Back to school – Harvard’s four phased plan

Back to school – Harvard’s four phased plan

Every day, the possibilities of getting back to your educational institution look hazy than a day before. When and how the students can return to their schools, colleges, and universities and resume educational activities now not only depends on the status of a pandemic but how the education department of any country make strategies to adopt and lessen the effects. 

Approaches and timelines may vary on different levels in the country, but how the countries tailor the plans to resume their campus activities is a more significant challenge. 

In this regard, we at campus guru did research. We found some useful plans and activities designed by some best institutes in the world, such and Harvard University, to resume educational activities on the campus amid Covid-19.

Here are some guiding principles for teachers, institutes, and those looking for plans to resume educational activities. 

According to the Harvard university new plan, the university will be reopened, and the campus activities will be resumed following the two core principles:

1. Health and safety: That is to prioritize the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community in every decision the university makes.

2. Education and research: Stay committed to ensuring that the teaching, learning, and analysis of students, faculty maintains the high standards. 

Four phase approach

Governor Baker of Harvard University issued a four-phase proposal for the campus reopening along with the “Safer at Home” Advisory

Phase 1

In Phase 1 of the plan, the institutions should continue to foster teaching, learning, student support, and essential research remotely throughout this time. The submission of the work can be made online or in a small group following the SOPs.

Academics: Summer courses (if there are any) and regular programs of the institution 

should continue to be conducted remotely.

How to use labs:  The science labs or other labs at the university campuses should resume operations with very rigorous conditions. School teachers and managers should notify a limited number of faculty and staff that might be authorized to return to the laboratories. A lab entry plan should be devised following all the SOPs and guidelines. View the lab re-entry plan given by Harvard University.

To open Libraries, check the draft plan for a phased reopening of physical libraries to support and reading by Harvard.

Workforce: Assigned teachers who are working remotely should continue to do so in this phase, and those who are assigned duties on-site should continue to perform their roles too.

Phase 2

Higher education institutions may begin to allow individuals to return to campus for limited purposes in line with strict protocols.

Academics: Summer courses (if there are any) and regular programs of the institution 

should continue to be conducted remotely.

Workforce: All faculty and staff who are currently working remotely will continue to do so through at least the end of August in Pakistan unless directed otherwise by the health and education department. At this point, Governor Baker suggests that a limited number of workers who have been reporting to campus in an essential on-site role should be asked to return to the university. The action should include those participating in the labs and the libraries.

Phases 3-4

In this phase, which could be around October, the working groups would gradually develop customized plans and recommendations to resume on-campus activities. During this phase, the institutes can call students in small groups, alternate days to maintain the required distance suggested by SOP protocols.

However, since the times are uncertain and there are a number of things that the educational Institutions require clarity about, these approaches can be changed or updated accordingly.