“ It should be noted that coronavirus has not caused any deaths in the US in anyone under 50.”
So far. It has also led to hospitalization, some loss of fertility, and medical bills.
“ I personally think that the benefit of a college student’s appropriate education outweighs the risk of a (generally mild) coronavirus infection.”
Sure, but you are looking at just one side of the coin.
In our country, if they don’t shut down and 1 person dies or is injured -.or gets the Wuhan virus and transmits it to a person who dies... the university will be sued.
I agree that there are an overabundance of lawsuits filed in general, and universities with their deep pockets are convenient targets for plaintiff attorneys on a wide variety of issues. That's why they have legal departments working for them whether they are open or closed.
So there are always legal risks for them, and in particular, there will always be some communicable diseases spread among closely quartered college students. It just comes with the territory.
From what we know now, the Wuhan virus is no more dangerous to the college student population than, say, influenza, and colleges do not shut their doors completely when a few cases of the flu occur on campus. These college shutdowns for this overblown coronavirus phobia are manifestations of the "snowflake" mentality so prevalent in left-leaning thinking.