MOSTLY SPARED,
HARTWICK WILL
STILL GO REMOTE
With Only 2 Cases, Drugovich
Announces ‘Precautionary Step’
ONEONTA – With only two cases, compared to SUNY Oneonta’s 245 (as of now), Hartwick College President Margaret L. Drugovich nonetheless announced a few minutes ago the college is immediately switching to all-remote instruction for 14 days as a precaution, through Sept. 15.
“Because of the sudden and steep increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Oneonta community, we have decided to commence remote instruction only,” she said. “We are taking this step as a precautionary measure to protect the health of all members of our campus-based community.
“This adaptation was anticipated in, and is consistent with, our Reopening Plan,” she said.
Both Hartwick students who have tested positive are isolating at their homes outside of the City of Oneonta. Contact tracing is being conducted by the county Department of Health with the assistance of the College’s Perrella Health Center.
“We want to take every step that we can now to stop possible further spread of the virus,” Drugovich wrote to students and employees. “Our campus-based testing protocol (every two weeks until Nov. 20) will continue. If you have any concerns about your health or potential exposure, I encourage you to also take advantage of the rapid testing sites that have been established by New York State in Oneonta.”
Residential students were informed that they should plan to remain on campus. Dining services continue, and all students not in quarantine will continue to have access to the campus and its facilities.
The College has a Reopening Plan that includes preparation for a hybrid semester of in-person and remote learning, and has followed its Plan, which included SARS CoV-2 PCR testing of every campus member. Hartwick also put in place extensive measures to provide socially-distanced classrooms and campus offices. Students were required to bring a negative test with them before entry to campus, and students were tested again upon returning to campus. All employees were also tested last week. All campus-based students and employees will be tested every two weeks henceforth.
How does having the students remain on campus protect them …
“ Residential students were informed that they should plan to remain on campus. Dining services continue, and all students not in quarantine will continue to have access to the campus and its facilities.”
Allowing them to stay on campus and “have full access to the campus and it’s facilities“ only protects the faculty that now can work only remotely. It does NOT protect our children at all. In my humble opinion students are being told to remain on campus so that Hartwick college does not have to issue refunds – which is in their contract, applying to after a certain date on campus for room and board. Students and parents were given very, very TINY refunds last semester on their UNUSED room and board.
Please tell the community, the parents and the students, how allowing full occupation of the entire campus and all facilities by the students will slow the spread of this virus? These students should be sent home, all of them.