June 12th was the day some students became excited to sit through a 50-minute lecture again when Madam President, Joan Gabel, sent an update email saying the campus would be open again. Well aware that many precautions would need to be taken due to the raging pandemic, no student expected every class to be in-person. However, currently, 2379 courses including 4950 sections are labeled "Online Only" or "Blended" encapsulating Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Psychology, Physics, Sociology, etc. 

Personally, I learn better when I attend a class in-person and am held accountable with a structured lecture. A general consensus shows that many fellow students feel the same. This cannot be replicated with online classes. 4 out of 5 of my classes have been moved fully online. With that, the tuition should reflect an online education that we will be receiving in the Fall. Currently sitting at $6,659 for residents and $15,808 for non-residents per semester, these numbers are grossly inappropriate for online classes. 

We leave the decreased amount at the Board of Regent's discretion, but ask that it be lowered by at least 12%. We are fully aware this will be a loss for the University as a whole, but in these times involving a global pandemic with many families suffering a financial strain, schools should recognize this and act accordingly.