maybe i'm missing something but i really don't see how campuses could safely reopen before there's a vaccine

and i worry that as long as universities operate under the fantasy that reopening is imminent, they will implicitly use this fantasy as an excuse to not make long-term provisions for their grad students, because, you know, why do anything when you're on the cusp of being okay

on the other hand, my department has used "we're in it for the long haul" as a reason to pressure grad students into keeping up with deadlines...so I guess just about any pandemic narrative can be used to whatever ends are most convenient for departments, institutions, etc.

also, as pointed out in the replies, admin are actually planning big structural changes. so maybe the more accurate way to put this would be that universities are perpetuating the fantasy of reopening while making long-term plans that will destroy our lives

tbh i don't really know how these kafkaesque institutions work or what they're secretly scheming so this is all just speculation and shooting the shit

but whatever they're planning, i would hazard to guess it'll be diabolical, based on what i've seen so far

oh hey looks like some schools are starting to announce there won't be any re-opening utopia in the fall https://twitter.com/StampShelley/status/1252354865994428418