Immunocompromised MUN students say they're being forced to choose between safety and education
CBC
As Memorial University prepares to resume most on-campus activities on Monday, some immunocompromised students say they feel forgotten.
Jessica Marie Martin, a biology student in her second year, has lupus and chronic active Epstein-Barr virus, which inhibits her immune system's ability to fight infection; she's been struggling to fight off mono for two years.
"I worry about just going to the grocery store and of course, now having to be at a lecture hall with 99 other people, it's just nerve-racking," she told CBC News.
The university announced last week most courses will resume in person, including classes at the St. John's campus with 99 students or less, all classes at the Marine Institute and classes at the Grenfell Campus "within university occupancy regulations."
Martin says she agrees that in-person learning is often more effective but wants to see additional accommodations for immunocompromised students like herself.
"They're leaving any student behind with any sort of illness by not at least giving everyone an option to be online or in person," she said.
In a bulletin posted on its website Tuesday night, MUN said immunocompromised students can talk about possible informal accommodations with their instructors on a course-by-course basis.
"Instructors are encouraged to be flexible and consider alternate means for students to meet requirements of attendance and or participation," reads the update.MUN said the Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning has created resources and supports to assist instructors in planning.
The university said if a student is unable to reach an instructor or come to a solution, the student should then contact the department head, program chair, associate dean or dean who is responsible for the course.
MUN said if students can't be given an accommodation because of a specific learning objective, they can drop courses. The university has extended the deadline to drop courses, students can drop them until Jan. 30 and get a full refund. If they drop courses by Feb. 6, they can get a 50 per cent refund.
The update said anyone with COVID-19 symptoms can't go to campus, and students who do get COVID-19 don't have to submit medical documentation when they miss class.
MUN is allowing individual instructors to decide how they will accommodate students who contract COVID-19. Martin says that policy makes her nervous because the virus could take her out of commission for longer than the mandated seven days of isolation.
"It's up to the individual professor and, of course, some professors aren't as accommodating," she said.
In an interview last week, MUN's chief risk officer, Greg McDougall, told CBC News the decision on how to accommodate students was left up to individual instructors because of the differing nature and objectives of each course.
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