LSU students will soon return to campus for in-person, virtual and hybrid classes in order to minimize risk of COVID-19 outbreak. One former student, though, is pushing for students to be able to opt for virtual-only classes.
LSU alumna Nalo Zidan posted a petition on Aug. 18 titled “STUDENTS & FACULTY FOR MOVING LSU FALL 2020 SEMESTER ONLINE.” The petition expresses concern over the University not offering an online-only option for the fall semester. In the petition, Zidan said the University hosts a significant number of immunocompromised students and faculty, and the University is “irresponsible” for gathering these individuals into one place for the fall semester.
As of Aug. 28, the petition, on change.org, had 158 signatures out of the 200 signature goal.
Hybrid-model classes, a style of learning that places students into groups that dictate what days they attend in-person and what days they attend virtually, has become the alternative for most courses on campus. Zidan, however, called these hybrid-model classes “dangerous and unacceptable.”
Sports administration senior Austin Ash said he recognizes the problem with hybrid-model courses and will not return to in-person classes until either a vaccine is developed or students can “follow the simple guidelines properly.”
Construction management junior Nicole Armanini, on the other hand, disagrees with Zidan about the dangers regarding the hybrid-model classes.
“I completely understand and agree with why they are going with a hybrid-style teaching,” Armanini said, whose classes are all virtual this semester. “But I wish we had more of a choice for our classes.”
According to biological sciences junior Tina Vu, this option would be very beneficial to out-of-state students who are moving away from home just to attend class one day per week.
“They are wasting thousands of dollars just to come back to Baton Rouge for that one class,” Vu said.