With COVID-19 cases once again on the rise, we the students urge the University of Hartford administration to revise its plan to resume in-person instruction in the fall. This arguably ableist decision not only puts immunocompromised students and students with pre-existing health conditions at higher risk, but compromises the safety of everyone on campus--students, staff, and faculty alike--and their families as well. We ask that students are given the option of online instruction with reduced tuition and housing fees. 

We sincerely appreciate the effort the administration has put into creating a "new normal" for students, but as much as we all want to go back, we must recognize that returning in the fall is simply not in the best interest of all of us. We urge the administration to take COVID-19 more seriously and to err on the side of caution so that it can best protect the UHart community, which we are all a part of. 

Sources linked above:

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/05/21/rush-reopen-colleges-fall-ignores-harsh-scientific-and-ethical-realities-opinion​

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2020/05/14/disabled-people-have-unique-perspectives-on-risks-and-reopening/#260ec97564a5