Summary of Events.

On Wednesday, May 27th at 3:03 PM (MST), students of MacEwan University were contacted by MacEwan's Provost and Vice President, Dr. Craig Monk, that the fall semester of 2020 will be delivered online.

Although it is mentioned in Dr. Monk's email that certain additional fees will be subject to change, tuition will not be altered. After multiple surveys and student-input, MacEwan is still is not listening to their students' main concerns about this shift to online courses.

The Online Atmosphere is Inappropriate for This Level of Education: Distractions, Technical Problems, Stress, and No Motivation.

Our Campus atmosphere was once conductive to learning, and without our in-class instruction, this atmosphere is entirely dependent on our homes and surroundings that we are sometimes unable to modify for academic purposes. With many people staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, intrusions from family members or visitors will inevitably harm our education from time-to-time. These interruptions would not happen in in-class lectures and as such, has a negative impact on the quality of our education which we are unable to change. 

Zoom meetings and Blackboard's video calling suites are the main ways of online-course application, but technical problems and internet speed limitations negatively impact students who are unable to have the fastest internet connection or a suitable space to participate lively classroom discussions (A loud living room or a basement with spotty Wi-Fi, for example).

For many students, there is a level of anxiety that is associated with the traditional university setting of in-class instruction. However, with online courses, breaking down academic-personal barriers and inviting academic studies into one's home prohibits students from relaxation because there is no line between personal and professional life with online courses. Because course content can be accessed anytime via Blackboard, instructors often upload late at night with the expectation that students have read or seen the content before the next class. Without this personal/professional barrier, mental health has already taken a serious hit with both students and instructors alike with the feeling that we are unable to mentally "escape" from ongoing projects, lectures, or other academic commitments we would normally be able to distance ourselves from.

Like many students, I personally found it very difficult finishing the 2020 Winter semester with the transition to online courses because of the reasons mentioned earlier. It is very easy to get up and leave a Zoom meeting if you are on your computer; however, in MacEwan's once-inviting in-class academic atmosphere, everyone is ready and willing to learn at the same level of everyone else with minimal distractions. With online instruction, this level playing field for all students is unbalanced and many will suffer from mental health issues, technical problems, or outside distractions they are unable to remedy.

What This Petition is About?

This petition is to urge MacEwan to lower the overall tuition costs so that they are competitive with other online universities. Lowering the tuition cost will lessen the mental and economical burden that university has on many anxious and uneasy students at this time. Reducing costs will allow us all to focus on our grades rather than our student loans or bank accounts.

Since the campus is inaccessible to students at this time, we are not going to have the familiar environment associated with academic excellence. Regarding online instruction, there are many other online-specialized institutions that provide competitive prices for classes that rival the educational quality that MacEwan is currently offering. If we are not allowed access to campus and the learning-conducive atmosphere MacEwan once provided, it is only fair that we should not be expected to pay the same tuition costs as if we were attending in-class courses. The quality of online courses will never be as rich or as fulfilling as in-class courses, and as such, the tuition should be adjusted to better reflect the quality of MacEwan’s online education.

If you feel that the lack of lowered tuition costs is unfair to your mental health, academic quality, or for any other reason not previously mentioned, please sign this petition and share it with others so we can continue to pursue our passions and goals at a fair price.