We, the Occupational Therapy BS/MS class of 2023, request the cooperation of the D’Youville Occupational Therapy administration in gaining access to a safe and effective education during the current pandemic.

Our class has many barriers that make fully face-to-face attendance difficult. There are concerns that a lack of a virtual educational infrastructure will negatively impact the education of students who become sick and/or are quarantined. We also believe a lack of a virtual option will encourage symptomatic students to attend classes. There are those among us who are high risk. Others work with Covid-19 patients and are uncomfortable risking the spread of Covid-19 to our fellow students. There are also those of us who have family obligations brought on by the pandemic which limit our ability to be on campus full-time. This includes students who live with high-risk family members and must limit contact with others to keep our families safe and students whose children are learning virtually.

It is our belief that a compromise can be met in which risk is minimized and all students can meet ACOTE standards.

It is with this goal in mind that we request the following provisions:

·        Continuation of in-person labs with accommodations made for students who have or may have Covid-19

·        Hybrid or virtual lectures delivered in a manner similar to last semester