Ten days after the start of classes, NC State announced that it was moving all in-person classes online in response to COVID-19 outbreaks around campus, and just six days later, campus officials announced that students would be required to vacate campus housing by Sept. 6—unless approved for a waiver—in order to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Over just 16 days, confirmed and self-reported positive cases increased from 87 to 767, after 5,807 total tests were performed within that same time span. As of Aug. 27, the total number of positive cases from self reporting and testing sits at 812.
This decision came after criticism from the NCSU Grad Workers Union, Student Government members and a slew of Technician opinion columns, all of which placed blame on university administration for how NC State reopened.
As a friend of mine observed, Technician’s editorial board, student columnists and the NCSU Grad Workers Union have been extremely unsupportive of how the university handled reopening this fall, and the opinions of students who support continuing in-person instruction and leaving University Housing open have not been voiced yet. In my view, the university made ample, if not excessive, accommodations to keep NC State faculty and staff safe.
Students who were concerned about their safety were allowed to choose fully online schedules, and the typical requirement for first-year students to live on campus was waived for students who chose fully online schedules, according to an email update sent to the entire student body on July 22. Students who arrived on campus and decided that conditions were unsafe were allowed to withdraw from the university with a 90% refund until Aug. 14, which was graciously extended to Aug. 28.
For those who chose to return to campus and attend in-person classes, masks were required in buildings, classrooms had reduced capacity and plexiglass screens to allow for social distancing and professors sternly warned us not to attend class if we were not feeling well. Furthermore, in-person attendance was never necessary. According to Jack Silverstein, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, departmental policy required him to record lectures so that students who did not want to attend class could attend online and receive the same experience as in-person attendees.
It was expected that bringing thousands of students into a high-density living situation from all over North Carolina and the world would spread COVID-19. No one forced anyone who did not feel safe to come to campus, yet students were forced to leave against their will. In a press conference, Chancellor Randy Woodson said that “[NC State] gave them the option to withdraw from housing. Frankly, very few did. So, they voted with their feet.” In other words, adults decided for themselves that the benefits of living on campus and attending in-person classes outweighed the risk of contracting COVID-19.
Proponents of the forced move to online classes and the shutdown of campus housing do not acknowledge that adults have a right to individually decide what is best for themselves. With a mortality rate of .1% for the 18-29 age bracket, one which most college students are included in, I decided for myself that risking being sick for a week or two was better than sitting at home behind a laptop, paying nearly $10,000 a year for an education which could be obtained for free on Khan Academy. Thousands of other NC State students made the same decision when they chose in-person classes and decided to live in campus housing.
Other students decided that they would attend online or withdraw for a semester, depending on what was best for them. To those with heightened risk of complications or those who chose to stay home for any other reason, I respect your choice. You had to balance staying safe while getting a college education, and that’s equally as commendable.
The loud and boisterous voice of critics ruined what little college experience our seniors and freshman were slated to enjoy, and these drastic changes do not represent the individual desires of our student body. The loudest wheel always gets the grease, and the most vocal mob always gets their way. Allowing for optional move out and optional attendance honors students’ wishes far more than forcing them to go home.
