COVID - 19 Update: Higher Learning on Hold?

As we enter nearly 5 months of the COVID-19 pandemic,  the state of New York has been one of the few  steady in its phases of reopening.  At phase 3 New Yorkers can now eat in restaurants in an outdoor setting, get a tattoo, go to spas and nail salons to name a few.  Although it is hopeful that establishments are open for business, many normal day to day activities are still being questioned and there is a big uncertainty in regards to school reopening in the Fall especially colleges and universities.  These institutions are the most at risk because of the high student population as well as on site dorming and daily interaction. Many fear that with an unstable grasp on flattening the curve within the United States, we may see a resurgence of cases which would then coincide with the flu season. Colleges such as Rutgers, Harvard, Princeton and Georgetown have stated that most of their courses will be held online with limited in person classes.  In addition, President Trump’s administration recently announced a ban on international students from attending U.S. colleges in the fall if they only take online classes.  This puts both international students, colleges and universities at a disadvantage.  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE’S orders for International students to take in-person classes in fear of deportation puts students' lives at risk.  This also forces colleges and universities to prematurely open up their campuses when they may not be ready to do so.  These orders had been established after colleges and universities spent months planning out their re-openings.  ICE states that their decision was intended to “maximize flexibility “ for students to continue their studies, while attempting to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transition by not admitting students into the country who do not need to be present to attend classes in-person.  However this did not come off as such.  This has led to  18 states suing to block the Trump administration’s visa rule.  On one hand colleges and universities  state they want students to be safe during this pandemic while also providing the standard of higher education students pay for.  On the other hand their hands are tied with international students being an essential portion of their finances. 

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