It would be best for students if the spring term was formally declared to be delivered primarily online, and the extended drop date extended to January 31st, 2022.

On December 31st, 2021, the University of Lethbridge sent an email to its students informing that the Spring 2022 semester would begin online and that in person classes would resume on January 22nd, 2022. This initial email also stated that all campus services such as food, athletic, etc. would remain open in anticipation of a return to in person learning. The student body understood that the university needed time to study and observe the situation with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, however the student body expected a concrete answer to the method of course delivery by January 21st. 

However, on January 14th, 2022, the university again sent an email, this time telling students that online learning would be extended to February 28th, 2022 in order to minimize the amount of students on campus, a respectable decision. Again, students were told that campus services would remain open. This obviously was not the concrete answer that students were hoping for, but instead was university administration kicking the can down a bit further down the road and leaving many students feeling uncertain about the future of this semester.

As a result of the uncertainty caused by this decision, we respectfully request that university administration formally declare that the spring 2022 semester will be primarily delivered online as it has been since the start of the semester on January 5th.

We also request that a full refund be issued on Upass, as well as any and all parking passes issued to students upon request as some students are currently living in residence and will need those. 

Our third request pertains to in person examinations and course components. If the university wishes to keep students and faculty safe, then they would be wise to keep the testing centre closed and have all examinations conducted online. It is unfair to make students come into a poorly ventilated room that could potentially expose them to COVID-19. In addition to this, all components of classes that CAN be taught online, should be taught online in order to protect students and faculty as much as possible.

The decision to not make a decision has left those who don't ordinarily reside in the city of Lethbridge or the surrounding area with even more uncertainty as assuming in person classes resume as now scheduled, those students will be coming to Lethbridge for only 5 weeks of in person classes and final exams, an amount of time that may not be worth the stress and cost of moving for some students. Even for those students who do reside in Lethbridge and the surrounding area, having a routine disrupted is not ideal and would have an effect on students overall health.

Another request this petition makes is to extend the extended drop/withdraw dates until January 31st in order to better accommodate those students who do not wish to attend online classes. We believe this to be a fair way to allow students to not pay for online classes they do not want to attend, especially considering the second email was sent just 11 days before the extended drop date ended. 

For the sake of our students and our professors, please sign this petition and share it with your friends and colleagues. Together, we can get through this virtual semester.