Students Must Adjust As Universities, Colleges Pivot Back To Virtual Learning Due To Surging COVID-19 Cases
TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) — Many of the colleges and universities in Maryland are pivoting back to virtual learning, ramping up testing or sending students home until the surge in COVID-19 cases is under control.
Gov. Larry Hogan gave college students a warning as the holiday season approaches, to get tested especially if you have been living away from your family.
"If you're a college student planning on returning home, get a test," he said. "If you are planning to spend any time around your grandparents, get a test. If you are returning from any out-of-state travel, get a test."
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Students from Towson University said they have all kinds of concerns about the public health crisis. Even though schooling has been mainly virtual, many are worried about being home too.
"Things being online, uncertainty about school housing, uncertainty at home, the virus the pandemic it's hard to balance everything," sophomore Nick Hoch said.
Mount St. Mary's University still has a hybrid model with students only on campus a limited number of days per week. Much of the classwork is online.
"Throughout the semester, less and less people have been going in person and more people started going online," freshman Maria Cary said.
The University of Maryland College Park tweeted Friday almost all undergraduate classes will transition to online instruction from now through the end of the semester.
Due to an alarming spike in #COVID19 cases in our state and county, nearly all #UMD undergraduate courses will transition to online instruction, effective Mon., Nov. 16 through the rest of the semester. https://t.co/rhDn373QU4 pic.twitter.com/CQg9UQ8ivD
— Univ. of Maryland (@UofMaryland) November 13, 2020
Loyola University Maryland is also all virtual this semester.
"If some students do get infected, we will be testing them frequently enough that we'll be able to keep those incidents from becoming outbreaks," the university's senior vice president of advancement Terry Sawyer said.
Many students admit they don't know what the future holds. Still, they accept that announcements from their schools are subject to change.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.