COMMENTARY: UHCL should transition online after Thanksgiving
Texas surpassed 1 million positive COVID-19 cases Nov. 11. As of Nov. 20, Harris County alone has nearly 180,000 cases. Over 20,000 Texans died after COVID-19 related hospitalizations. 8,000 Texans are currently hospitalized.
The pandemic is far from over, and the relaxed regulations and yearning by many for a return to normalcy is causing the virus to spread more rapidly.
The Texas Tribune reported Nov. 10 that hospitals and funeral homes are preparing for another surge in cases and subsequent hospitalizations. The upcoming holiday season brings with it an urge to travel and spend time with family members who have not been able to spend time with each other because of these circumstances.
In June, University of Houston (UH) President and Chancellor of the University of Houston System Renu Khator issued a statement outlining the institution’s plan for mitigating the spread of the virus during the fall 2020 semester.
“All classes and final exams scheduled after the Thanksgiving break will transition to online delivery according to the current academic calendar,” Khator said in the statement.
Planning to transition courses and final exams to an entirely online format helps ensure students traveling and visiting family during the holiday do not spread the virus to classmates when they return.
UHCL has yet to announce whether or not it plans to take the same action after the upcoming Thanksgiving break.
The only communication regarding campus operations after Thanksgiving came when UHCL transitioned to Code 2 of campus safety standards Oct. 22. The statement from UHCL Marketing and Communication said:
“UHCL plans to complete the fall semester operating in Code 2; classes and services scheduled to be provided on campus will continue. Emergency Management monitors UHCL’s COVID-19 reports daily and, if conditions warrant, adjustments will be made to our operations.”
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of UHCL’s decision not to transition online after Thanksgiving is the precedent set by its response to the surge of COVID-19 cases in June.
June 1, the campus transitioned from Phase 1 of its original reopening plan to Phase 2. The Campus Recreation and Wellness Center (CRWC) and other facilities on campus reopened to resume limited in-person operations for administration, staff, faculty and students. June 27, the CRWC closed as the campus shifted back to Phase 1 because of a surge in cases in Houston. The facility reopened Aug. 17 for the fall 2020 semester after cases leveled off.
Despite conditions worsening in Houston and surrounding areas, UHCL has not made any announcements regarding adjustments to its on-campus operations after the Thanksgiving holiday.
In a town hall hosted Oct. 16, Vice President of Administration and Finance Mark Denney noted that within the UH System, UHCL is the campus with the highest offerings of face to face instruction amid the pandemic. Twenty percent of courses at UHCL are face-to-face, compared to UH which is below 10%, and University of Houston-Downtown which is below 5%.
At this point, it is clear COVID-19 cases are rising and will continue to rise during the winter, especially as a result of Thanksgiving and December holiday gatherings. UHCL should have taken this decisive action in lockstep with UH in June, but instead remained undecided on prioritizing the health and safety of students taking face-to-face courses.
Setting the expectation for students and faculty to return to face-to-face instruction after the break poses great risk to those who are required on campus. Furthermore, UHCL administration’s lack of action minimizes the fact that the pandemic is surging again and that UHCL will have a direct role in spreading it further.
The time for UHCL to take this action will have unfortunately come and passed by the time this article is published. At the Nov. 13 SGA Town Hall, this concern was raised to administrators who indicated the campus would continue with classes as scheduled.
UHCL administration has dismissed the valid concerns of students at town hall events in the past. However, the decision not to consider the health and safety of hard working staff, faculty and students on campus at UHCL could have tragic outcomes.
