Physical & Mental Health

Middlebury moves all classes and final exams online; Cornell cancels all student gatherings; Penn calls off indoor social events; Tulane reinstates mask mandate; Rochester bans holiday parties; more colleges require booster shots.

Officials with Georgia public universities had testified in the case challenging the Biden order that mandates vaccination for employees of federal contractors.

Experts urge colleges to begin planning for the likely arrival of the new COVID-19 variant.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strengthened its recommendations on further COVID-19 vaccinations, raising the possibility that colleges may begin requiring booster shots.

Depending on where they go to college, students returning from the holiday break might face required testing, extended mask mandates, online classes—or no mitigation measures at all.

The University of Michigan is among the many college campuses experiencing early outbreaks of influenza, with nearly 530 students diagnosed since the beginning of October.

Institutions with pet-friendly policies are seeing an uptick in students bringing dogs, cats, hamsters, reptiles and more to campus. Students say the animals help them cope with anxiety and stress.

Advocates say a comprehensive approach is required to address mental health challenges on college campuses, but more information is needed about what does and doesn’t work. Bipartisan legislation introduced in Congress aims to find that information out.