First year students began moving into their dorm rooms at Martin Luther College on Thursday. This is usually a time fraught with excitement, jitters and not a little anxiety, especially for parents seeing their “I can’t believe they’re grown up” kids heading away from the home nest.

This year, however, the anxiety is heightened by the threat of COVID-19. Parents and students alike should be nervous about the potential for infection.

COVID-19 is enough of a threat in many states that some institutions of higher learning will not be allowing in-person classes, at least at first. Students will have to get by with online learning.

Other colleges and universities, like MLC, are attempting to begin the semester in something approaching normal — but with extensive adaptations such as social distancing in classrooms and laboratories. MLC is also requiring students and staff to monitor their health every day, to wear masks in public areas and classrooms. Some schools plan to hold classes for only the first part of the semester, sending students home early for the holiday break.

Virtually all colleges and universities are emphasizing that if campus outbreaks of COVID-19 are experienced, everything may change.

They should. In some ways, higher education campuses are serving as test laboratories for elementary and secondary education. Obviously, there are many similarities. If things go badly wrong in higher education, it will be a red flag for public school officials throughout the nation.

Private institutions of higher learning will be left to their own devices — unless outbreaks serious enough to attract the attention of public health agencies occur. If that happens, campuses should be shut down, to the extent that is possible. By that, we mean that simply telling all students to go home immediately is not practical.

Obviously, we cannot all cower at home forever, out of fear of the virus. College and university officials attempting to get their students back on track are to be commended. But COVID-19 is a danger — and college students are not immune. If things on campus go bad, officials should not hesitate to suspend classes this fall.