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MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

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Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#141

Post by rurp »

pkaye wrote: post #46
teachrdan wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the point was, what happens to working class or poor students who don't have a stable home--with broadband, adequate study space, food, etc--to go back to? Those needs were covered by MIT while the students were on campus; will they be covered by MIT now that students are forced to leave? If not, it seems like this is a ham-fisted response that ignores the needs of students who don't come from comfortable bac…

The can make exceptions to allow students to stay: > Students who do not have a home to go to, or for whom going home would be unsafe given the circumstances of their home country or homelife.

That exception only specifies students with an "unsafe" home life. It doesn't say anything about students who aren't in danger at home but nevertheless will lose the income from a part time job, access to quiet study areas, good study partners, and many other significant downsides.

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#142

Post by chrisseaton »

smallnamespace wrote: post #76
CodesInChaos wrote: post #59

I never understood why US universities have so many more rights over their tenants than other landlords. Why do they have the right to terminate what's effectively a rental agreement with only a week's notice?

Many universities are either municipalities in their own right, or have delegated municipal powers from the city government. Universities are their own small towns - they provide food, housing, have police forces, a large staff, etc. Put it the other way around, does it make more sense for a city official to be calling the shots, when campuses have their own special context?

> have police forces

Literally their own police forces? How does that work? Where do they get the authority to be police from? Who are they sworn to?

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#143

Post by JMTQp8lwXL »

gumby wrote: post #63
JPKab wrote: post #2

One of my coworkers daughters is affected by this. The big question this begs: If there is no refund being offered for the content shifting online from in-person, why have in-person at all? Is room and board going to be refunded? If courses being taught online is an acceptable substitute, why have caps on admission at all? Edit: Understood that infinite sized classes aren't workable for human intensive grading, inter…

I don't think anyone believes online is an acceptable substitute to a traditional MIT education, but it's a lot better than nothing, and better than continuing the in person teaching. I'm an MIT grad and know the benefits of being on campus. In fact I spent more time in the lab than I did in classes or my dorm and that just isn't possible online. My son's school (Courant) has sent everyone home too, with online subst…

What about lab work that demands physical access to facilities and equipment? Not everything can be virtualized.

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#144

Post by generationP »

> Undergraduates who live in an MIT residence or fraternity, sorority or independent living group (FSILG) must begin packing and departing this Saturday, March 14. We are requiring undergraduates to depart from campus residences no later than noon on Tuesday, March 17.

This is strange. Isn't the travel they are forcing quite possibly a cure worse than the disease? And are they really expecting students (many of them international) to go home within a week, seeing that flights are getting cancelled all over the place?

They do seem to have reasonable exceptions for students who "have concerns that they would not be allowed to return to MIT due to visa issues" or who "will have difficulty returning to their home country if it has been hard-hit by COVID-19" or who "do not have a home to go to, or for whom going home would be unsafe given the circumstances of their home country or homelife". I'm wondering how reasonably these will be implemented, though.

In what way are dorms worse than personal homes for diseases anyway? Are they not trusting their students to prepare their own food? Why don't they just close the dining halls instead?

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#145

Post by LurkersWillLurk »

CodesInChaos wrote: post #59

I never understood why US universities have so many more rights over their tenants than other landlords. Why do they have the right to terminate what's effectively a rental agreement with only a week's notice?

Many states in the US have laws that specifically exempt colleges and universities from the majority of tenancy protections that regular landlords must abide by.

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#147

Post by zamfi »

allovernow wrote: post #109
chrisco255 wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every report I've read shows the risk factor for young adults is extremely low, and probably no worse than the ordinary flu. Closing down the school for a whole semester seems like an overreaction.

It's about containing the spread to spare risky populations and minimize hospital overload. Also the bit about being no worse than the flu is not true for any age group.

> Also the bit about being no worse than the flu is not true for any age group

It does appear to be true for the very young (ages 0-9), who are at relatively high risk from flu (especially <2), but at shockingly low risk at dying from COVID-19. Admittedly not the population in consideration here.

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#148

Post by Trasmatta »

chrisco255 wrote: post #113
smallgovt wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, I think it's likely going to be seen as an overreaction in hindsight by the general public (even though it may not be). If these actions are successful in curbing the virus' spread, most people won't appreciate how bad things could have really gotten.

So what do we do if this virus festers for another couple of years? We can't shut down society forever.

The goal at this point should be to flatten the curve as much as possible to prevent overwhelming healthcare until a vaccine is developed and tested. Nobody thinks this is going to be a permanent measure.

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#149

Post by Keverw »

chickenpotpie wrote: post #71
CodesInChaos wrote: post #59

I never understood why US universities have so many more rights over their tenants than other landlords. Why do they have the right to terminate what's effectively a rental agreement with only a week's notice?

I don't get it either. It was especially irritating at my university because the dorms were several thousand dollars a semester more expensive than larger, better apartments nearby, but they were the worst landlords I ever had. They would kick me out all the time, while still charging me rent. During finals week you had to be gone within 24 hours of taking your last final or be fined. If schools in the US aren't goin…

Be fined? Is that in a contract? Seems odd with private companies being able to fine people.

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#150

Post by thebruce87m »

mumblemumble wrote: post #51

The "empty out campus" bit seems a bit overmuch to me. What's the epidemiologists' take on something like this? I can see asking students who left for spring break not to come back. But asking students currently on campus to leave, and even demanding that they travel internationally, seems like it might just increase everyone's risk of exposure, and spread it around. Especially considering that, at least according to…

Two weeks ago today Italy had 322 cases. Today they have over 10,000. This thing moves fast. The situation will be very different a week from now so maybe their only a few days ahead of everyone else.

This site is good for tracking the data: https://studylib.net/coronavirus

Click on a country to see the graphs.

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