Earlier this week, In an effort to slow down the spread of COVID-19  Columbia University’s President Bollinger, among hundreds of other head of institutions, has made the executive decision to transition to online classes for the remainder of the spring semester. 

We, as students, recognize the effort that is being established during this crisis and how difficult a decision to move to online instruction is and thank  CU for putting our safety above all else. However, with this drastic change, students are losing access to fundamental resources that would normally be provided on campus, like Tutoring, Health services, counseling, Related Svcs MORN, Dining Plan EMS, Student Life, Medical Insurance and the list is still long. Most of these resources are already included in the students’ tuition. 

While understanding that these measures are being taken to protect students’ health and well being, as students, we are entitled to certain rights given the length of time absent from campus. For these reasons, we are demanding either a partial indemnification for the spring semester or a lower tuition fee for the next semester. We urge the University Senate committee to seriously consider this pressing concern.

We are also aware of the financial responsibilities that the administration is handling like paying the employees, yet, we believe that the college’s budget office could afford a partial tuition indemnity and could develop a financial policy to address possible refunds and financial burdens.

President Bollinger has also announced that all undergraduate students are eligible for up to $500 in emergency funding for students leaving Columbia housing. Although we believe that this is an appreciable contribution, we trust that it is impractical to students that have decided to stay here for the break for a variety of different reasons. 

Additionally, there are many personal difficulties that students may have to deal with: time zones, financially difficult times, access to the Internet, access to quiet study spaces, and unexpected home responsibilities. Those who cannot leave have no means of working and getting the money they need for basic necessities such as groceries. Receiving this financial compensation would help reduce student stress to afford basic needs and counteract the additional stress caused by COVID-19. 

In addition, numerous students face the trouble of a period zone change confining them from participating in class and keeping them from addressing their educators during school hours. Significantly more thus, with the suspension of in-person exercises, Columbia University pressure ways of dealing with stress that exists nearby are less accessible to students and numerous students depend on face to face office hours for deep assimilation of class workload. Henceforth, this partial refund will provide the necessary financial relief in this devastating and unexpected turn in the semester.

This pandemic is definitely tough for all parties including professors and faculty. This petition is not to put blame on Columbia University but to demand the Student Affairs Committee to try to accommodate and ease the effect of this unfortunate scourge on students and their education.

We hope that Columbia University will set a standard example to ratifying this fair financial compensation or decrease students’ tuitions since the educational services offered are not equal to services rendered.