UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE STATE
HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO
CONDUCT CLASSES ONLINE FOLLOWING
SPRING BREAK, AT LEAST THROUGH
APRIL 10.
IN TONIGHT'S CLOSER LOOK, WE
CHECK IN WITH THE ASSOCIATE
VICE-CHANCELLOR AND EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY HEALTH
SERVICES AT UW-MADISON JAKE
BAGGOTT FOR MORE.
FIRST, HAS UW-MADISON HAS ANY
SUSPECTED OR CONFIRMED CASES OF
CORONAVIRUS AT THIS POINT?
>> WE'VE HAD A FEW CASES THAT WE
SUSPECTED BUT ALL THE TESTS NOW
ARE NEGATIVE AND SO WE HAVE NO
POSITIVE CASES WITH STUDENTS ON
CAMPUS.
>> OKAY.
AND SO AS OF CLOSE OF CLASS
TODAY, SPRING BREAK STARTS FOR
THESE STUDENTS FOR ONE WEEK.
AND THEN WHAT?
>> SO RIGHT.
SO WE'VE PREPARED STUDENTS FOR
THE IDEA THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE
SHIFTING TO AN ONLINE DELIVERY
OF ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION.
WE'VE ASKED THEM TO TAKE THEIR
MATERIALS FROM THEIR RESIDENCE
HALLS, APARTMENTS IF THEY'RE
TRAVELING AWAY AND TO BE
PREPARED TO RESUME ACADEMIC
INSTRUCTION IN AN ONLINE MODE OR
OTHER ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY
METHOD WHEN SPRING BREAKS TERM
ENDS.
>> WHY DID THE UNIVERSITY MAKE
THIS DECISION AT THIS TIME?
>> SO IT'S A CAREFULLY
CONSIDERED DECISION, CONSIDERING
OUR PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENT, THE
QUICKLY-DEVELOPING CIRCUMSTANCES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH THE
INFLUENZA AND THEN RECOGNIZING
THAT IF WE CAN GET IN FRONT OF
THIS AND CONTROL THE POTENTIAL
RISK, THAT WE CAN BETTER PROTECT
OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR STUDENTS
THAT WE HAVE.
>> SO IT WOULD DELAY ANY KIND OF
SURGE IN CASES THAT WERE
REPRESENTED BY THE UW-MADISON
COMMUNITY, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
THESE STUDENTS RETURN?
>> CERTAINLY.
WELL, AND WHAT WE HOPE AND WHAT
WE'VE ASKED IS THAT STUDENTS BE
PREPARED TO STAY AT HOME.
SO AS THE SITUATION DEVELOPS AND
WE CONTINUE TO ASSESS THAT, WE
MAY NEED TO MAKE A DECISION TO
CONTINUE THAT THROUGH THE
BALANCE OF THE SEMESTER.
WE'RE PREPARING AS IF THAT'S
GOING TO BE THE CASE.
>> THE BALANCE OF THE SEMESTER?
>> TEACHING ONLINE, RIGHT.
WE'LL REEVALUATE THE EARLY PART
OF APRIL AND DETERMINE IS THAT
STILL THE APPROPRIATE PATH FOR
US AND HOW DO WE BEST SUPPORT
THAT.
SO WE'RE PREPARED FOR THAT
CONTINGENCY.
SO STUDENTS, MOST WON'T RETURN
NECESSARILY TO THE COMMUNITY.
SOME WILL.
WE'VE ENCOURAGED THEM NOT TO
TRAVEL IF THAT'S THE CASE, IF
THEY'RE ALREADY RESIDING HERE IN
THE COMMUNITY.
THE RESIDENCE HALLS IS ONE OF
OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES.
>> RIGHT.
HOW MANY STUDENTS LIVE IN THE
DORMS THAT THIS WOULD AFFECT
THAT THEY LITERALLY HAD TO MOVE
OUT OF THEIR DORM ROOM?
>> WE HAVEN'T ASKED THEM TO MOVE
OUT, BUT TAKE THE THINGS THEY
NEED FOR THEIR INSTRUCTION.
7,000 STUDENTS RESIDE IN THE
RESIDENCE HALLS.
BECAUSE OF THE DEMAND FOR THOSE,
THEY'RE GENERALLY VERY FULL.
>> WHAT PROVISIONS FOR STUDENTS
WHO CAN'T LEAVE THEIR DORMS OR
STAY OFF CAMPUS?
>> RIGHT.
SO WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE
CERTAIN STUDENTS WHO WILL NOT BE
ABLE TO TRAVEL OR THEY MIGHT BE
IN SITUATIONS THAT GOING HOME
WOULD PUT THEM AT A DISADVANTAGE
IN TERMS OF CONTINUING THEIR
EDUCATION ONLINE BECAUSE OF
ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY AND SO
FORTH.
SO WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE TO
CONSIDER HOW TO CONTINUE TO
HOUSE THEM IN THE RESIDENCE
HALLS.
BUT THOSE NUMBERS WILL BE
CONSIDERABLY LESS.
>> DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY?
>> WE EXPECT 1,000 TO 2,000.
THERE'S AN ONGOING PROCESS FOR
APPLYING FOR THAT ABILITY TO
RETAIN THAT.
WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS THAT WE
THINK WILL MAKE UP A CERTAIN
PORTION OF THAT.
>> HOW PREPARED ARE PROFESSORS
AND OTHER INSTRUCTORS TO TEACH
CLASSES ONLINE?
>> YEAH.
SO THAT'S GOING TO VARY.
SOME HAVE ALREADY BEEN USING
THAT TECHNOLOGY, WILL DO WELL.
WE'VE GOT A TEAM ALREADY WORKING
WITH THAT TECHNOLOGY AND THAT
SUPPORT.
SO SOME OF THOSE CLASSES WILL
START OFF VERY, VERY SMOOTHLY,
WITH NO INTERRUPTION
AND OTHERS MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE
MORE TIME TO GET FULLY
FUNCTIONAL.
BUT WE FEEL LIKE OUR FACULTY
WILL ADAPT TO THAT AND
UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY FOR
THAT.
>> SHOULD STUDENTS ACTUALLY
RETURN TO CAMPUS AROUND THAT
APRIL 10 DATE AND SHOULD THEY BE
COMING FROM PLACES LIKE NEW
ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, OR
WASHINGTON STATE, WOULD THERE
THEN BE SOME PROCESS WHERE THEY
WOULD BE TESTED FOR CORONAVIRUS
UPON THEIR RETURN?
>> SURE.
SO THE GUIDANCE RIGHT NOW -- AND
IT COULD CHANGE, OF COURSE, BUT
THE GUIDANCE RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE
WHO ARE RETURNING FROM AREAS
WHERE CDC HAS CONFIRMED THERE IS
COMMUNITY SPREAD, WE WOULD ASK
THEM TO SELF-QUARANTINE THAT
POINT.
THAT'S A 14-DAY PERIOD.
THAT WOULD REQUIRE THEM TO STAY
PRETTY MUCH WITHIN WHEREVER
THEY'RE GOING TO BE RESIDING
DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME UNTIL
THEY COULD BE FULLY ENGAGED IN
THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THAT SHOULDN'T INTERRUPT
ONLINE LEARNING THAT MIGHT BE
GOING ON.
>> WHY ARE STAFF NOT WORKING
REMOTELY AT THIS POINT UNLESS
THERE'S CHANGING GUIDANCE ON
THAT?
>> SOME STAFF ARE.
ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS IS NOT
PUTTING OUR EMPLOYEES AND STAFF
AT ANY NECESSARY RISK.
AND SO WE'VE HAD SOME EMPLOYEES
WHO HAVE ALREADY TRANSITIONED TO
ONLINE.
THAT WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AS
A POSSIBILITY AS CIRCUMSTANCES
WARRANT.
AND SO THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN AN
OPTION.
IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS
BEEN WIDESPREAD.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL LEAVE IT THERE.
JAKE