Generations will remember for decades how different companies and organizations responded to COVID-19. It will be forever ingrained in people’s minds the excellent actions some companies have taken, like breweries and distilleries making hand sanitizer or factories producing personal protective equipment.
However, society will also always think back on those groups that utterly failed in the face of the coronavirus, such as those nonessential businesses that refused to close their doors or the airlines that did everything in their power to withhold refunds for canceled flights.
There’s one more group that is fumbling in its response to the pandemic, and that’s universities.
Universities were quick and successful in shifting to a completely remote operation for their students’ safety, and for that they should be praised. However, they have not given students refunds of any kind for the diminished quality of education they are receiving, and that’s not doing right by the students.
A large portion of tuition and fees that every student pays goes toward campus resources that are no longer accessible to students. Additionally, students are no longer getting the value provided by in-person instruction. Yet no discount or refund of any kind is being offered; in fact, some are increasing tuition. Frustration among students across the country is understandably growing, as are the lawsuits.
This presents Utahn universities such as the University of Utah with a unique opportunity to both lead the nation’s universities and teach their students how to do the right thing even when it’s not necessarily easy.
We should ask University of Utah President Ruth Watkins, are you going to do what’s right for your students and give refunds, or are you just holding out until political or public pressure forces you to?
Miles Ramsey, Salt Lake City