Students forced online have this message for those demanding remote learning
Some students at Texas A&M University-San Antonio are objecting to the university's COVID policies for the spring 2022 semester.
Campus Reform spoke with students at universities that have gone online for the first few weeks of the semester.
Texas A&M University-San Antonio will not require masks and will maintain in-person learning during the spring 2022 semester. That decision is not sitting well with some students.
“As we move forward, we will actively monitor this guidance and provide timely updates to this website of any changes necessitated by evolving circumstances,” the university stated on its website. “As always, A&M-San Antonio will adhere to state and System guidance, and our plans will be informed by the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health experts.”
The university announced the decision last week on Instagram. Several angry students then commented on the post, voicing their disapproval.
One student commented, “lets all just not show up to class 👍🏼👍🏼”
“Lol I’m transferring, this is absurd,” another student said.
“Took em this long to draft up this but of course we got our tuition bills on time,” wrote another student.
The university posted another Instagram message on Jan. 10 that welcomed students back to campus and encouraged them to wear masks.
”[A]s a friendly reminder, we want to encourage you to mask up when on campus,” the post reads.
“I’m mainly concerned about how the school is handling the COVID situation,” Nalani, a student at San Antonio, told Campus Reform.
Nalani, who requested that her last name not be published, did say that she “respect[s] people’s right to not wear a mask if they don’t want to” while also wishing the university promoted masking to a greater extent.
Though some students at the Texas university oppose their institution’s plan for in-person learning, undergraduates at institutions that have imposed online instruction told Campus Reform that being in the classroom is reasonable.
DePaul University student Brandon Eisenhut, who is taking online classes for two weeks, is bothered by the fact that San Antonio students are complaining about the “normalcy part” of in-person learning.
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“I would be really annoyed if students at DePaul were complaining about no masks or no social distancing or no forced COVID tests,” Eisenhut told Campus Reform.
Zach Dora, a student at Seton Hall University who is taking online classes until Jan. 30, said that “being in person can be just as safe as being online, especially if people are vaccinated.”
Savannah Barchus, a student at California State University-East Bay, told Campus Reform that she “can understand where students are worried about their safety.”
“[B]ut there are ways to stay safe and options out there if you do feel uncomfortable such as getting vaccinated, bolstered [sic], wearing a mask, social distancing,” Barchus added.
Campus Reform reached out to Texas A&M University-San Antonio for comment but did not receive a response.
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