USD’s Late Remote Learning Announcement Draws Criticism
USD’s Late Remote Learning Announcement Draws Criticism
By: Olivia Cunningham, Assistant News Editor
Following the University of San Diego’s announcement that Fall 2020 would be online, students took to social media comments to express their anxiety and disappointment. Whether the comments were calls for a tuition discount or refund, questions about housing, or expressions of annoyance, it was clear some students wanted an increase in communication and transparency.
Incoming senior John McNicholas explained that he was never optimistic about USD’s return to campus due to increased cases in his native Los Angeles County. The LA County Public Health Department reported 1,759 total cases on May 12, and that number climbed to 12,807 total cases as reported on July 21. McNicholas said the #BlackLivesMatter protests and several looting instances in L.A. County might have led to the uptick in cases in May, and due to that, he never signed a lease to come back to San Diego. However, there are no current studies or statistics to show a causal link between an uptick in cases and #BLM protests.
McNicholas drew attention to the messaging and formation of USD’s Six-Point Plan, a plan emailed to students regarding the re-opening of campus under the threat of COVID, and criticized the tone of those emails as being too relaxed.
“I wouldn’t sign a lease on a just a plan,” McNicholas said. Several of his friends had signed leases, however, and are now left with no way out.
He said although the school’s communication seemed confident and detailed, his doubts remained.
“You had to question the authority of the school,” McNicholas said. “You should be able to trust your school.”
Peter Marlow, associate vice president of University Communications, defended the language in the Six-Point Plan.
“The Fall 2020 Academic Task Force members, which include faculty and administrators, are confident in the quality of the flexible academic plan put in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Marlow wrote in a statement. “The goal of the Six Point Plan was to bring students back to campus with proper health and safety measures in place.”
Marlow further explained how the Six-Point Plan was developed and the university’s confidence in the plan.
“While there are trends based off the metrics used by the state and county, the volatility was such that it was changing week to week and did not reflect a single trend,” Marlow said. “We also shared and coordinated our Six-Point Plan with other universities and state and county officials, and there was no indication by these entities that our plan was unreasonable.”
McNicholas also called for a tuition reduction in his comment posted on the school’s “uofsandiego” Instagram announcement of USD’s transition to fully remote learning. This comment garnered 89 likes from other commenters and viewers of the post. Similar comments on the post had close to 100 likes, as students called for their financial struggles to be put first, not those of the university. Other students created several petitions on change.org. The most popular petition has collected 2,784 signatures as of Aug. 22.
USD will move forward with its tuition increase for the upcoming school year, Vice President of Student Affairs Carmen Vasquez confirmed over the summer during an online Q&A session. She relayed that the decision for this tuition increase was made prior to USD being affected by the pandemic.
Neena Din, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, also said during the Q&A that there have been increased costs for additional technology in the classroom, including 130 classrooms that now have cameras that will have the ability to live stream class and allow for student questions mid-lecture.
Vasquez also mentioned that the university lost an estimated $17 million in the spring semester, with a total estimated loss of over $40 million. She also confirmed that the university’s endowment value has decreased by $50 million due to the stock market plunge.
“It is important to remember that tuition pays for only 70% of the costs of a student’s education,” Marlow said. “The university receives the remaining 30% through philanthropic support, funding from our endowment, auxiliary services such as room and board, rentals, camps and attendance at events.”
Another student who had booked a flight and hotel room for move-in weekend in San Diego is Sebastian Sevilla. The incoming first year was critical of USD’s messaging as well.
“I would say it’s a little bit late because I know some schools that already said they’re going remote,” Sevilla said. “Giving the earliest heads up would be ideal.”
The announcement of USD’s move to fully remote learning came on July 29, only 19 days before the scheduled start of school on Aug. 17.
“The intent was to bring students back to campus provided that state and county guidance permitted such a move,” Marlow said. “The timing was driven by guidance (or a lack of new guidance at the time) from state and county officials and the fact that we were only days away from the beginning of the fall semester.”
The San Diego Unified School District announced the closure of San Diego K-12 schools on July 13.
“The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control. Therefore, we are announcing that the new school year will start online only. Instruction will resume on…August 31 in San Diego Unified, as previously scheduled,” said a joint statement from the LA Unified School District and the San Diego Unified School District on July 13.
However, universities are not under state and county guidance for K-12 schools and Marlow said there was no reason for USD to follow this guidance.
Savannah Stallings, an incoming junior, signed her lease in July, but expressed similar disappointment to that of Sevilla. She would not have been as optimistic if the tone of USD’s communication about returning to campus was less assured. Her concerns about returning first began when California state colleges closed. The UC and CSU systems announced a plan for full remote learning on May 12. Marlow said private universities like USD are not guided by the UC and CSU systems.
“I definitely wish USD had been more transparent in their emails over the summer,” Stallings said. “I just think that they should have been more transparent that there was a bigger possibility that we weren’t going back.”
San Diego County was taken off California’s coronavirus watchlist on Aug. 18, so a return to campus is not out of the question, according to USD. The university’s administration maintains that they are prepared to pivot to hybrid learning.
“We are in the process of discussing bringing additional students to on-campus housing, and we soon will be sharing information about our plans,” Marlow said. “At the same time, we are closely monitoring universities across the country who are reversing decisions to bring students back on campus and hope to learn how best to mitigate a similar scenario from happening at USD.”
The future is uncertain for faculty, staff, and students. Many issues remained unresolved and questions unanswered, but struggle and adjustment is certain as the national and local situation remains in flux.