Grim College COVID-19 Rules

Authored by Adam Dick via The Ron Paul Institute for Peace &
Prosperity,

College ain’t what it used to be…

Supposedly because of a virus that for most college
students is less of a threat to their lives than riding in a car,
students at college campuses this fall will be subjected to
dystopian controls from required mask wearing and
“social distancing” to surveillance via contact tracing and
health monitoring.

Many prospective and set to return students will see
this as an undesirable situation. College enrollment in
America has been dropping over the last ten or so years. Make
college dreary enough and there can be a big additional drop as
this year’s fall semester begins.

For an example of the kind of restrictions and surveillance
being imposed on students at many university campuses,
consider these requirements in theDuke Compact that
Duke University is imposing and even wants all students to
sign:

To comply with requirements from Duke University, and state and
local authorities, I will:

• Wear a mask or face covering in all public spaces.

• Maintain appropriate physical distance.

• Wash my hands often.

• Monitor and report my symptoms through the SymMon app, or
  approved alternatives, before coming to campus.

• Avoid large gatherings.

• Stay home when I feel ill.

• Know and follow safety plans and additional guidance that are
  specific to my group, workplace or activity.

• Keep confidential all health information I know or learn about
  others.

To protect myself and the people around me, I will:

• Participate in required COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and
  health monitoring.

• If instructed, self-isolate for the required duration.

• Get the flu shot and other required vaccinations by designated
  deadlines.

Adhere to all travel conditions and restrictions.

• Consent to the use
  of institutional data to identify others who have been in
  proximity or close contact.

• Accept the benefits and consequences for the conditions of this
  compact.

• Speak up to share
  suggestions or concerns by calling 800.826.8109 or completing
  an online
  form.

Yikes.

Making it clear that these requirements are not just
advisory or aspirational statements, the Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ) section following the Duke Compact includes these
entries:

What are the consequences for violating terms of the
Duke Compact?

While some minor violations will result in reminders and
educational engagement, other flagrant and repeated violations may
result in restricting your access to Duke facilities, employment
actions or removal from campus. Consult your student, faculty or
staff handbooks for further information…

…Can I still be enrolled as a student, even if I
don’t sign the Duke Compact?

We expect all members of the Duke community to be united in
protecting ourselves, each other and the community that depends
upon us. A signature is required to have access to the campus, and,
based on the expectations and requirements of your academic field,
refusal to sign and comply with the provisions may impact your
student status.

Further, while one may see ambiguity in portions of the
Duke Compact that leaves room for some freedom and privacy, the FAQ
shuts much of this down. Here are some examples.

The “public spaces†where a mask must be
worn is an expansive area including everywhere on campus except
where a person is “alone in a confined room such as an office or
dorm room,†“alone in a vehicle, if the vehicle is not
regularly shared with others,†eating or drinking “while
following safety guidance,†or in “open outdoor areas where
social distancing is easily maintained and areas where individuals
are not likely to pass in close proximity.â€

The requirement to report symptoms is a
requirement to do so daily; fail to do so and “your access to
buildings may be temporarily suspended, or revoked.â€

The “large gatherings†that must be avoided
can include gatherings of as few as 11 people. The requirement to
participate in “required COVID-19 testing†includes being
tested “upon arrival†at the Duke campus as well as potentially
anytime “based on symptom reporting, contact
tracing information or as part of periodic sample testing
of our residential population.â€

Adhering to “all travel conditions and restrictions†means
students “living in Duke-provided residences†are not
to travel beyond the city of Durham “for the duration of the
semester†unless doing so is “necessary†and the
student receives permission from Duke University, takes
“reasonable precautions,†and follows “Student Health
instructions upon return.â€

“Institutional data†that may be used in contact
tracing include “symptom monitoring survey responses, door
control access points, wi-fi access points, geofence
technologies, housing assignments and class
schedules.â€

In addition to all the restrictions and surveillance
imposed directly on students by Duke University, the FAQ indicates
Duke may also go after students for failure to comply, even when
the students are not on campus, with whatever coronavirus
mandates may be imposed by the state and local governments. From
the FAQ: “Duke expects all members of our community to adhere to
state/local public health orders both on- and off- campus.â€

Other universities are similarly using
“compacts†and other sorts of edicts to weigh students down
with many new rules in the name of countering coronavirus.

It used to be that going to college was an opportunity
to escape from strict rules imposed by parents, gain more privacy,
take new risks, and learn the self-responsibility helpful for
adulthood. Now, many more students reading college
requirements like those in the Duke Compact will see college as
more restrictive and stifling than mom and dad.

Since the second half of the last century, attending college
after high school has been for a large portion of the American
population the default course. The imposing of over-the-top
dictates like those in the Duke Compact challenges that situation.
Confronted with such dictates, a significant number of potential
freshmen, as well as of set to return students, will have a “Why
bother?†epiphany.

There are options besides college. Make college
grim enough in the name of countering coronavirus and many more
people will choose to engage in those other options instead.

Duke University itself may not suffer much in reduced
enrollment, though it could see a big change in the makeup of its
student body. Duke is one of the selective universities that
rejects many applicants. It can, to maintain enrollment numbers,
start admitting students it previously would have rejected.

Less select universities will really face trouble due to
fewer people choosing to pursue higher education. Some of these
universities can be expected to disappear as they become
economically unviable.