COVID-19 and Higher Ed: Biweekly Update

Updates from New England Institutions

Check out NEBHE's COVID-19 dashboard to explore how institutions are operating in Fall 2020 Click Here

New and Noteworthy: Spring 2021 Learning Modalities Fully Remote: 13 Hybrid: 27 In person: 16 Spring Break: Canceled at 31 institutions Note: We recently modified the display, which now includes a heat map and charts that show the number of cumulative COVID-19 cases on each campus.

Media Coverage of COVID-19-related Incidents at New England Institutions

According to the Pew Research Center, Americans are immersed in COVID-19 news, and most think the media are covering the pandemic well. This week, we take a deeper dive into how the media have reported on New England campuses' COVID-19 outbreaks, their disciplinary action for behavior violations, and on- and off-campus parties. Since the beginning of the fall semester, 11 colleges and universities in New England have received media attention for issues related to COVID-19 on campus. While each of these occurrences must be—and has been—handled seriously by the media, this digest aims to provide a clearer picture of that coverage. Note: All data are current as of November 5, 2020.

Click the images below to enlarge the resource. Key Takeaways Media Objectivity: There was significantly more media coverage at the start of the fall semester than there is now due to the the risks and uncertainties related to bringing students back to campus. While some campuses, including those mentioned in the resource below, did have significant coronavirus spreader events, we find that the media coverage of them has been largely impartial and objective. Current media focus: At this point in the semester, institutions are receiving media attention for primarily three things: their ability to quickly pivot their instruction modality when an outbreak occurs, their rigorous testing protocols, and their spring 2021 plans. Cumulative cases vs. positivity rates: While the cumulative positive cases at some institutions may seem quite high, it is important to keep in mind that the overall positivity rate remains below 1% at most campuses in New England. Most of those cases have recovered by now. The media in New England have highlighted indoor gatherings, indoor dining, and long-term care facilities as the primary sources of increasing cases across the region. Educational settings (both K-12 and higher education) have not been publicized as leading spreader locations.

For more, visit NEBHE's COVID-19 Resource Page

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