Some UMass Amherst students say they have concerns about the reopening plan announced this week for the fall semester as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
And the Amherst, Massachusetts, town manager said an influx of college students this fall creates "serious worries" for the town.
UMass and Hampshire College have announced plans to allow students on campus, while Amherst College is hoping to follow suit. UMass says students will have to agree to strict public health guidelines.
But Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman said he expects many students to return to off-campus apartments even if they are taking all of their classes remotely. He said that creates concerns over students observing social distancing.
"When they come back to college and to the university, they bring all the good things that they bring in a community, which is the enthusiasm and excitement about learning and seeing each other," Bockelman said. "And that, by definition, creates social gatherings, and that's what we worry about the most."
Some UMass students share concerns about the fall semester, which gives students the option of living on campus.
Margaret Polsgrove of Canton, Massachusetts, will be a junior in the fall. She said that while she's excited to see friends again, she's also worried about how seriously students and faculty will take safety precautions against COVID-19.
"I just think this is all very different, and that people are going to have a hard time adjusting," Polsgrove said. "And they might resist the new culture that we have to build around, like not touching things, not touching other people, wearing masks."
UMass says most classes will be taught remotely, but tuition will remain the same.
That bothers senior Ivory Moulton from Templeton, Massachusetts.
"It's just not the same," Moulton said. "You don't have the same support as you do, just through the computer screen. You lose that valuable connection that you'd have in person."
Classes are scheduled to start at UMass in late August.
