WLU GSA Statement on a Safe and Equitable Return to Campus
For release: January 28, 2022
The Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) is committed to ensuring a quality experience and a rewarding journey for all students. This is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, where students have faced a disproportionate burden of social and financial costs.
The GSA continues to advocate for graduate students in the following important areas:
1. Recommending the prioritization and support of academic accommodations
1a. Housing
The GSA recognizes that the availability and affordability of housing in communities across Ontario where WLU campuses are located is a barrier for many students, particularly during the pandemic. The rapidly escalating cost of living and price of housing has meant that many people have been priced out of the market. In addition, the type of available housing is often insufficient to meet the needs of graduate students who are more likely to require short-term housing with flexible leases and accommodations suitable for family members.
We recognize that many students may be unable to find housing part way through the Winter Term and may therefore find themselves making lengthy commutes to campus, which can cause additional financial burden. We acknowledge that students have been looking for affordable housing since the Fall Term in anticipation of returning to in-person learning for the winter semester and we understand the frustration that many students have still not secured an appropriate housing solution.
1b. Health
We also appreciate the complexity of needs among our graduate students such that there are many students who are immunocompromised or have other health concerns, and as a result may need to delay their return to on-campus studies or finish this semester in an online format. The GSA supports and advocates for students who are navigating graduate school while also facing significant health concerns, and recognizes that a return to campus may not be a safe option for all of our students.
1c. Dependents
The GSA also recognizes that there are many challenges for graduate students with dependents regarding securing child care and navigating the high-risk setting of child care and the mandatory isolation periods that come with having your child be a close contact or contract COVID-19 themselves. We also acknowledge that some students do not feel comfortable sending their children to elementary school at this time, and have opted to keep them in an online learning environment for the remainder of the school year. This presents logistical challenges with a return to in-person learning.
The GSA has encouraged the university to prioritize academic accommodations that allow students the option of taking all, or a portion of, their classes online. This will provide students with equal learning opportunities regardless of their housing situation, health concerns or child care needs.
We encourage graduate students looking for academic accommodations to reach out to their individual faculty members for assistance. In the event that a faculty member is unable to provide the option to remain online, graduate students could escalate the request to the Graduate Program Coordinator, and/or contact the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. If any graduate student requires assistance during this request for academic accommodations process, please reach out to us, as we are happy to support you.
2. Maintaining stability and minimizing academic disruptions
The GSA recognizes that regularly changing provincial and Regional public health guidelines has an enormous impact on the student experience, resulting in uncertainty, potential stress, and burden, which involve effects that must be taken into account when discussing the in-person resumption of classes. Since university and college students are one of the most vulnerable groups in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health concerns have been particularly salient.
As a result, the GSA has therefore encouraged disruption to be minimized to the greatest extent possible. This means, for example, avoiding bringing students back to campus the week of February 14, 2022, to provide as much stability as possible during this heavy academic week prior to Reading Week.
3. Advocating for the university to communicate in a timely and clear manner about public health measures as well as campus policies and procedures
The GSA supports clear, consistent, and timely communication to students at all Laurier locations, to ensure they remain up to date on rapidly changing public health requirements. The GSA will strive to provide students with the resources required to safely engage in campus and academic activities to the fullest extent possible. The GSA has a limited number of N95 masks for graduate students who are not university employees at a pay-what-you-can rate. For students who are employees, personal protective equipment will be made available through your faculty department.
Creating a safe learning environment for the university community has been a top priority, and safety measures such as vaccine certificates, mask mandates, physical distancing, and sanitizing protocols as laid out by public health units must continue to be adhered to.
The GSA looks forward to continuing to collaborate with its university partners to ensure a safe and healthy return to campus, facilitating an accommodating environment that centres a positive student experience. We will continue to advocate for our graduate students and prioritize initiatives and supports that address their diverse needs.
Please reach out to the GSA - we are here to help.