Delaware Valley University prides itself on being a hands on institution, but what happens when students can no longer get that hands on experience? Many professors have resorted to piling on extra work for students to do, in an attempt to fill that hands on gap. Under normal circumstances this would be fine, but with the world battling a global pandemic how can students be expected to excel the same way they would in a normal classroom with the addition of extra work, and everything going on outside of academics. Many students rely on campus for housing and are currently battling homelessness as a result of the university closing. Other students are struggling to find work in order to feed themselves because they relied on the dining hall and the paychecks they got from workstudy. Countless others have been laid off from their jobs or are being forced to take on extra hours to help keep the country going. On top of all of this students are worried about COVID-19, their lives, and the lives of the people around them.
There’s no reason that students should be worried about the extra work. Life comes first, health comes first. We are asking Delaware Valley University to adopt a universal pass this semester to ensure that students continue to get an adequate education, but to also make it fair on those who are currently struggling and those who are feeling the immense burden of stress that this is adding to the current situations in their lives. Changing all classes to a pass or a fail also evens the playing ground for students who are currently homeless, do not have access to books, do not have access to laptops, and do not have access to WiFi. This is not a handout, but rather a way to ensure the success of all students regardless of circumstance. We, also, ask that students be given the option to opt out, and to continue to receive letter grades if they are concerned about growing their GPA.