces

Because lots of subjects don't work well being taught exclusively online

We can't win. Earlier in the year there were a number of very nasty threads calling university staff , specifically academics, lazy and incompetent for considering offering only online. Now we're irresponsible 🤷🏼‍♀️

Universities can stay open while teaching online for a year. It's just wilfully stupid to keep on.with face to face.

But they can’t afford that.

They need income from uni residences and all the other stuff around campus. Students won’t pay £9,000 for zoom lectures.

Noone knows for sure do they?
The government website says she'd "probably have some immunity". this article says at least 3 months

Because my DD's deserve to be educated!!! They are paying a fortune for a crap education and signed their accommodation contracts before covid was even a thing (last December). Their futures are basically being wrecked because people are having family parties and bbqs. They are in their student houses not socialising

The universities don't need to close halls if teaching goes online for a year. About half of students might stay on anyway for social side and access to other uni resources. That would allow for less sense populations and better management for those who choose to stay or don't have a safe/comfortable home.

The universities don't need to close halls if teaching goes online for a year.

And how many would have paid for accommodation if they’d known that was the deal?

and access to other uni resources

What would be open if lectures aren’t and socialising is extremely restricted?

I wonder where all the DCs who are having a wonderful time are going to Uni? Certainly not Manchester, Liverpool, Lancaster, Leeds, Newcastle... I’m sure. There’ll be no mixing between different flats here, no social events, hell from Monday they won’t even be able to go out for tea!