New Numbers Require a New Plan
UA President Stuart Bell
According to the September 4th UA System Covid-19 Dashboard update, 846 students have tested positive for the virus at the University of Alabama since August 28th, bringing UA's cumulative case total to over 2,000 students. Many colleges and universities across the country with infection levels far below UA's are shifting to only online classes in order to protect students and workers from infection. For weeks, UA has insisted "nothing has gone wrong" despite the hundreds of students who have been infected by the virus, quarantined in substandard conditions, and disciplined by the university. All the while, local and national media have run dozens of stories on UA's rising case count and administrative missteps.
As our case numbers continue to rise, the UA administration must take responsibility for the unsafe situations in which they are putting students, workers, and the Tuscaloosa community. Regardless of its plans for the future of on-campus instruction this semester, UA must operate more transparently and responsibly in the best interests of students, workers and the local community.
Sponsored by
To:
UA President Stuart Bell
From:
[Your Name]
We, the undersigned workers, students, neighbors and families of the University of Alabama demand that the university:
1) Commit to a Cutoff
The administration must publicly state how many Covid-19 cases are too many. Thousands of sick students is unacceptable from a public health standpoint and widespread quarantining and isolation is disruptive to classroom instruction. Without clear thresholds UA will continue to jeopardize campus safety and its educational mission.
2) Protect Jobs on Campus
The administration must commit to protecting staff positions, honoring instructor contracts, and paying undergraduate and sub-contracted workers for the remainder of the academic year. The most vulnerable workers at the university should not bear the economic responsibility of the administration's failed plan.
3) Test Students Before Closing Campus
The administration must provide free Covid-19 tests to every student before they leave campus. The risk of spreading Covid-19 beyond the university is not an acceptable reason to keep students on campus in unsafe conditions. Even if students do not leave campus before the semester ends, the end of on-campus classes before Thanksgiving will become a super-spreader event. The university has a moral obligation to make sure that its outbreak does not endanger the families and communities of its students.
4) Rebuild Trust
The administration must operate more transparently and solicit greater input from students, workers, and the Tuscaloosa community as it makes plans for the spring semester. Future campus operation plans must be democratically approved by campus workers.