Online petition strongly pushing back against Trent University’s decision to return to in-person learning

Students in masks walk out of Champlain Residence at Trent University. (Photo: Trent University website)

An online petition calling on Trent University to pull out of its plan to return to exclusively in-person learning on January 31 is hastily gaining traction.

The petition, titled “Keep Winter Semester Online At Trent University” and posted at change.org/p/keep-winter-semester-online-at-trent-university/, had garnered more than 2,300 signatures by late Thursday morning ( January 27). ).

Trent students were advised on January 24 that they will be required to return to class on Monday January 31, at which time seminars and lectures will no longer be recorded or posted online. The original date for this to happen was January 17 but, due to the uncertainty caused by the ongoing fourth wave of the pandemic with its highly transmissible omicron variant, Trent chose to wait.

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In a statement on the matter, Trent University makes it clear that the impending return to in-person learning should come as no surprise to faculty and students.

“Our decision to temporarily delay the start of in-person classes to early January, made in consultation with the province and public health, has been clearly communicated with our plan to return to in-person learning on January 31,” reads- we in the press release.

“Provincial guidelines state that post-secondary institutions (including residences) are not currently considered ‘high-risk settings.’ Trent follows the requirements established by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities for classrooms and instructional spaces.

Trent University’s return to in-person learning plan is posted on the university’s website at trentu.ca/coronavirus/.

While Trent states that he “strongly encourages all students to get their reminders before returning to campus” and reminds that “everyone is required to wear masks at all times,” the preamble to the online petition states. that “many students expressed concerns about returning to in-person (learning)” for the winter semester, citing “lack of distancing in many classrooms, difficulty finding accommodation for 3 months, rising cases, long commutes to campus due to returning home, and security concerns, among others.”

“This places students who are not comfortable being on campus in an undesirable position,” the petition reads, adding “Many students have expressed a desire to simply complete the semester online rather than on the go- returns for only 3 months Please support student safety and other valid concerns and just let us complete the semester online.

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The petition caught the attention of Trent University President Dr. Leo Groarke. In a guest column published Wednesday January 26 in the Peterborough Examiner, Dr Groarke assured that the university “will maintain our vigilant approach to security as we return to in-person teaching, learning and research. “.

“Some have asked me why we’re going back to in-person classes,” he wrote. “Many others have asked me to assure them that we are. Needless to say, we are doing what we are doing because we believe, after extensive consultation with scientists, public health and government, that our campuses are safe and not high-risk environments.

While reassuring, Dr. Groarke’s words did little to allay the concerns of the petitioners.

“The complete lack of physical distancing in lecture halls is bad enough, but crowded designated dining areas are worse,” one student wrote in a comment on the petition. “We can’t eat outside anymore, so it’s going hungry or risking COVID.”

Another commented: “I’m about a 45 minute commute to campus and it won’t be easy for me to keep going back and forth. Also, we started the semester online, so going back after a month is going to ruin everything.

“If students aren’t comfortable going back to class, then they should stay virtual,” another remarked. “Safety is the priority…feeling unsafe in the classroom will affect their performance.”

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On the same day, Dr. Groarke’s guest column appeared in the Examiner, an article titled Back To Normal? Trent Says “Yes,” Whether You Like It Or Not, was published on Arthur’s website, Trent University’s independent student press.

In it, writer Evan Robins details student frustration and, in some cases, outright anger over the impending return to in-person learning. Robins notes that beyond concerns on campus, there is another red flag.

“Many students are expressing apprehension about returning to common areas which could put them at higher risk of contracting COVID-19, which would require them to isolate themselves in a cramped dorm room away from their friends and of their family,” she wrote.

“Rather than being helpful to students, the lack of disclosure surrounding cases at Trent University leaves students in the dark, unable to make informed decisions and assess risk.”

Trent University is also hearing the concerns of the Ontario Federation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). On Monday, Jan. 24, he released a statement titled, “The voices of college and university librarians are being ignored as universities rush to return to in-person learning.”

According to OCUFA President Sue Wurtele, a geography professor at Trent University, “university and university librarians are tired of having their health and safety taken for granted and ignored.”

“COVID-19 poses a real and substantial threat to those working and studying at Ontario universities,” she adds.

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“Faculty and academic librarians are tired of having their health and safety taken for granted and ignored,” says Wurtele. “They are fed up with short-sighted government and academic plans that ignore the reality of this pandemic. The constant pivoting is exhausting.

“Although faculty, staff and students would love to get back to normal, this pandemic is not over. University administrations must work with faculty and other campus unions to chart a careful and safe course. This pathway should be based on facts and science and, where possible, exceed local public health guidelines.

In his guest column for the Peterborough Examiner, Dr Groarke writes that Trent University has already taken the road back to in-person learning and managed it well, ensuring that a number of protocols and measures are in place, monitored and regulated.

“Our successful fall term didn’t happen by accident,” he wrote. “Rather, it is the result of the many precautions the University has taken to keep our campuses safe. They included vaccination mandates (97% of our students, staff and employees are fully vaccinated); masking, distancing, cleaning and air purification protocols; special accommodations, where possible, for those who needed them; and the constant monitoring of our buildings and campuses.

“We plan to maintain our vigilant approach to security as we return to in-person teaching, learning and research,” he adds. “Our protocols will include sewage testing by our scientists, an added layer of protection that has proven to be invaluable as we track signs of COVID on our campuses and colleges.”