If the college/university opens this fall, then we’ll need…

…recognition that staff, if required to be on campus each day, are among the most likely to catch coronavirus, and they will struggle to handle the financial implications of being out of work

…plans to ensure a robust discussion inside and outside the classroom about the dual issues afflicting the U.S. this summer: racism and health

…sufficient opportunities for faculty, staff and students to visit the counseling center, which could quickly be overwhelmed (a reader correctly noted that faculty and staff should have been included on this; I’ve updated this section to reflect that)

…flexibility for faculty and staff to call off (or work from home) because a child is not allowed to go to school

…safeguards to protect Asian faculty, staff and students who could be subjected to racist taunts (akin to “Kung Flu”) as people around them adopt the language of our racist president (a reader correctly noted that faculty and staff should have been included on this; I’ve updated this section to reflect that)

…a quarantine location, where students will stay as they recover from coronavirus

…clearly defined policies regarding the research and service responsibilities for faculty who might be on campus half time or not at all

…regular cleaning of library and open computer labs, which we know are relied upon by many students to complete their work

…liberal policies allowing faculty and staff to bring their children to campus, should the K-12 or daycare environments be negatively affected by coronavirus

Help me add to this list. Post your comment in the reply box at the bottom of this page.