CONAHEC News and Information

Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020

“Another” scientist has warned about ancient diseases released by melting permafrost in the Arctic Circle and the potential harm that could result. Adding to the list of scientists warning that climate change will spark a resurgence of ancient diseases, Dr Vladimir Romanovsky from the University of Alaska has now included smallpox, zika virus, and dengue, as conditions in the northern hemisphere become warmer and provide expanding livable habitats for the yellow fever mosquito that spreads all these diseases. Ancient diseases released by melting permafrost could cause new pandemics.

Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020

Can the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spread through dust particles? A recent study has raised this alarming possibility.

It has long been assumed that the airborne transmission of viruses, such as the one that causes COVID-19, occurs through the respiratory droplets emitted by infected person when they sneeze, cough or speak. But scientists have now demonstrated that airborne viruses can also move around via non-respiratory droplets, such as microscopic particles known as “aerosolized fomites.”

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020

Tens of thousands of prospective students hoping to get into Mexico’s largest public university on Wednesday began taking the notoriously competitive entrance exam for the National Autonomous University of Mexico, better known as the UNAM.

Held each year, it's the exam of a lifetime and and an annual rite: Only about one in 14 students will get into the undergraduate degree program.

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020

COVID-19 has affected many aspects of the post-secondary student experience. It is an essential time for marketers to be cognisant of prospective students’ anxiety about what school will look like and utilize the right tools to build trust and connect with students. Glacier and Academica Group’s annual White Paper Report, ‘State of Advertising to High School Students in 2020′, sheds light on Gen Z’s changing social media habits and how they respond to advertising.

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020

I taught my first university class (at the University of Illinois) the semester that John F. Kennedy was assassinated —57 years ago, and I am teaching probably my last this semester (at Ohio University). Of the more than 100 semesters in between, this is clearly the most memorable and trying. Let me list just ten problems facing universities this fall before commenting on the lasting impact of the pandemic.

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020

College sophomore Cameron Lynch has lived the past five months in a single square mile, only venturing outside her home a couple of times a week for early-morning or late-night walks. 

"It’s already a stressful time to be immunocompromised," said Lynch, who has Type 1 diabetes, celiac disease and a form of muscular dystrophy. "Now, a good portion of able-bodied people are going back to the way life was, leaving us behind."

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020

Colleges that are reopening campuses this fall know they’re bringing a higher risk of coronavirus to their community.

The questions aren’t really about if or when, but about how bad outbreaks could be – and whether having an in-person experience for students is worth the cost. With so much at stake, some students, parents and faculty are asking: Why take the risk at all? 

In many cases, it comes back to money. 

For months, colleges and experts have warned another semester of remote courses could have disastrous effects on student enrollment and college budgets.

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020

When Rutgers University announced most of its fall classes would be online amid the coronavirus pandemic, rising junior Shreya Patel checked for details on the school's website. "Will we get a refund?" she looked up in the Frequently Asked Questions section.

"They said no. That obviously made me mad," Patel told CNN.

"It just doesn't make sense to be paying such a high amount for something that's not being used to the full advantage."

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020

The number of new coronavirus cases in the U.S. climbed but remained below 50,000 for the fourth day in a row, as some universities and schools moved classes online to avoid campus outbreaks.

The U.S. on Tuesday reported more than 44,000 new coronavirus cases, up sharply from the previous day’s 35,112, but lower than recent peaks this month and in July, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Total cases in the U.S. approached 5.5 million, while the nation’s death toll neared 172,000.

Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020

Last month, I interviewed Tim Foster, President of Colorado Mesa University who told me about the University’s plan to hold tuition flat for the 2020-21 school year. In the weeks that followed, a growing number of institutions announced changes to their tuition and fee plans, as students (and institutions) grappled with the realities of an unprecedented academic year. Although College Pulse data suggests that some 90 percent of students expect tuition cuts for classes moved online, far fewer have announced plans to reduce the cost of tuition.

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