>>> BACK IN MAY, THE UNIVERSITY
OF NOTRE DAME BECAME ONE OF THE
FIRST SCHOOLS TO ANNOUNCE ITS
STUDENTS WOULD RETURN TO CAMPUS
FOR THE FALL SEMESTER.
IT WAS SEEN AS A HOPEFUL SIGN
FOR COLLEGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
BUT ON TUESDAY, AFTER JUST A
WEEK OF CLASSES, NOTRE DAME
ANNOUNCED IT WAS MOVING BACK
ONLINE AMID A CORONAVIRUS
OUTBREAK ON CAMPUS.
SAME GOES FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE PARTY
PICTURES MADE THE ROUNDS SHORTLY
BEFORE THE SCHOOL MOVED TO
VIRTUAL CLASSES AS WELL.
SO IS THERE REALLY ANY WAY TO
MAKE THE INHERENTLY SOCIAL
COLLEGE EXPERIENCE SAFE RIGHT
NOW?
NBC'S BLAYNE ALEXANDER HAS OUR
SUNDAY FOCUS.
>> Reporter: IT'S A HARSH LESSON
IN THE AGE OF COVID.
>> IT'S BEEN FULL OF TWISTS AND
TURNS JUST IN THE LAST WEEK.
>> IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN VERY
SOBERING.
>> Reporter: COLLEGE CAMPUSES
ARE NOW SPRINGING BACK TO LIFE.
BUT EVEN THE BEST-LAID PLANS DID
NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE VERY
ESSENCE OF COLLEGE LIFE.
AT TULANE, HARSH CONSEQUENCES
FOR ANY STUDENTS IN VIOLATION OF
SCHOOL GUIDELINES.
>> WHAT IS THE SCHOOL'S PLAN FOR
DEALING WITH THOSE POP-UP
PARTIES?
>> ARE THERE STUDENTS WHO MAY
NOT BE TOTALLY FOLLOWING THE
RULES?
YES.
AND WE UNDERSCORE FOR THEM THEY
NEED TO AND WE WILL TAKE ACTION
IF THEY DON'T.
>> Reporter: EVERY STUDENT,
FACULTY AND STAFF RECEIVED A
TEST BEFORE RETURNING TO CAMPUS.
>> WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
WHAT IS A CITY OF 15,000 TO
20,000 PEOPLE, THERE WILL BE
POSITIVE TESTS.
OUR GOAL REALLY IS TO IDENTIFY
THOSE AND ISOLATE THOSE
INDIVIDUALS VERY QUICKLY.
>> Reporter: THE ALTERED PLANS
ON CAMPUSES ARE PUTTING A
FINANCIAL STRAIN NOT ONLY ON THE
SCHOOLS BUT THE SMALL
COMMUNITIES AND BUSINESSES THAT
RELY ON THEM.
>> ABOUT 60% TO 70% OF OUR
CLIENT BASE ARE COLLEGE
STUDENTS.
WE HAVE LOST ABOUT 60% OF OUR
SALES.
IT'S BEEN ROUGH.
>> Reporter: BUT THERE IS NO
BIGGER TOLL THAN ON THE STUDENTS
THEMSELVES.
STEFANA JUST STARTED HIS
FRESHMAN YEAR AT UNC CHAPEL
HILL.
NOW HE'S HEADED BACK HOME.
>> DO YOU THINK ANY STUDENTS
SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON CAMPUS IN
THE FIRST PLACE?
>> OH, DEFINITELY NOT.
WE HAVE BEEN BACKED INTO A
CORNER.
YOU COME TO THE SCHOOL OR YOU
DON'T GET YOUR CLASSES.
>> Reporter: UNC HAS BECOME THE
NATION'S CAUTIONARY TALE.
A SIMILAR STORY AT NOTRE DAME,
REVERSING COURSE AFTER JUST DAYS
OF IN-PERSON CLASSES, AS CASES
CREPT UP.
AND IN NORTH CAROLINA, PHOTOS
LIKE THESE MADE THE ROUNDS.
>> EVERYONE WAS REALLY MAD AT
THE STUDENT BODY FOR NOT TAKING
MORE RESPONSIBILITY, BUT ALSO
THERE IS SORT OF A SENSE OF
ANGER TOWARD THE ADMINISTRATION
FOR ENABLING THIS TO HAPPEN BY
ALLOWING STUDENTS TO LIVE ON
CAMPUS.
>> Reporter: IN ATLANTA, SCHOOLS
LIKE FELLMAN COLLEGE MADE THE
CALL EARLY, ALL VIRTUAL.
FOR THIS SENIOR, SHE SAYS A
TOUGH BUT NECESSARY END TO HER
COLLEGE CAREER.
>> I ABSOLUTELY RESPECT FELLMAN
COLLEGE AND THE OTHER
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES MAKING
THE RIGHT CALL TO KEEP STUDENTS
AT HOME CONSIDERING OUR HEALTH
FIRST AND FOREMOST.
>> AND BLAYNE JOINS ME NOW LIVE.
GOOD MORNING.
I KNOW YOU SPOKE WITH STUDENTS
AND PARENTS FROM SEVERAL
UNIVERSITIES AS WE SAW THERE.
HOW ARE THEY FEELING GENERALLY
ABOUT THE WAY THEIR SCHOOLS ARE
HANDLING ALL OF THIS?
>> Reporter: YOU KNOW, WILLIE,
IT REALLY DOES DEPEND ON THE
SCHOOL.
ANOTHER CONCERN WE KEPT HEARING
ARE FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO DON'T
HAVE A HOME ENVIRONMENT THAT'S
CONDUCIVE TO VIRTUAL LEARNING.
HERE AT SPELLMAN COLLEGE THE
CAMPUS IS EMPTY BUT THEY ARE
OFFERING A ONE-TIME EMERGENCY
GRANT FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO
NEED HELP ADAPTING TO VIRTUAL
LEARNING.
WILLIE, ONE THING WE KEPT
HEARING ACROSS THE BOARD FROM
STUDENTS, FROM PARENTS, FROM
ADMINISTRATORS, THESE ARE JUST
REALLY DIFFICULT DECISIONS.
THIS ENTIRE ISSUE IS SO
COMPLICATED AND I SUSPECT WE'RE
ONLY SEEING THE BEGINNING OF IT.
>> YEAH, YOU FEEL FOR ALL THOSE
BUSINESSES