Univ. of Washington will shift more than 90% of classes online this fall

The “Amazon Auditorium” at the UW’s computer science school. (GeekWire Photo / Taylor Soper)

The University of Washington will move more than 90% of classes online this fall.

UW President Ana Mari Cauce announced the latest guidelines in a letter to students Thursday. A majority of classes will be remote with the exception of instruction that cannot take place virtually. Cauce said these are likely the “final plans” for fall quarter, though she cautioned that guidance could change depending on the trajectory of the pandemic.

GeekWire previously reported last month that 80% of classes would shift online due to the pandemic.

In-person classes will be held with safety measures and physical distancing. Students are allowed to live on campus but must wear face masks. UW is offering access to COVID-19 tests to those experiencing symptoms.

“While we are all disappointed that the continued spread of the virus has limited our ability to safely provide more in-person teaching, we continue to be excited about the learning and discovery in store for our academic community,” Cauce wrote. “Our faculty, teaching assistants and academic support staff have been engaged in developing innovative and creative approaches to online learning. We look forward to a meaningful and academically-rich autumn, in which we all do our part to protect our community’s health and safety.”

COVID-19 cases last month rose in Washington state and King County, where the UW is located. More than 60,000 people across the state have tested positive for the virus, including more than 16,000 in King County.

The UW has had 265 COVID-19 cases at its Seattle campus, including 154 around Greek Row.

In June, Washington state issued new safety guidelines for institutions of higher education as they prepare to re-open for the fall term. Other institutions around Seattle including the University of Puget Sound and Seattle University are shifting most coursework online this fall.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday urged schools to pursue remote learning, advising that it would be unsafe for students to return to the classroom across most of the state, including schools within local tech hubs such as Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond. Nationwide, school districts in cities including Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago are teaching online.

The shift online could be a financial hit for the UW and other schools. It costs money to transition classes online, as the UW did for 98% of its courses last term. And colleges lose money when students aren’t paying for room and board. The University of Michigan estimates it could lose up to $1 billion by the end of the year, NPR reported. Financial duress led Stanford to cancel 11 varsity sports programs after this year.

The Trump administration threatened to take away visas from international students if they did not attend some university classes in person, but reversed course on that policy last month.

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Seattle schools leader recommends remote-only classes when school resumes in September

Toys lie where they were last played with at a closed playground in Seattle. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser)

The superintendent for Seattle Public Schools Wednesday announced that she supported continuing entirely remote instruction when school resumes in September. The district previously favored a hybrid approach of some in-person classes and some online learning.

The school board will vote on the recommendation from Superintendent Denise Juneau at its regular meeting on Aug. 12. The district has approximately 54,000 students.

In an announcement the district said it would “continue the remote learning model until the risk of significant transmission of COVID-19 has decreased enough to resume in-person instruction.”

In a statement Juneau said, “The current trajectory of infection in King County and the most recent data and information from public health makes it clear that resuming school in-person this fall is impossible.”

The Lake Washington School District, which includes the city of Redmond and Microsoft’s headquarters, is giving families the option of a hybrid approach or all-remote learning, as is the Tacoma School District south of Seattle. The Bellevue and Renton school districts, both located east of Seattle, announced Wednesday afternoon to do remote learning for at least the start of school.

The American Association for Pediatrics and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine have advocated for reopening schools for in-person instruction in combination with safety precautions.

On Monday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Washington state rose 71% over the past week, reaching a new weekly high of more than 6,800 reported cases, according to GeekWire’s calculations from state Department of Health data. State officials have called it an “explosive situation.” Younger children, however, appear less likely to contract and spread the disease. The state reported that 11% of the current cases are in 0-19 year olds, which lumps together elementary-age kids and teens.

The decision to resume school with only remote learning is supported by the Seattle Education Association, which is the teachers’ union, and the Principals Association of Seattle Schools.

The district is pledging to make improvements in its online education. That includes:

Teacher training in order to provide live instruction for students.Consistent, predictable scheduling using common platforms. (One often heard complaint about the spring’s online learning was the number of different educational platforms used made tracking assignments and instruction extremely challenging for students and parents.)Providing specialized support for students that qualify for extra help.Racial equity training for educators.An effort to provide support for childcare and at-home learning by working with the parent-teacher association, the city and community partners.Providing meals for students and families in need.

Editor’s note: Story has been updated with new information from other Puget Sound-area school districts.

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