Some Western students say they are disappointed with the London, Ontario university’s decision to mandate masking and booster doses of the vaccine for the fall semester, especially considering they had already paid tuition before ‘announce the new measures.
“I just want to know why [were the requirements changed]with statistics and a more in-depth reason, instead of being a ‘Too bad, you have to put on the mask and get the reinforcement,'” said Nathalia Aranda, a sophomore who feels the school has not given the students a solid answer.
According to Western’s website, the due date for freshman tuition fees was August 2; for senior students, it was August 15.
Western announced the new COVID-19 mandates on Monday. They apply to students, faculty and staff for the fall. They must have been vaccinated three times (both initial shots, as well as at least one booster of any combination of Health Canada-recognized COVID-19 vaccines) and wear masks in classrooms and seminar rooms.
The university said it is to safeguard face-to-face learning after classes begin this fall. Despite opposition from some students, others, including some professors, applaud the new measures, saying the university is being a leader in public health and trying to avoid a return to remote learning if the numbers increase of cases of COVID-19. this fall
The university said the decision to wear masks and boosters was based on extensive consultation with its scientific experts and the Western community.
“This decision supports the safety of our students, employees and our community with the goal of preserving our in-person experience,” said Dr. Sonya Malone, Western’s occupational health physician.
Nathalia Aranda, a sophomore at Western, feels the university has not provided a solid rationale for its new masking and reinforcement measures. (Submitted by Nathalia Aranda)
Aranda, who has a booster shot, said she understands the importance of masks and vaccines. She and other students interviewed by CBC said they still would have paid tuition to continue their education, but would have preferred to have been able to consider other options.
“I chose to receive my reinforcement. However, I don’t see why we need it to do an education,” Aranda said. “Why is it harder to get an education at Western than it is to travel to another country? Because you don’t need that boost to travel.”
In June, the Ontario government dropped its mask mandates in most settings. And while the province highly recommends getting a booster, it’s not mandatory.
“I was very happy and very relieved when I heard what the university is asking. They acted with integrity and did the right thing,” said Beth MacDougall-Shackleton, a professor in the biology department.
“People had been getting ready. We had been waiting to see what it would take for school to start. The mandate protects public health. It protects us.”
Moving online is a pressure for instructors and students, and anything to avoid that is a good thing, he added.
Maxwell Smith, a bioethicist at Western, calls the university’s move “reasonable.”
“I think that’s pretty reasonable, given the goals the university is trying to achieve,” Smith said. “Most of the states’ Ivy League schools have mandated booster shots. Western has a choice and is choosing to add protections rather than remove them.”
“Unwarranted Warrant”
Justin Alla, who is in the health sciences program, was looking forward to enjoying his fourth and final year starting in September.
“I was really excited to go back to Western. My friends and I saw the restrictions being lifted this summer and thought we could have some normalcy for our senior year. College is an experience and we want to have at least one little of that.”
Alla, who was at the end of her freshman year when the pandemic broke out in March 2020, said there have been COVID-19 restrictions for most of her college experience. He believes the new COVID-19 measures are unjustified and questions why Western abandoned its mask mandate in June, only to reverse it two months later.
“It just came out of left field,” he said. “They did a 180. They should have talked to their students and staff to see where we’re at and how we feel about the situation.”
Mya Kestle, a third-year student, feels cheated the university announced its updated COVID-19 policy after the fall registration deadline. (Submitted by Mya Kestle)
Mya Kestle, a third-year student in the food and nutrition program, feels cheated. She believes the university could have communicated this earlier because right now students feel very unfamiliar.
“They could have said it at the beginning of the summer, so we had the summer before paying tuition to decide if we wanted to go to a school that requires that mandate,” she said.
For Kestle, if the government requires a third dose, it would be easier to adapt or take alternative options like online classes, but right now, the only place she needs a boost is the college she pays to attend, he said.
Western will require students living in residence to receive their booster dose before moving in, but will offer a two-week grace period and easy access to the on-campus vaccination clinic for students unable to get a reinforcement before they arrive.
“Mitigating the risk of transmission of COVID-19, as well as the serious outcomes of infection, can be effectively achieved with a combination of masking and vaccination,” said public health physician Dr. Saverio Stranges.
The updated policy requires all students, faculty and staff to submit current proof of vaccination to the university by October 1st.