Northeastern University recently announced its spring 2021 remote work policy, informing faculty that they will only be eligible to teach remotely if they cite a specific medical condition on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s list.  This excludes age, childcare needs, and non-CDC listed health complications from being valid reasons to petition for remote work. 

Although Northeastern has been able to contain COVID-19 transmission within the campus community, this policy is antithetical to increasing COVID-19 case numbers throughout the greater Boston area, puts Northeastern faculty at risk unnecessarily, and is ignorant to the needs of faculty who are also parents. 

This policy is dangerous, discriminatory, and unnecessary.  As students, it is our responsibility to support faculty and staff to ensure that they are heard at the institutional level.  To read more about how this policy negatively impacts faculty, check out this Hunt News article written by a professor: https://huntnewsnu.com/63920/editorial/op-ed-open-letter-to-northeastern-students-from-one-of-your-professors/