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Silly at best, and downright irresponsible at worst.
I'm not going to touch on the "universities become the care homes of a second wave" bit, because others have done that more eloquently. Instead, here be some practical considerations.
(thread) https://twitter.com/ucu/status/1299811608491823104
I'm not going to touch on the "universities become the care homes of a second wave" bit, because others have done that more eloquently. Instead, here be some practical considerations.
(thread) https://twitter.com/ucu/status/1299811608491823104
First, and most obvious, point: haven't students been through enough uncertainty as it is? Having their grades fiddled, twice, now having to wonder if they won't be given the chance of going to uni?
But fair enough, let's assume there's a pragmatic overriding argument.
But fair enough, let's assume there's a pragmatic overriding argument.
So let's assume we shut down campuses, including accommodation.
Problem: we can't.
Why?
- Care leavers, estranged students, people who don't have a safe home to return to
- International students, for whom the same may apply, but also add expensive and risky travel to the mix
Problem: we can't.
Why?
- Care leavers, estranged students, people who don't have a safe home to return to
- International students, for whom the same may apply, but also add expensive and risky travel to the mix
That's the people who literally have nowhere else to go, not even mentioning all the students who could stay at home, but to the detriment of their mental health.
(Hello!) I've had it relatively well off here, but after six months stuck at home I am starting to struggle a bit.
(Hello!) I've had it relatively well off here, but after six months stuck at home I am starting to struggle a bit.
And that's assuming they can participate in online classes, because they have access to computer equipment, stable internet connections, and a quiet working environment. You'd be surprised how many don't - and how strong the correlation to household income is here.
Also, going back a bit - international students traveling to the UK will in most cases have to quarantine for 14 days - so they'll arrive earlier than everyone else. What are you going to do with them? Send them home?
And this is just talking about first year students in campus accommodation. Many upper years have house leases that have already started, and they've already moved in and started paying rent. I doubt many will move back home.
The national migration started three months ago.
The national migration started three months ago.
If the UCU genuinely wanted a chance to be taken seriously, they should have come out with this report three months ago. Right now it's far too late, people are already making plans - and in many cases, have already moved into their uni town housing.
Uni life this year won't be the same at all, but shutting it down completely is simply not a practical option - and partial shutdowns cause their own problems.
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