The University of Arizona is set to commence in person classes this Fall 2020.

Robert C. Robbins, President of UArizona, released this statement/update via email:

“Dear Wildcats,
I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. At the University of Arizona, we continue to plan to be on campus this fall and are excited to kick off the academic semester with a strong start.

Know that we are closely monitoring the COVID-19 data in Arizona, around the country and the world. We are working hand-in-hand with our health care experts as health and safety continue to be our number one priority. We also know the situation will continue to evolve. All of us will need to call on our shared values of adaptation and compassion as we adjust to local conditions and support individual choice for our entire campus community. 

To suit each student’s individual needs and preferences, we will offer classes in four learning modalities in the coming Academic Year, being In-Person, Flex In-Person, Live Online, and iCourses. We look forward to seeing as many of you on campus as are comfortable. If you are at high-risk for serious complications from a possible COVID-19 infection, you should stay home and take advantage of our Live Online and iCourses learning options, to the extent possible within your degree program. If you have arranged for housing near campus but aren’t comfortable taking classes in-person, you also are encouraged to take advantage of our Live Online and iCourse modes. Importantly, if at any time you become ill, you should stay at home to minimize the risk of disease spread, and our faculty will ensure you can stay up to date with your studies via remote or online means.

You will receive a communication in mid-July with more detailed information about the Fall 2020 learning formats available to you. For the most up-to-date information about our response to the pandemic, please visit our COVID-19 webpage.

We appreciate the patience and support that our Wildcats continue to demonstrate through this unusual time.  We will get through this together.

Stay Safe and Bear Down!

Robert C. Robbins, M.D.

President
The University of Arizona”

This statement/update, although well intentioned and attempting safe education, is not enough. Any arts, science lab, education, social science, field work, etc. degree or study can tell you that requisite courses are often in-person classes with no alternative. Most degree programs are not based in general education courses with online options. 

During this pandemic, Arizona has quickly become one of the biggest hotspots WORLDWIDE. To offer in person classes to foreign, out of state, or even in state students, broadens the possibility to spread our horrible outbreak to other parts of the city, state and even other countries. The University of Arizona would facilitate another outbreak of this currently growing and adapting virus in the name of education. 

As creator of this petition, I would suffer greatly from online courses (as I would be doing hands-on field work courses adapted into virtual methods that would be nowhere near as effective). However, I would rather not go to classes in person. With the University offering online option courses, it particularly applies to standard classes that don’t necessarily stretch to higher division or higher tiered courses in most degree plans. That being said, online options aren’t an option for courses like mine involving music education (instrument study, orchestra, conducting, etc.) and don’t allow for the choice to study remotely.

The mandate of online study for the University would allow students who are parents, high risk, disabled, healthcare workers, immigrants or live with family to have an education offered by the University of Arizona that guarantees safe education.

In person classes when cases of coronavirus are booming at 117,000 cases and is growing in cases as a State more than foreign countries are. To have an institution with thousands of students offer an in person education with a deadly pandemic while churches, night clubs and bars in the state are barred from opening, is irresponsible.

 

Please sign this petition and share it so that some sort of change becomes viable to progress towards online education at the University of Arizona during the Coronavirus pandemic.