by Abigail Hess
Colleges across the country have begun to cancel classes among growing COVID-19, or coronavirus, fears. National Public Radio estimates that more than 600,000 students have been impacted.
One of the latest schools to shut its doors is Harvard.
On Tuesday, Harvard President Lawrence Bacow announced the school would transition to virtual classes for undergraduate and graduate students. He also said students would be asked not to return to campus following spring break and that the school would no longer be hosting non-essential gatherings of more than 25 people.
An email Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana sent that day clarified that students would be required to evacuate their dorms in five days. The move has highlighted the bold steps some schools are taking to address coronavirus — as well as the unintended impact of such actions.
Anil Bradley, a Harvard sophomore concentrating (the word Harvard students use in lieu of “majoring”) in physics and computer science from Long Island, N.Y., says that he and his roommates were blindsided by the announcement.
“We were all in shock at the short notice,” Bradley tells CNBC Make It. “I’m lucky enough to have a strong situation where my dad is able to drive up from New York and drive me home, but a lot of my friends who are low-income and rely on the university for housing and dining are having trouble with travel costs and even housing security.” Read more via CNBC
In addition to being disastrous for homeless and home insecure students and international students, it seems like a dangerous decision for students who live in, like, Seattle and now face a much higher chance of getting the virus than they did on a campus with no confirmed cases.
— Jackie (@JackieFrac) March 10, 2020
My school just canceled classes. I haven’t seen my biological family in almost 5 years because of consistent abuse. I’m wide awake and can’t sleep. If administration say we can’t stay on campus, then I’m automatically homeless. And hungry, too.
— June Eric-Udorie (@juneericudorie) March 11, 2020
Are universities considering that some college kids don’t have homes to go to? Like i met so many homeless students on campus...where are they supposed to go? Same with international students on scholarships and out of state students?? Do they get to stay?
— Phil Tangerine (@___PaigeWasHere) March 11, 2020
If students are homeless or if their options are not safe, they should be able to stay on campus or these schools can find safe spaces. Alumni and other networks can help with that but without comprehensive testing, we don't know who has or doesn't have this virus.
— Regina Walton (@ReginaWalton) March 11, 2020
Luckily the University of Toledo has not closed on campus housing in response to the #coronavirus. But UT should be warned, if they force our students who have no where else to go to be homeless like the University of Dayton, we will stand our ground. Riots are promised. https://t.co/tEUZxF0tH3
— Unethical side of UToledo University (@UnethicalToledo) March 11, 2020