Visualizing Campus Reopenings

Data Gathering

We are gathering data on nation-wide return to campus plans for fall 2020 in this spreadsheet.

This data was originally collected for advocacy purposes: Dawn Kaczmar, a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan and member of the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO), wanted to track which institutions were giving instructors a remote option, no questions asked. Her own institution was not offering this option, so the GEO presented this list of schools (many that were similar in size, type, or in the same state) to pressure their university to change their policy, which worked. Since joining the Visionary Futures Collective, the data collection has expanded in scope to track many other policy issues around covid.

Much of the information in this spreadsheet is not publicly available. We encourage you all to make a copy of the spreadsheet to advocate for better policies at your own individual institutions.

If you prefer inputting data into a Google form, we’ve created a form!

Instructions for Inputting Data into the Spreadsheet

If you belong to a higher ed institution that has already released its Fall semester plans, whether internally or through public facing websites, please be sure to add your institution’s information to the spreadsheet!

Step 1: Before you create an entry for an institution, be sure to check the spreadsheet to see there is an existing record. Use the command + F or control + F function to search the spreadsheet. If you do find a record but need to update the information, do so and skip to step 3H.

Step 2: Create a new row for the institution you’ve chosen at the bottom of the document. Please do not insert new rows. When typing the name of the institution, a suggested spelling box will appear - please accept this spelling as it aids our ability to connect this data to our research and other efforts.

Step 3: Answer the questions to the best of your ability. If any of this information is public and published on an institutional website, you can add a link in column O - “Website”

Step 3A: For CLASSES - choose the best fit between face-to-face, hybrid, or online. “Hybrid” in this context means a mix of both face-to-face classes and online. If there’s complexity to this answer, address this in the notes column. If classes at the institution are nearly all online or mostly online, please select online.

Step 3B: For TEACHING - If you’ve already answered that instruction is online, repeat online. If there’s nuance or complexity to the institution allowing remote instruction beyond a yes or no, address this in the notes column.

Step 3C: For LIABILITY - Answers can include yes, no, maybe, or unknown. Pick the best fit and if it’s complicated please address this in the notes column.

Step 3D: For PLANNING - Answers can include yes, no, maybe, or unknown. Pick the best fit and if it’s complicated please address this in the notes column.

Step 3E: For JOB SECURITY - Answers can include yes, no, maybe, or unknown. Pick the best fit and if it’s complicated please address this in the notes column.

Step 3F: For TRACKING - Answers can include yes, no, maybe, or unknown. Pick the best fit and if it’s complicated please address this in the notes column.

Step 3G: If this is the first record for this institution, add the current date to the Date Added column. If you are updating an existing entry DO NOT change the date added column and instead put today’s date in the Date Updated column. Examples of changes we want to track include changes in the modes of instruction being offered, in allowing instructors to teach remotely, or the institution initiating layoffs.

Step 3I: You may have already put something in the notes field to clarify previous answers. If you have not, here are some examples of information you could include: Remote options vary by departments and are not institution-wide Class sizes (or other factors) trigger an automatic mode-of-delivery decision Liability is being handled informally Replacement instructor in the event of your death is being handled informally Tracking health and movement is different for undergraduates, graduate students, and/or faculty