POSTED BY MARTIN KICH

Writing for Crain’s Cleveland Business, Rachel Abbey McCafferty reports on how Cleveland’s colleges and universities are being impacted by the Republican National Convention:

“Cleveland State University’s second summer session is getting underway on Monday, July 18 — the first day of the convention. With the parking restrictions and road closures in the area, . . . the university has asked professors to make alternate arrangements instead of holding class on campus July 18 -21. That can include offering online classes, holding classes off-campus or offering take-home assignments.

“Cleveland State’s campus, including the recreation center and library, will be open to out-of-town visitors, . . . and the university will hold events on campus. At this time, there are almost no students in the dorms, where convention pages and interns, as well as police officers, are staying.”

Likewise, “Cuyahoga Community College won’t be holding classes at its Metropolitan campus, the Unified Technologies Center or the Advanced Technology Training Center, . . . [and] Instructors are being asked to find other options to ‘ensure that learning objectives can still be achieved.’”

“Case Western Reserve University isn’t as close to the action of the convention as Cleveland State or Tri-C, but it is still taking precautions. In a post on its ‘the daily’ site, the university noted that the convention could bring ‘a significant degree of conflict,’ and that it had reevaluated its safety procedures. Operations on campus will be scaled back from July 18-21, and that could continue on Friday, July 22, if events require.

“For the most part, faculty members have been asked to find ways to continue classes off campus from July 18-21. . . . Educational camps for middle and high school students will not be held on campus that week. Faculty are being asked to work off-campus as much as possible, and staff members are being asked to find ways to maintain essential services with as few people on campus as they can.

“Students and others living in summer housing are being asked to consider staying off campus that week. The post noted that students also can live in areas that are far from the buildings that will be housing police officers and other convention guests, and that non-students will have access to alternative housing after student requests are met.”

McCafferty’s article is available at: http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20160712/NEWS/160719946/cleveland-colleges-universities-release-plans-for-rnc.