Concerned students criticize the return-to-campus plan

Uncertainty and unpredictability have been characteristic features of academic life since the pandemic began in March 2020. These characteristics are reflected in Concordia’s communication of its plan for in-person learning this semester, which has been stressful for many students.

After a second pandemic winter break and five online start-of-semesters, Premier François Legault, confirmed on Jan 13. Facebook post that in-person learning would resume on Jan. 17. He gave post-secondary education school administrations more time to adjust themselves.

Concordia students were caught in the lurch as they awaited updates from the university’s administration. Around 5 p.m. on Jan.13, students received an email from the Student Communications Team. They announced that courses will continue to be online through Feb. 2 and the school would go back in-person the day after with no further indications on course delivery methods or procedures.

Most of the measures from last semester are coming back this winter, confirmed Esther Chouinard, press person for the Minister of Education. The instructions given by the government did not require physical distancing in the classroom or did not address the subject of ventilation in cegeps or universities. Despite the World Health Organization’s claim that Omicron is more virulent than its predecessors , Chouinard explained the ventilation in post-secondary schools will not be overseen or covered by the Ministry of Education.

“The university was responsible for costs associated with the implementation of modifications to building ventilation systems and the purchasing of air exchangers and air purifiers,” said Maestracci. The measures taken to improve the quality of the air, as well as mandatory masks, cleaning and disinfection protocols are detailed in Concordia’s Returning to campus (concordia.ca) plan, for a safer return to classes for students.

Read more: Concordia’s Feb. 3 return to campus safety plan

According to Maestracci, these measures are based on a guidelines from Public Health of Montreal . 

Concordia’s community seemed to not reach a general agreement about the administration’s decision. “[We are] getting a lot of requests from students basically asking us to take a stand, to advocate,” said Eduardo Malorni, general coordinator for the CSU. Because of this, the CSU decided to stand against the return to classes in-person.  

The CSU wrote an open letter addressing “the degree of abject negligence with which the university has treated the health and safety of its community members [...].” 

Read more: CSU demands concrete plan for Winter 2022 semester 

Although Concordia offered multiple recommendations for a safer winter term, the CSU had many doubts about the safety of a return to in-person classes.  “We don’t think the measures currently announced by Concordia are enough to reduce the transmission,” Malorni said. “While they might help, [...] we don’t believe right now that those would be effective, and we do expect that a lot of students will get sick on campus.”

Hannah Jamet-Lange, the CSU academic and advocacy coordinator and a fourth-year communications student, said they have especially been receiving messages from international students about Concorida’s return-to-campus plan.

“Overall, international students have quite mixed feelings about the return to in-person learning and the reopening plan. I think that the main thing everyone is concerned about is the fluctuation and the uncertainty that it provides because it doesn’t allow anyone to fully plan for their semester,” they said.

According to Jamet-Lange, this fluctuation was very stressful for international students starting their degrees this semester because of delays in visa applications. Canada does not allow students to enter the country or grant them a study permit if they do not receive their visa. Furthermore, Concordia required students to upload these immigration documents by Jan. 19, the Did-Not-Enter deadline.

Because of these visa delays, many students did not receive their documents in time for the DNE deadline, meaning they had to defer their semester, and will not be able to take classes this semester.. Jamet-Lange said pushing this deadline would have allowed these students to participate in their courses virtually before Feb. 3 until they got their documents.

Prior to returning in person, many students expressed anxiety about the amount of students who would be present.

“I just can’t imagine how it will be once [all students] get here,” said Byron Petersson, a biochemistry student. Peterson, who’s been unable to see his mother recently due to her high risk of catching COVID-19, added that he expects a return to campus will be  “chaos”.  

Aditi Baldowa, Concordia International Students Association’s VP Communications, said she would have prefered to take classes online. 

“If I [had known] classes would resume in person, I [would have] only taken eConcordia classes, so that I would [not] have to risk my life,” she said.

Baldowa said the effects of Concordia’s erratic planning are nothing new. 

“Last semester the university pressured us all to be back to Montreal and threatened to deregister us, and when I got here all classes were back online and now they are saying that we are going back in person,” she said.

Craig Bowler, a mechanical engineering student at Concordia noticed that last semester safety measures were not strictly enforced. It came to his attention that “at the start of fall semester, there was security or other employees at doorways checking masks and enforcing hand washing, but [by] mid-October, most sanitation stations were unattended.”   

“If we are [returning] to campus, where it’s expected that, [...] a lot of transmissions [will] occur, we will want the best masks to be able to help and at least reduce the level of transmission,” said Malorni. 

Public health does not require every student to wear the N95 masks, and according to Maestracci, the government will only hand out procedure masks to universities.

“I know that the government is putting pressure on Concordia to re-open. I would like to see Concordia say this isn’t safe and actually speak up against the government other than just being quiet,” said Malorni.