New York Colleges, Universities Mulling Over Offering In-Person Classes For Fall 2020
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Colleges and universities in our area are mulling over whether or not to provide in-person classes this fall.
While some are preparing to welcome students, others are waiting for more guidance from the state.
Griffin Harrington returned to Fordham University this week to clear out his dorm room. He doesn't know when he'll be back on campus.
"I do have the option of taking a gap year and letting coronavirus hopefully slow down so that things can come back to normal," he told CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas.
MORE: Fordham University Joins Growing List Of Colleges Going SAT, ACT Optional For Admissions
Fordham is giving students the option of returning in person or continuing online classes in the fall.
"If you're not ready, come in January, and if you're still not ready then, come in the beginning of the summer or come in September of the following year," university president Fr. Joseph McShane said.
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The University of Notre Dame in Indiana and Rice University in Houston are starting earlier in August, skipping fall break and ending the semester before Thanksgiving in preparation for a second wave of the virus.
NYU is creating ways to maintain social distancing on campus while vowing to conduct testing and contact tracing as it prepares to reopen.
Incoming freshman Alexandra Blanco is from Georgia and can't wait to arrive at her dream school.
"I'm majoring in drama. I want to be on Broadway, so it was the best pick. I also love New York," she said.
Alexandra's father, Jesse Blanco, hasn't changed their move-in plans for the end of August.
"We have to proceed with caution, and she's smart enough to know what's up," he said.
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The pandemic has already taken a financial toll on colleges and universities who won't begin to know the full impact on attendance until late September.
"So a lot of us are not sleeping that much," McShane said.
As for Griffin Harrington, he's headed home to Nashville, still unclear if he'll put his sophomore year on hold.
