Dear UVM staff, parents, and students,

Since students have returned to UVM in Spring 2021, they have been placed in strict and inhumane living conditions. With RA's and ResLife patrolling the halls every 30 minutes in Harris-Millis, bi-daily check-ups in MAT, and other mixes of the two over the rest of campus, UVM’s Covid-19 guidelines are quickly becoming unrealistic. New regulations have not only been costly to the school, but also catastrophic to the mental health of their students. 

In some cases, it can ruin students’ chances at a better future because the punishment of all Covid-19 violations, even ones that were simply claimed by other student and stand without real evidence, is the stripping of scholarships and an instant suspension. 

Suspensions have been given for the following reasons:

-A dorm party (makes sense, right?)

-A student using the restroom at 3am without a mask

-A group of UVM students carpooling (Note: a uvm officer followed these girls to their car and then wrote them up (suspended them) when they got inside)

-A student poking his head outside his door without a mask when he received an unexpected knock

-A student renting a hotel off campus to see her significant other to avoid suspension. 

-A student studying in a secluded campus study-room, with the door closed, alone, and without a mask

-Anybody who forgets to test twice. 

What UVM is now doing is assigning equal punishments to exceedingly different violations. The same punishment is used for all crimes, big and small. Even accidents can lead to the loss of a scholarship and instant suspension, regardless on the fact that there were otherwise no warnings, no fines, and no prior offenses on their record. 

Students are being forced to forfeit their scholarships and return home within 48 hours of suspension. This can even risk their parents’ lives. It doesn’t matter if they have Covid-19 or not. UVM in this way, is profiting off of our wanting of a normal college experience. Suspended students still have paid to attend, paid for their classes and room, but now use none of the school’s expenses. 

Instead of trying to fix the problem and come up with a realistic solution, UVM has continually raised punishments and extended the borders of what is considered a violation. The school has poor mental health student services logged down with requests, and an understaffed and overworked group of therapists who are struggling to fit time for everyone who needs support. UVM has done nothing to help expand this department, when it is what students need most in these times. 

Finally, there are many levels of hypocrisy in this system. First, lunch is allowed to be maskless and serves as our single form of allowed face-to-face human contact. Bring that same person you just ate maskless lunch with into your room? Even masked? Even socially distanced? Both suspended, no questions asked. And for those who are new, Freshman and transfers, making friends can be a nightmare. It is harder than ever before for us to thrive as individuals and students. 

Secondly in this hypocrisy are the RA's, who have been understanding at best. ResLife has taken the dorm rules to new heights. Many of our RA's have begun to realize just how strict these walk-bys and knocks are. Some knock-bys are even scheduled early in the morning and have woken students up. I have seen firsthand that many RA’s don’t abide by these COVID guidelines themselves. RA's leave rooms with other students, have been heard with various voices in their rooms, and have been seen without masks in hallways. If the people UVM hires to keep all students in line cannot even abide by the implemented rules, how can they hold us to a higher standard? 

UVM needs to come up with a better system (perhaps a bubble system) that would allow students to see others for their mental health. It is unnatural and inhumane for students to be anxious, depressed, isolated, with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Whether that is being able to socialize with students who live in their same building, masked up, or even make room contact with doors open to show that masks are worn and distance is being made, there needs to be a change. Any researcher in this field would tell you that mental health issues have skyrocketed during the pandemic, especially in students. We need patience and kindness. Many of us can only give 60% on an average day, and have 110% expected of us.

Please sign this petition in order to unite for more appropriate COVID-19 guidelines. Together we can reach UVM staff and change the way they have handled the pandemic. 

Suicide Prevention:

https://vtspc.org/suicide-resources/get-help/

This page is a list of Covid-specific resources that we have pulled together this semester that includes local, state, and national resources:
https://www.uvm.edu/health/covid-19-mental-health-resources
 
And this page provides both UVM, local, state, and national resources for mental health emergencies:
https://www.uvm.edu/health/emergency