USD must modify COVID-19 policies

The university’s policies creates unrealistic expectations for students living on campus

Karisa Kampbell / Asst. News Editor

College in the middle of a pandemic is a painful struggle — many students never imagined that there would be a momentous world event that defined their academic career. A transition to online learning was thought to be a quick fix to a temporary setback, but as the one-year mark of online learning quickly approaches, it has proven to be more of a permanent solution. 

USD has a very comprehensive plan to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on campus that looks good on paper, but is not practical in reality. In practice, it pushes students to hang out off campus in non COVID-safe environments that the university cannot control.

There are several policies that the university has implemented in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 on campus. The guest policy for campus housing has changed, and no longer allows students to have guests in their apartment. Students must wear a mask while on campus and are also expected to maintain social distance in public spaces, as well as wash or sanitize their hands frequently. These policies may sound reasonable and straightforward and therefore shouldn’t be difficult to follow, yet there is a major flaw in this plan; it expects students to refrain from interacting with other students. 

A large part of USD’s COVID-19 blueprint plans focuses on students hanging out in outdoor spaces together. This allows students to socialize, yet decreases the risk of spreading COVID-19 by being in an outdoor environment with masks on. However, many of the outdoor spaces have been disassembled, or removed so that they can’t be used. A popular outdoor study space, the patio behind the University Center, has been closed off with its furniture put away, not allowing students to use that space. In addition, chairs around the UC and the Student Life Pavilion have been removed and tables pushed together so that they cannot be used. 

This leaves dorm rooms as one of the only options where students can eat meals. And if students are expected to eat in their rooms, there is also the expectation that students are eating alone, as some students do not have suitemates. Outdoor dining is now allowed again in San Diego County, so the removal of chairs in these spaces is unreasonable on the university’s part. Actions like these are forcing students to choose between interacting with other students or following the rules, and it’s pretty clear which of the two most college students will choose. By taking chairs and outdoor spaces away, students are then just further encouraged to go to other students’ rooms or off campus to eat dinner or study, which increases the risk of not being COVID-19 safe.

Additionally, an important note to make is that last semester when these outdoor spaces were available for students to use, the number of COVID-19 cases on campus were drastically reduced in comparison to the surge that USD is experiencing now. As of Nov. 3, when USD had roughly 600 students on campus, only 16 residential cases were reported for the entirety of the fall semester. Now, with over 1,000 students, 141 residential student cases were reported after the first two weeks of testing alone. While it can’t be said for certain that the lack of these outdoor spaces is the reason for the surge, these spaces allowed for students to hang out in safer ways. Without these spaces, students don’t have opportunities to hang out safely on campus, pushing students off campus to hangout.

The university’s COVID-19 policies and actions make it impossible for students to hang out with each other in a way that doesn’t break the rules and is COVID-19 safe. Students feel pressured by these policies to go off campus. In some ways, it appears that USD favors this “out of sight, out of mind” mentality when it comes to students hanging out, but this mentality proves to be more dangerous. USD has no control of what students choose to do off campus. Yet by not providing students with safe opportunities to hang out on campus, it’s pushing students who may not be inclined otherwise to go to parties or bonfires to do so anyways, as they feel it is the only option to socialize with their peers. 

The university encouraged more students to come on campus for the spring semester but are now not providing these students with the proper resources to interact with each other safely. Now, USD is panicking and blaming students for the COVID-19 surge on campus. If the university was truly prepared to almost double the amount of students that are living on campus, they would have created efficient plans and opportunities for students to socialize. The solution to these surges is to not take away all available places for students to interact with each other on campus because students will just go elsewhere to do so. 

As part of a brand new initiative, USD has launched the “Core Connect” program to help promote safely making connections with other students. It outlines different rules for gatherings based on the different county tiers. In the purple tier, San Diego County’s current and most restrictive tier, a social bubble of no more than four people is being encouraged. This program may seem promising, yet the following day on Feb. 4, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Donald Godwin sent an email to the student body directly contradicting what was said about small group interactions in the previous email. 

In regards to the surge of on campus cases from this last weekend of testing, Goodwin’s email emphasizes USD’s COVID-19 protocols, and completely ignores the “Core Connect” initiative saying in bolded capital letters, “NO GROUP GATHERINGS.” Whether or not students are able to hang out in a group of four people that was outlined very clearly in an email sent the day before is now unclear. With these contradicting emails and information, it is impossible for students to understand the rules on social gatherings, therefore follow them. If the university expects students to follow its COVID-19 policies, they must become more diligent, clear, and precise on the information that they are giving to us. 

The idea that the best way to protect students from COVID-19 and stop its spread is by not hanging out at all is flawed in the same way that saying abstinence is the best way at preventing STDs and pregnancy — it works, but for a lot of people it’s unrealistic. The best way to prevent pregnancy and STDs is by educating students and providing them with the resources they need to be safe and successful. The same approach should be applied to COVID-19 policies. Students are going to hang out regardless of what USD’s COVID-19 policy says, but wouldn’t the university rather know that students are doing it safely? 

The lounges that remain closed in residence halls could be a perfect solution to encourage students to hang out on campus safely. Just as Copley Library operates, these spaces could be used on a reservation basis only, requiring students to mask up and sit six feet away from other students. The number of students allowed in the room could change as San Diego County moves into different tiers. Opening lounges in residence halls would give students spaces to watch movies, play board games, or socialize with others in a space on campus. They would allow for COVID-19 safe interactions that the university has control over. 

If USD were to modify its COVID-19 policies, re-establish outdoor facilities such as tables and chairs on campus, and provide specific spaces for students to hang out while still following the university’s COVID-19 policies, there may be a decrease in coronavirus cases on campus. 

Fewer students would feel the need to go off campus to socialize in an unsafe manner. The university would be able to control these social interactions in a way that they are not able to do so now, and ensure that safe COVID-19 practices are being implemented and followed by the students. 

The views expressed in the editorial and op-ed sections are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego, or its student body.