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Live Tweeting the @umich covid briefing today (thread)
Schlissel opens: Plan for winter semester was announced this morning. COVID-19 spread higher now than ever, at UM, in MI, in USA. Hospitals filling again.
"Classrooms and campus facilities were safe this semester." but nevertheless spread "got to a level that threatened our publichealth capacity." Blames student noncompliance, parties INSIDE quarantine, etc...
Plans today reflect feedback from many. Input was conflicting (trying to get off the hook for any disagreement). "Testing was an important tool" that they need to expand dramatically. Yeah. Like we all told you all summer and Fall.
He's listing all the people he talked to and got input from. But not crediting any of them with the ideas; "we've" done the things.
"only courses that must be taught in person" this winter, and no instructor required to teach in person if they don't want to. I.e. things they refused to give us before/during the @geo3550 strike.
He's just reciting the text of the plan on the website rn, speaking faster than I can type. Go read it for details, stay here for snark and coverage of his off-script comments.
Here's the plan text: https://campusblueprint.umich.edu/winter-term-plan/
Dean Bowman, talking about public health: "We are experiencing a novel coronavirus" (eyeroll it's a little late for that line). He doesn't anticipate a vaccine will be available and effective in time.
He's showing MI state trends, quoting Governor. "record," "unprecidented" case counts, hospitalization, from every region and age group. "since late september we've been on a really really steep increase" in hospital cases
He's showing national models of daily death counts through February 2021. "we may experience 100 deaths per day here in the state of Michigan." (Wow, finally UM people are admitting death is a thing. Wish they did that sooner.)
He's showing other coronavirus seasonal trends. worse in winters. (he's implicitly justifying why we need more restrictions to the right wing, open everything up crowd. Good.)
Now showing case count over time by age group at UM. Red is 22 or younger. Welp. Undergrads seem to be the main population affected within the university. He's blaming parties, but also "high density living arrangements" i.e. dorms, frats that UM chose to reopen.
He's showing predictive models specific to UM now, what cases would look like with different policies this winter. Yes! Finally! This is what we needed and what @geo3550 demanded 6+ months ago. This is what "public health informed" should mean.
Dean Gallimore talking about survey results now: he's committee chair, committee had student life, faculty on it. also surveys and focus group input. (Okay, but the surveys I saw were shit so I don't really care how many groups they sent them to...)
Results of student survey: 83% undergrads say in person is better, >70% say workload was too high. Top concern for winter for undergrads: access to libraries or study spaces. If we go fully remote, only 75% will stay enrolled. Many unsure.
Survey of instructors (inc. "around 3,000 GSIs", + lectures, TT faculty): concerns for safety drove decisions to be online. GSI's most likely to say classes are worse than expected than faculty (duh, we have to do the work!)
Staff survey: 506 staff asked, they know this is not representative. 38% fully remote work right now. 63% "somewhat" or "strongly" confident in U's direction. Top concerns mostly wellbeing of people, with #5 being university finances.
Recommendations from his committee: Avoid mid-semester changes. support students doing research on campus, let important things be taught in person, (there are 11 recs in the report, but he wasted a bunch of time on crosstabs of response rates so cant say them here)
Provost Collins on instruction: "reasonable people will weight those considerations differently." (way to not own your decisions. ugh) She's talking about how much input she received, like all the others. "We are not making changes... for graduate and professional students."
"Classes have been safe, and the changes we made to minimize risk have worked well" but it was nevertheless stressful. So, now they're finally saying no one will be made to teach in person against their will. (Finally.) Hybrid was very hard to teach, expect less will opt for it.
They added "two break days" to the Winter schedule, to reduce people's stress. Many have reported heavier work load than usual. (I doubt two random days off will help...) Asking faculty to announce class modality early, not change it later for student clarity.
Added 3 paid days off, restored some retirement benefits, restored some professional development and discretionary spending. (Yay! Maybe moving away from austerity mindset?)
Schlissel: all the survey data from Dean G. is posted on the maize and Blueprint website.
M. Harmon on student life: opens thanking students, parents, families, faculty, staff for feedback. Encourages every undergrad who can not to come back to AA in the winter. "grad students may remain" (as if we had another place to go? This is our permanent home!)
Undergrad dorms all single occupancy, students who need it for many various reasons must apply. @UMResstaff get to stay. Lowering the undergrad pop will help with the shortage of res staff (who quit because awful working conditions!)
Finally admitted spread existed "amongst roommates" (ummmm how did you not see that coming?) "we have heard extensively" that we need to reduce density (lmao finally listened, eh?)
Now he's talking about strict enforcement. Over 1,600 covid violations this fall. Some people kicked out of housing. "even firmer and more stringent enforcement and disciplinary measures" coming in the winter. (ugh don't punish. Build a better structure, see better behavior.)
mandatory testing will be enforced, refusal to participate may result in contract termination. They're not dining in person: @MDiningWorkers will be working in a grab and go environment only. (yay!) They're reopening rec sports facilities (??? or not...)
Emily Martin: Reiterates the universal testing policies from the website. Grads living on campus must also get regular testing, same for grads that come to campus for work etc. Weekly testing available for others, but not required.
Preeti Malani: "things are better, but we're still having cases, we're still having clusters." "we really need to be vigilant." They're concerned that because it is nice out, people will spread the virus. (Seems backward -- out in a park is safer than indoors...)
She acknowledges how hard it has been, how we've made hard choices, "frankly imperfect choices" that have been "unfair." Mental health issues real, worse during the pandemic. Celebrates the two "well being days." Announces expansion of CAPS (no details on that)
CAPS is hiring 8 more councilors. (yay! They were chronically understaffed even before the pandemic. Constant memes about being told to wait a month for urgent needs.) Rec sports open, exercise good. Flu shots are free, important, please get them (yes please!)
Q&A: how will more online classes effect international students?
Collins: if the current immigration guidance doesn't change, then only first semester int'l students need in one person class.
Class formats known before registration opens.
Collins: if the current immigration guidance doesn't change, then only first semester int'l students need in one person class.
Class formats known before registration opens.
Q: is there evidence that undergrads are infecting the local community?
Bowman: We're working with the county. "there hasn't been evidence of crossover" from undergrads to county. (doesn't sound like he has any data to answer this question, talking from his ass.)
Bowman: We're working with the county. "there hasn't been evidence of crossover" from undergrads to county. (doesn't sound like he has any data to answer this question, talking from his ass.)
Martin follows up on same Q: we need to try hard not to bring this back to our families, communities, etc. "as we leave the university community and go out" (yes, thank you Dr. Martin!)
Q: how is the U helping first years with isolation?
Harmon: saying vague things about "creative approaches." opened community and multicultural lounges "on a reservation basis."
Gallimore: student orgs key. So is research. (opposes to our bans on undergrad on campus research??)
Harmon: saying vague things about "creative approaches." opened community and multicultural lounges "on a reservation basis."
Gallimore: student orgs key. So is research. (opposes to our bans on undergrad on campus research??)
Q: for undergrads who already left, how do they get their belongings back?
Harmon: make arrangements to come back and get them. Or else you can (pay to?) have them packed/shipped. Talk to housing.
Harmon: make arrangements to come back and get them. Or else you can (pay to?) have them packed/shipped. Talk to housing.
Q: how would a vaccine change winter plans?
Schlissel: if it was approved and effective, we would be more confident, optimistic. But it would not change winter semester. Distribution nation wide is slow, hard.
Schlissel: if it was approved and effective, we would be more confident, optimistic. But it would not change winter semester. Distribution nation wide is slow, hard.
Schlissel: winter plan "is not one that is going to result in a normal circumstance." "feel badly" for undergrads who don't get "full Michigan residential experience." Knows fall was not that experience either.
Schlissel: "It's not anyone's fault. It's the virus's fault." (Your policy is your fault. Especially as you ignored so many people asking for better policies.)
Meeting over now. My general take: this is a number of huge steps in the right direction, that so many of us called for over the Summer and through the Fall. It sucks that it took so long, that they literally sued students to resist implementing these policies. But this is good.
