Fall 2020 semester was nothing like anyone was expecting. The country’s current state has barely shown signs of improvement over the past six months since the spring semester. New Jersey is facing a similar COVID-19 case rate as it experienced in April; as a result, Governor Murphy has extended the Public Health Emergency in New Jersey. 

As individuals, we may feel like we cannot accomplish steps to improve the world, but we are stronger together. The College of New Jersey can come together to understand the needs of our community. The student body has appreciated the understanding from the staff and the updated information provided by the administration. However, it is clear that the student body has been suffering, and we are calling on the TCNJ administration for more support in these unprecedented times.

Students and staff have faced the impossible. This entire semester, we have been attempting to continue our fight for our education as New Jersey has been in a Public Health Emergency. Many of us were infected and had to power through COVID-19 while keeping up school work. Many of us lost family or friends because of the virus and were forced to silently mourn. Many of us struggled to feel connected to the education mentality, leaving us continuously mentally exhausted. Labs and group projects that many of The College of New Jersey’s classes are based on have not supplied students with the resources needed to teach the skills students were supposed to be learning. Our education was limited due to these stresses. 

We cannot deny the difficulties of this semester. Students are faced with time zone differences, housing uncertainties, technical difficulties, financial issues, and mental health crises. If you have fallen victim to one of these stresses due to the state of the country, we want you to know that we see you. Your voices are not being ignored by your fellow students. Now the community needs The College of New Jersey to show the students that they see these struggling students; that the administration is not ignoring them, and instead will listen to their voices. 

As the community continues to adapt and heal, the student body needs the TCNJ administration to listen to the pleas and testimonies of its students. Various Universities have acted on the student body’s needs by extending their pass/fail option implemented in Spring 2020 to Fall 2020 including Rutgers University, Caldwell University, Rowan University, Montclair State, Columbia University, The University of Virginia, and others. We are asking that the school shows compassion. Compassion for the students attempting to learn in an unideal environment. Compassion for the faculty that have not been able to provide their student with the personal connection needed to educate. 

We are asking The College of New Jersey administration to consider extending the pass/fail option to Fall 2020 as a gesture of compassion toward the student body.