Petition to Prevent UVM From Returning to Online School
Petition to Prevent UVM From Returning to Online School
The Issue
Petition to Prevent UVM From Returning to Online School
Dear President Garimella and Members of the UVM Administration,
With the recent news of many colleges and universities returning to online school for the first several weeks of the Spring 2022 Semester, including the University of Connecticut, Middlebury College, Washington University, and many others, we respectfully request that the Administration halt all potential plans to return to a remote learning environment.
Vermont is one of the most vaccinated states in the United States. As of the time of writing, Vermont ranks third in the country in terms of its vaccination rate [1]. According to the Vermont Department of Health, 96.6% of Vermonters over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 84.2% of Vermonters have completed the full regimen of shots. Chittenden County has a higher rate of completed doses at 85%. Furthermore, 100% of the student body has been vaccinated.
It is important to note several other facts. Unvaccinated individuals have a 5x risk of testing positive for COVID and a 14x higher risk of death than unvaccinated individuals. When comparing against people with the booster shot, unvaccinated individuals are 10x more likely to test positive for COVID and have a 20x higher risk of dying [2]. The point here is that vaccines work incredibly well at preventing severe illness and infection. With the upcoming deadline for booster shots, UVM students will be more protected than ever before. Furthermore, the indoor masking requirements seem to be slowing the spread of COVID on our campus. We applaud the University and the Administration for taking these critical steps to protect our safety. We also commend the Faculty’s union, United Academics, for calling for a staff vaccine mandate in August.
The main concern now for most schools seems to be the spread of the Omicron Variant. Cases are high, and people left and right seem to be coming down with COVID. However, most data suggests that hospitalizations are much lower from this variant than previous ones like Delta. Even when people end up in the hospital with the Omicron Variant, they spend less time there [3]. So, while we understand that Omicron is a concern, it should not warrant the complete shutdown of the University. When we returned to school, the Delta Variant was a large concern, and we have largely contained those covid cases on campus. Now a less dangerous variant seems to be threatening our way of life, and for what? We have consistently been told by government officials not to panic, but it seems university administrations around the country are doing just that. We understand that your role as administrators is to protect the students, staff, and the University. However, a return to online school could cause severe harm to the mental health of students.
It is widely known that online schooling severely affects the mental health of students. Studies have shown that many students around the world have reported that school closures have affected their mental health negatively [4]. An article in the Vermont Cynic highlighted this specific problem at UVM in February [5]. Overall, the quality, rigor, and effectiveness of online instruction pales in comparison to in-person lectures and laboratory experiences. Undertrained faculty, internet connection issues, and the inappropriateness of online instruction for hands-on experiences across all disciplines plagued the experiences of many students in the Fall 2020-Spring 2021 school year. Currently, there is no reason for us to believe that a return to online instruction would be any different. Furthermore, it would be a waste of our incredibly large tuition bills.
Finally, there is the well-founded fear that a two-week hiatus from in-person classes could turn into a whole semester of online courses. It has happened before, albeit under different circumstances, but universities have been notorious for stringing students along until the last minute, only to change their minds and reverse course. We as students are often out of the loop of decision making and feel that the University must be transparent in whatever course they take. It is our right to know about the decisions that affect our mental, physical, and social well-being.
In conclusion, we respectfully request the following:
· The termination of any current or future plans to return to online/remote instruction.
· A response from the Administration on where they currently stand.
· An honest, open, and timely line of communication between the students and the Administration.
To reiterate, the Administration has so far done an excellent job in protecting students and faculty from the spread of COVID on our campus, and we respect the job they have done. However, they must realize that a delay to a return on campus and further online instruction would be a drastic and unjustified measure that will impact the mental and physical health of thousands of students. Not to mention, it would be a waste of the hard-earned money we pay for our education. The science supports a return to campus, and we hope the Administration realizes this. We also hope the Faculty realizes this as well and supports the students in a return to in-person classes.
Sincerely,
Concerned UVM Students and Parents
References:
1. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total
2. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status
4. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS23524642(20)30109-7/fulltext
5. https://vtcynic.com/features/students-on-campus-face-mental-health-struggles/
The Issue
Petition to Prevent UVM From Returning to Online School
Dear President Garimella and Members of the UVM Administration,
With the recent news of many colleges and universities returning to online school for the first several weeks of the Spring 2022 Semester, including the University of Connecticut, Middlebury College, Washington University, and many others, we respectfully request that the Administration halt all potential plans to return to a remote learning environment.
Vermont is one of the most vaccinated states in the United States. As of the time of writing, Vermont ranks third in the country in terms of its vaccination rate [1]. According to the Vermont Department of Health, 96.6% of Vermonters over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 84.2% of Vermonters have completed the full regimen of shots. Chittenden County has a higher rate of completed doses at 85%. Furthermore, 100% of the student body has been vaccinated.
It is important to note several other facts. Unvaccinated individuals have a 5x risk of testing positive for COVID and a 14x higher risk of death than unvaccinated individuals. When comparing against people with the booster shot, unvaccinated individuals are 10x more likely to test positive for COVID and have a 20x higher risk of dying [2]. The point here is that vaccines work incredibly well at preventing severe illness and infection. With the upcoming deadline for booster shots, UVM students will be more protected than ever before. Furthermore, the indoor masking requirements seem to be slowing the spread of COVID on our campus. We applaud the University and the Administration for taking these critical steps to protect our safety. We also commend the Faculty’s union, United Academics, for calling for a staff vaccine mandate in August.
The main concern now for most schools seems to be the spread of the Omicron Variant. Cases are high, and people left and right seem to be coming down with COVID. However, most data suggests that hospitalizations are much lower from this variant than previous ones like Delta. Even when people end up in the hospital with the Omicron Variant, they spend less time there [3]. So, while we understand that Omicron is a concern, it should not warrant the complete shutdown of the University. When we returned to school, the Delta Variant was a large concern, and we have largely contained those covid cases on campus. Now a less dangerous variant seems to be threatening our way of life, and for what? We have consistently been told by government officials not to panic, but it seems university administrations around the country are doing just that. We understand that your role as administrators is to protect the students, staff, and the University. However, a return to online school could cause severe harm to the mental health of students.
It is widely known that online schooling severely affects the mental health of students. Studies have shown that many students around the world have reported that school closures have affected their mental health negatively [4]. An article in the Vermont Cynic highlighted this specific problem at UVM in February [5]. Overall, the quality, rigor, and effectiveness of online instruction pales in comparison to in-person lectures and laboratory experiences. Undertrained faculty, internet connection issues, and the inappropriateness of online instruction for hands-on experiences across all disciplines plagued the experiences of many students in the Fall 2020-Spring 2021 school year. Currently, there is no reason for us to believe that a return to online instruction would be any different. Furthermore, it would be a waste of our incredibly large tuition bills.
Finally, there is the well-founded fear that a two-week hiatus from in-person classes could turn into a whole semester of online courses. It has happened before, albeit under different circumstances, but universities have been notorious for stringing students along until the last minute, only to change their minds and reverse course. We as students are often out of the loop of decision making and feel that the University must be transparent in whatever course they take. It is our right to know about the decisions that affect our mental, physical, and social well-being.
In conclusion, we respectfully request the following:
· The termination of any current or future plans to return to online/remote instruction.
· A response from the Administration on where they currently stand.
· An honest, open, and timely line of communication between the students and the Administration.
To reiterate, the Administration has so far done an excellent job in protecting students and faculty from the spread of COVID on our campus, and we respect the job they have done. However, they must realize that a delay to a return on campus and further online instruction would be a drastic and unjustified measure that will impact the mental and physical health of thousands of students. Not to mention, it would be a waste of the hard-earned money we pay for our education. The science supports a return to campus, and we hope the Administration realizes this. We also hope the Faculty realizes this as well and supports the students in a return to in-person classes.
Sincerely,
Concerned UVM Students and Parents
References:
1. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total
2. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status
4. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS23524642(20)30109-7/fulltext
5. https://vtcynic.com/features/students-on-campus-face-mental-health-struggles/
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Petition created on December 31, 2021