University of Iowa student governments are urging campus administration to shift all non-essential in-person learning, activities, and events to a virtual format for the fall semester.
“We cannot, in good conscience, support in-person classroom learning and full opening of residence halls in the Fall 2020 semester amid our current environment,” according to the letter sent by the undergraduate and professional student governments to UI President Bruce Harreld and Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Kregel, dated Tuesday. That same day, 280 faculty members pledged to teach their courses online and asked the university to transition online.
“No student should be on campus unless absolutely necessary, especially when virtual learning options are accessible and efficient,” the letter stated. Student government leaders sent the message campus-wide Friday – notifying more than 30,000 students of the letter sent to administrators.
“A return to in-person learning, as planned, even using a blended learning strategy, acts as an invasive choice constraint given that three out of every four UI students are concerned about contracting COVID-19 on campus this semester,” the letter stated, citing a July 27 student survey.
Students in the residence halls are set to begin move-in the week of Aug. 17 at the UI, and classes are set to begin Aug. 24.
The state Board of Regents had said as early as April that the state universities were planning for an in-person fall semester after Iowa’s state schools shifted to entirely virtual instruction in March. The UI, along with the other three public universities, is set to begin a hybrid fall semester prioritizing in-person instruction.
“Throughout the summer, we have kept our fingers crossed in hopes that we could safely return to in-person learning this month,” the letter stated. But, student leaders said the rise in COVID-19 cases in Iowa and Johnson County made returning to campus an “alarming prospect.
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The letter noted, too, that COVID-19 disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minority groups.
“We would be remiss to not highlight this important intersection given the immense progress the University of Iowa needs to make toward diversity, equity, and inclusion—a need amplified by the Black Lives Matter movement and activism by university students, staff, and faculty,” the letter stated. “Acknowledging these disparities, virtual learning and virtual engagement could mitigate the continuation of this inordinate impact on the lives of students who identify as Black, indigenous, and/or persons of color.”
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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