IUPUI, along with other colleges and universities across the nation, has made the decision to cancel breaks during semesters which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to prevent unnecessary travel. 

However, despite this, a large number of students are going on vacation anyway due to the stress of a nonstop semester. 

Though, not all students have access to this type of escape. Especially working class students who have to work jobs in order to pay for the high costs of tuition, bills, food, housing, among other things. 

In fact, 47% of college students work more than 35 hours a week. 

College is already classist in nature due to these extreme costs of tuition.

So, when IUPUI cancels breaks, the working class students who are trying to balance work and school are the ones who suffer the most. 

A typical 15 credit hour semester requires 3 hours of studying outside or class, per credit hour. This is about 30-45 hours of schoolwork a week to be successful.

As previously mentioned, almost half of college students work 35 or more hours a week to pay for school. 

Therefore, without our breaks, working class students are expected to work roughly 70 hours a week for 16 weeks straight. This is dangerous. 

The American College Health Association issued a report that stated colleges across the country are experiencing a rise in “depression, anxiety, exhaustion (burnout), and loneliness” during these COVID-19 semesters.

This is inevitable for working class students who are expected to work 70 hours a week just to get an education. We are inevitably going to be burnt out and we are inevitably going to underperform. It is already hard enough for working class students to get a higher education in this country: Don’t discourage it even more. 

We, the ACLU at IUPUI, the following:

1. Do not academically dismiss any students for these semesters. For those who have been, offer reinstatement. They underperformed due to this university policy, and so they shouldn’t be dismissed for it. We need breaks. 

2. Allow students to retake as many courses as they need to, and do not have courses retaken due to this policy contribute to the 15-credit hour limit for grade replacement. If we underperformed because of this policy, then we should still have our 15-credit hour limit for future courses. 

3. For these semesters, offer financial restitution for courses that are retaken if the student received anything lower than a C. If a working class student underperformed because of this unrealistic workload, they shouldn’t be penalized further by paying for the same education they already paid for. If we paid for these courses, but didn’t receive a proper education because we are forced to work to pay for school and we didn’t receive any breaks, then we should get to retake it for free. We already paid for it. 

 

THE ACLU AT IUPUI OPPOSES DISCRIMINATION OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DISCRIMINATION BASED ON CLASS. THIS DECISION DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS WORKING CLASS STUDENTS WHO ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING TO ATTEND COLLEGE.