By signing this petition, you are in agreement that LMU should issue a tuition decrease or partial tuition refund in light of recent events that have canceled in-person classes until the end of March due to coronavirus. This would include, but should not be limited to, compensation for student jobs funded by Federal Work-Study and a reevaluation of student housing and meal plan costs.

In light of the recent memo sent out by President Timothy Law Snyder, we, the students of LMU, are requesting that the administration consider the financial implications of “encouraging students to return to their personal residences” from March 16-31. 

We in no way intend to undermine the reality that the coronavirus outbreak is a serious public health issue. Our hearts go out to those in areas that are quarantined and we keep those affected by the disease in our prayers. We appreciate the intention behind the University’s administration and their desire to keep the community safe; however, we cannot allow the cancellation of all in-person classes until the end of March without considering the disenfranchisement it may cause several students (i.e. widespread student unemployment as well as both housing and food insecurity). Below is our list of concerns, should the university decide to move forward with their plans to shift to online learning:

REIMBURSEMENT / PARTIAL REFUND: Student reimbursement is necessary, especially given that tuition not only consists of classes, but also room and board, library/academic resources, the gym, amenities, campus organizations/activities, and campus upkeep. If students are not attending classes or utilizing housing that they have already paid for because of an action made by the University, they should be refunded. 

WORK-STUDY / ON-CAMPUS EMPLOYMENT:  It needs to be clear that students will still have the ability to work at their on-campus jobs, even during an online-schooling period implemented by the University. Nearly ⅔ of LMU students work on campus and rely on their bi-weekly paychecks to live, needing the money to afford necessities like food, books, and tuition bills. Encouraging students to stay home threatens their ability to work and live off of what is sometimes the only source of income they have. If students are not allowed to work, they should be reimbursed by the University for the work-study they are unable to earn.

POTENTIAL FOR EQUAL ACHIEVEMENT: It is ableist to assume that every student can learn well through digital or virtual formats. LMU needs to specify what online classes will entail, and there should be mandatory training, for students and faculty, educating them on how to engage with the online classroom format. There must be accommodation plans in place for students, especially those with disabilities and those in poor living-learning environments.

HOUSING / FOOD INSECURITY: We are calling for a reevaluation of housing and meal plan costs for students who will be living in their personal residences for the remainder of the online learning period. If on-campus dining facilities are closed or limited, students who require an on-campus residence and have a meal plan must be refunded for the remaining amount of Lion dollars they have.

QUALITY OF EDUCATION: Transitioning to online courses rather than continuing to facilitate them in person diminishes the quality of education students receive. Students will not have the same face-to-face interactions with our professors and peers in the intimate class settings that LMU champions as a foundation of its educative quality. Moreover, many majors are not designed for virtual or online learning (i.e. film production, studio arts, theatre arts, etc.), and forcing them to switch to remote, virtual, or online forms of learning will be ineffective in allowing students to fully immerse themselves in what they’re learning, take advantage of resources, or have access to proper equipment.

GRADUATION: Due to this drastic change potentially interfering with students’ ability to graduate, it must be specified whether or not the online classwork will be weighed as equal importance in relation to previous in-class work. If the shift to online learning results in seniors being denied full credit for their coursework and therefore forced into taking extra classes to fulfill their graduation requirements, LMU should plan to financially help accommodate them.

The Center for Disease Control has not advocated for the shut down of schools. For many students, moving off campus would require relocation to a place that puts them even more at risk (physically, financially, or otherwise). President Synder confirmed in his memo that there have been no cases of COVID-19 on LMU’s campus; therefore, there is little evidence to prove that encouraging students to move to their “personal residences” would be a safer alternative to allowing them to remain among other students of low-risk age who have not yet shown signs of COVID-19.

LMU, we ask that you do right by your students. We invite you to have this conversation with us and bring tangible solutions to support our Lions.

For any questions or clarifications, contact Raven at ryamamo6@lion.lmu.edu 

Link to news coverage: https://www.agencylmu.com/2020/03/breaking-lmu-moves-to-online-schooling.html