First off, I would just like to thank Michigan Tech’s faculty and staff for all of the incredible work they have put in to ensure not only the success but also the safety of their students. I have never before been as proud to be a Husky as I am now, knowing the struggles that many students at other universities are currently facing. It has been so wonderful to see how well our professors and the rest of the faculty members are adapting to these strange times, doing everything from moving their lectures to an accessible format to providing COVID care -packages. Professors have adjusted their office hours to meet the needs of students, and everyone seems to have an understanding of how we are all affected by the unique (and often upsetting) times we have found ourselves in, be it physically, mentally, or emotionally.
However, I would like to call for a greater level of transparency from the university. While each individual professor has, to my knowledge, set out fairly clear expectations and schedules, the university has allowed speculation to fester amongst concerned students. We are unsure as to what exactly the future holds. While we know it is impossible to tell for certain, we would like more clarity and brevity from the powers that be in regard to MTU’s plan of action. We would like a more concrete plan laid out in a clear, concise, and easily accessible manner. People have raised the question of what will happen if the number of positive COVID cases in the county continues to increase at the current rate and of how the university plans to respond to danger of potential transfer after students return from their Thanksgiving break travels.
Michigan Tech has overall done a wonderful job at providing a safe and comfortable learning environment for their students both on and off campus. However, all of this work will be in vain if students are faced with yet another sudden and drastic change that they were not adequately prepared for. We understand that last semester, the changes were so sudden due to unprecedented circumstances that no one could have anticipated. However, we feel that now it is the responsibility of every organization to have a response algorithm for multiple potential pandemic-related scenarios. We, as tuition-paying students with jobs, plans, families, and lives that could be disrupted if not destroyed by inadequate preparation, deserve answers.
