Student petition demands online learning at U of L

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on January 25, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

A petition to commit to online learning for the remainder of the spring of 2022 has been started by a University of Lethbridge student.
The online petition, which at the moment of this article has gathered 2,101 signatures, reads in part, “It would be best for students if the spring term was formally declared to be delivered primarily online, and the extended drop date extended to January 31st, 2022.”
Laura Lussier, a university student who signed the petition, reached out to the Herald to voice her opinion on the matter.
“The petition was started by a different student to get the attention of the university and let them know that students aren’t really happy with the uncertainty,” said Lussier.
She added that students would prefer to have them all on line and just have some answers and they would also like having the U pass (bus pass) reimbursed, as there is really no use for it.
Lussier said the university originally had sent an email stating students will be learning online until the end of January, but as of Jan. 14, they received another one saying online learning was extended until Feb. 28.
The Herald obtained a copy of said email, which in part reads, “With the health and safety of our community foremost in mind, the University of Lethbridge is extending its current primarily online course delivery model through to the end of the February Spring Term Break, with in-person classes scheduled to resume Monday, February 28, 2022. Alberta’s other comprehensive-research universities, the Universities of Alberta and Calgary, are also delaying their return to in-person learning until February 28 and informing their communities as well this morning.”
Lussier said going back on February 28 would mean being in-person for only five weeks.
“In my opinion that isn’t very fair to the students, just because it’s also uncertain and also for students who are paying for housing just to move for five weeks isn’t really fair to them,” said Lussier.
She added that the university is expecting them to attend in-person exams even with their courses being online.
“If our courses are online, it doesn’t really seem fair to have to go into the testing centre if it’s not safe for us to be on campus for classes,” said Lussier.
Lussier believes that the situation is unfair for students, especially for international students that have to pay for housing and are unable to attend classes in-person, as well as for those who need stability to thrive.
“I mean, personally I’m a neuro-divergent student. I have ADD and it’s been really frustrating, like getting into a routine and then not really knowing what’s going to happen, you know, if that routine is going to be disrupted,” said Lussier.
The petition can be found at https://chng.it/yvRzWyQQ4H

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