To the WashU administration.
As WashU parents, we are writing to express our concern about the change in your Thanksgiving policy for students living in university housing, especially those on the South 40 and in the Village.
It is a loss to not have our children coming home for Thanksgiving, especially for first year students. And, in signing our housing contracts and after hearing from the administration and medical experts this summer, we made a commitment to WashU -- and you to us. We hear you that the university cannot enforce policies across the 6000 students at Wash U. The campus will never be a closed bubble. However, students living on the South 40 and in the Village have both the benefits and significant risks of living in close proximity -- and they have less ability to isolate without support than those living off-campus.
The change in Thanksgiving policy feels like a breach in safety and in communication. The reality is that you have permissioned travel over Thanksgiving which introduces significant risk of infection to those living and working on campus. Our request is as follows:
- Consider a strict Thanksgiving policy for those living in university housing, especially on the South 40 and in the Village.
- If students leave campus overnight during Thanksgiving, make explicit what they will be required to do when they return. Given that testing will not capture infections immediately, consider significantly isolating those students until testing becomes more accurate. Please do not let returning students attend in-person classes or eat inside dining halls. This also assumes that WashU will be aware of which students plan to travel over Thanksgiving ahead of time.
- Finally, please communicate your plans to parents by convening us around this issue.
We want to express our gratitude for all that you are doing so that our students are having a rich in-person experience at WashU this year -- including partnering with us to make sure this in-person experience continues.
Our appreciation in advance -- from the following WashU parents.
Updates
October 25, 2020
The administration remains silent despite our constant outreach efforts. Post this link on your Facebook page today and email the Dean of Students to demand a clearer policy on travel safety.
October 25, 2020
We hit our first big milestone today and the momentum shows that the administration cannot ignore our concerns much longer. Post the link to your Facebook page right now and email your representative on the housing board to keep the pressure on.
22 Comments
We allowed our daughter to learn on campus in reliance on your conservative Covid 19 practices including among other things and specifically the rule to stay at school during thanksgiving break or stay home if you go home. Now that the virus is consistently rising at record rates you are abolishing a rule that was created when the virus wasn’t this bad. This is reckless and concerning.
My sophomore son has decided to stay in St. Louis for the Thanksgiving break in order to keep people safe. Yes, we will miss him but we are mature enough and caring enough to do this. We will see him in December. I hope students who go home for Thanksgiving, STAY HOME!
As a mom of a freshman and a pediatrician, I strongly believe that this is not the time to be relaxing the Thanksgiving travel policy, especially knowing that the numbers of COVID cases are already increasing and will only get worse as more people gather indoors and the influenza season comes upon us. This is a very risky time and we must consider the safety of both the WashU community, the students and staff, and as well as families that entrusted the care of their students to the WashU administration.
We have two students living off campus this year. We are not permitting them to travel home for Thanksgiving. It seems like the right decision for the greater good, for the protection of the WashU community. We are disappointed that the University is not keeping their commitment on this issue, and without any good explanation or safety measures in place for when those who do travel return.
I sent my child to school with the understanding that WashU would keep the students on campus over Thanksgiving. I don’t understand what is gained by changing this original plan. I think there is only downside to having students go outside the campus bubble. Please honor the original plan.
It’s extremely concerning that WashU is changing its Thanksgiving. Our family made the commitment for our son to remain on campus for the holiday with the understanding that this would be true for all students. To date, we’ve been reassured by the safety protocols in place as well as the commitment students have show to adhere to them. Covid-19 doesn’t respond to half-measures. This new flexible policy is a slap in the face to the students and families who have worked diligently to minimize risks to themselves, their families, and their communities. Students who leave and return to campus amidst a steep increase in infection rates nationwide only to go back home a few weeks later has all the makings of a super-spreader event. Please don’t risk the success the WashU community has achieved in keeping infections in check. We all miss our kids and want to enjoy Thanksgiving with our families as we normally would. But these are not normal times and we can’t treat them as such. For the safety and well-being of the entire WashU community, as well as the home communities of each individual student, we urge you to reconsider anything that goes against the original, agreed upon policy.
Many students and parents are doing all they can to ensure the campus stays open for Spring semester, including giving up our Thanksgiving traditions with our children this year. Please don’t jeopardize the Spring semester needlessly.
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To the WashU administration.
As WashU parents, we are writing to express our concern about the change in your Thanksgiving policy for students living in university housing, especially those on the South 40 and in the Village.
It is a loss to not have our children coming home for Thanksgiving, especially for first year students. And, in signing our housing contracts and after hearing from the administration and medical experts this summer, we made a commitment to WashU -- and you to us. We hear you that the university cannot enforce policies across the 6000 students at Wash U. The campus will never be a closed bubble. However, students living on the South 40 and in the Village have both the benefits and significant risks of living in close proximity -- and they have less ability to isolate without support than those living off-campus.
The change in Thanksgiving policy feels like a breach in safety and in communication. The reality is that you have permissioned travel over Thanksgiving which introduces significant risk of infection to those living and working on campus. Our request is as follows:
- Consider a strict Thanksgiving policy for those living in university housing, especially on the South 40 and in the Village.
- If students leave campus overnight during Thanksgiving, make explicit what they will be required to do when they return. Given that testing will not capture infections immediately, consider significantly isolating those students until testing becomes more accurate. Please do not let returning students attend in-person classes or eat inside dining halls. This also assumes that WashU will be aware of which students plan to travel over Thanksgiving ahead of time.
- Finally, please communicate your plans to parents by convening us around this issue.
We want to express our gratitude for all that you are doing so that our students are having a rich in-person experience at WashU this year -- including partnering with us to make sure this in-person experience continues.
Our appreciation in advance -- from the following WashU parents.
Updates
October 25, 2020
The administration remains silent despite our constant outreach efforts. Post this link on your Facebook page today and email the Dean of Students to demand a clearer policy on travel safety.
October 25, 2020
We hit our first big milestone today and the momentum shows that the administration cannot ignore our concerns much longer. Post the link to your Facebook page right now and email your representative on the housing board to keep the pressure on.
22 Comments
We chose to take the risk to allow our daughter to attend WashU in person, knowing that you had plans to keep the students safe. We also knew she would not be able to come home for Thanksgiving. However, with the new policies in place regarding travel during this time, we are very concerned and feel that the university has let us and the students down. We are now thinking that she is going to have to come home at Thanksgiving and not go back as the risk will be too high for her. These policy changes are going to create a new risk situation for many. Please reconsider.
We allowed our daughter to learn on campus in reliance on your conservative Covid 19 practices including among other things and specifically the rule to stay at school during thanksgiving break or stay home if you go home. Now that the virus is consistently rising at record rates you are abolishing a rule that was created when the virus wasn’t this bad. This is reckless and concerning.
My sophomore son has decided to stay in St. Louis for the Thanksgiving break in order to keep people safe. Yes, we will miss him but we are mature enough and caring enough to do this. We will see him in December. I hope students who go home for Thanksgiving, STAY HOME!
As a mom of a freshman and a pediatrician, I strongly believe that this is not the time to be relaxing the Thanksgiving travel policy, especially knowing that the numbers of COVID cases are already increasing and will only get worse as more people gather indoors and the influenza season comes upon us. This is a very risky time and we must consider the safety of both the WashU community, the students and staff, and as well as families that entrusted the care of their students to the WashU administration.
We have two students living off campus this year. We are not permitting them to travel home for Thanksgiving. It seems like the right decision for the greater good, for the protection of the WashU community. We are disappointed that the University is not keeping their commitment on this issue, and without any good explanation or safety measures in place for when those who do travel return.
I sent my child to school with the understanding that WashU would keep the students on campus over Thanksgiving. I don’t understand what is gained by changing this original plan. I think there is only downside to having students go outside the campus bubble. Please honor the original plan.
It’s extremely concerning that WashU is changing its Thanksgiving. Our family made the commitment for our son to remain on campus for the holiday with the understanding that this would be true for all students. To date, we’ve been reassured by the safety protocols in place as well as the commitment students have show to adhere to them. Covid-19 doesn’t respond to half-measures. This new flexible policy is a slap in the face to the students and families who have worked diligently to minimize risks to themselves, their families, and their communities. Students who leave and return to campus amidst a steep increase in infection rates nationwide only to go back home a few weeks later has all the makings of a super-spreader event. Please don’t risk the success the WashU community has achieved in keeping infections in check. We all miss our kids and want to enjoy Thanksgiving with our families as we normally would. But these are not normal times and we can’t treat them as such. For the safety and well-being of the entire WashU community, as well as the home communities of each individual student, we urge you to reconsider anything that goes against the original, agreed upon policy.
Many students and parents are doing all they can to ensure the campus stays open for Spring semester, including giving up our Thanksgiving traditions with our children this year. Please don’t jeopardize the Spring semester needlessly.
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We chose to take the risk to allow our daughter to attend WashU in person, knowing that you had plans to keep the students safe. We also knew she would not be able to come home for Thanksgiving. However, with the new policies in place regarding travel during this time, we are very concerned and feel that the university has let us and the students down. We are now thinking that she is going to have to come home at Thanksgiving and not go back as the risk will be too high for her. These policy changes are going to create a new risk situation for many. Please reconsider.