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Thousands of college students have raised concerns about the lack of social distancing provisions and non-mandatory masks as they prepare to return to lectures next week.
Students at the University of Auckland must return to face-to-face classes starting Monday, but many want to continue learning online until the university can meet social distancing requirements to protect against Covid-19.
The call to go back to school comes the same week 89 users of an Auckland gym visited by someone infected with Covid-19 are asked to take the test.
The infected person attended three classes at Les Mills Gym in Takapuna last week.
In August, a student at the University of Auckland tested positive for Covid-19.
This week, students flooded Vice Chancellor Dawn Freshwater’s email inbox and signed a petition requesting that all learning, aside from hands-on work, remain online.
One student, who wished to remain anonymous, said the university was “actively ignoring student concerns” and said they were being asked to return to campus without “support.”
The fifth-year law and art student said the university handled the first lockdown well and the students were well supported and communicated.
“Since August, however, the response from the University of Auckland has been lackluster at best, negligent at worst,” said the student.
“Updates have been few and far between, telling students to absorb the movement back in line when the second block has been a lot more difficult mentally.”
The student said that after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the Cabinet would review the Auckland setup on September 21, the University gave a final “kick in the guts”.
“The Vice Chancellor of Freshwater announced that the students would return to college,” the student said.
“There is no obligation to wear masks, there is no support for students, there is no guarantee of physical distance.”
Other students echoed the concerns, saying there was a limit of 10 at social gatherings and no more than 50 at a funeral, but that it was okay to “put 300 in a conference room with no required masks.”
More than 80 students contacted NZME with their concerns, saying they were “dismayed”, “stressed” and that they thought the decision was “insane”, “ridiculous” and “unsafe”.
Many wanted to wait until there was no community broadcast and felt that they were being treated as clients rather than students.
Bayley Dropich, a third-year engineering student, said it was “ridiculous.”
“My family members are classified as ‘at risk,’ so if they caught Covid secondhand, obviously this would be devastating.”
Dropich questioned why meetings across the city were limited to 10, but classes would be allowed to be “crammed into a conference room” where not everyone knows each other. He was concerned that the university “could cause the next Covid wildfire.”
One student, who worked in college dorms, said that while physical distancing might work on paper, it had “gone out the window” very quickly in the hallways. I couldn’t see it being any different on campus.
“Many students want to stay home and have a right to safety.
“The university should not violate that right to security for profit … where is the pastoral care here? Where is the welfare?”
Students said that limited free counseling services were always reserved and there was little other support.
Another petition, also signed by the thousands, called for another grade increase, such as the 5 percent awarded after the first shutdown to acknowledge the struggles students face.
What do students want:
• Online learning, except when necessary to be a face-to-face
• Scrapping fees to request aegrotat grades and open recognition of the effect of Covid-19
• Mandatory masks
• Ability to maintain physical distance
Students who posted on social media had a variety of opinions about going back to school, and some, like science and engineering students, wanted to go back because of the hands-on nature of their learning.
In contrast, many law, arts, and business students preferred to stay at home.
Students pointed to other institutions like AUT and Massey University that embraced blended learning with the necessary in-person classes, but most of the classes went back online.
Freshwater responded to student comments via email today, saying it had consulted with the Auckland University Student Association (Ausa) and “heard loud and clear from students who value the campus experience.” .
Freshwater said students told her they found it difficult to stay motivated and engaged through online learning, that they didn’t want to miss out on practical work and college life, being with their friends, and the social aspects of the campus experience.
He said that the University was closely following all the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education regarding its operation at each alert level.
“Our priority is to support a safe return to campus for students and staff, with all appropriate health and safety measures.”
Although there is no limit to class sizes, the university decided to limit face-to-face class sizes to less than 300 with larger classes online.
Physical distancing was “doable” with classes below 300, the university said.
Freshwater said this would help with physical distancing for those in need on campus.
She confirmed that the masks were not mandatory, but said “wearing masks on campus is strongly recommended in situations where physical distancing is not possible.”
