Universities across the United States closed down in the beginning of 2020 due to an outbreak of COVID-19. Universities adapted by developing ranging plans to continue educational instruction, varying between fully online instruction, opening schools completely, or a hybrid combination. It is critical to understand how these ranging policies impacted COVID-19 outcomes across the U.S. This research project aims to understand the correlation between state government’s political affiliations and university opening policies, using CA, NY, TX, and FL as case studies. It was found that the republican states (TX, FL) were most likely to have a variety in policies, while the democratic states (CA, NY) primarily stayed online. This project also portrays how these ranging policies may have influenced COVID-19 case numbers at universities within these selected states.

COVID-19, University Opening Policies, and Political Influence Poster