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Anonymous

If I refuse to take classes in person in Fall because of covid risk can university take action against me?

My university is very large. Over 45k students and I've seen it the classes were crammed with no distance. 

I've seen as much as 70 students in a class. Buildings are overcrowded too.

You can't tell me no one there will be corona positive. 

Also university said it will not make vaccines mandatory until some outbreak happens. I can't take that risk.

I've got underlying conditions.

University officials have delivered very strong pitch for in person.

It's not just me but 100s of students and even profs are planning to take the semester in Fall off and wait and see.

I also want to wait and see if Fall in person semester results in outbreak or not.

If not, then from next spring I'll be more than happy to join in person. 

But I just can't walk in like that with such large crowds without vaccine mandatory. 

However my major department chairperson says if leave of absence is taken, I can lose the seat in my major because I already took 3 semesters off in 2018 and 2019 and only 3 semesters leave of absence is allowed in the major.

What to do in stock situation

Updated 1 day ago:

Also just from everyday observation, I see so many with nose uncovered while having mask.

Lot of students will engage in such behavior. I know it

Updated 1 day ago:

It's not just me but I also care a lot about the health and well being of professors. Most of them are great. 

Updated 15 hours ago:

Vaccine isn't available for general public.. College students rank last on priority list. Local officials state that it may not be until October when general public has widespread access.

That's why university isn't making it mandatory. But university officials said even if vaccine isn't widespread by fall we will still do in person because of the complaints of online fatigue

Updated 3 hours ago:

Gypsyfish --- you're completely out of touch. Just because your area allows anyone older than 16, doesn't mean it's same everywhere. Do you even read news?

6 Answers

Relevance
  • ?
    Lv 7
    5 hours ago

    Where I live, anyone over 16 can get the vaccine. That should be true across the country this summer. The risk should be almost nil by fall. If your class is listed as on-site, you are expected to attend classes. Professors won't be zooming for students who choose to stay home. If there's an attendance policy, you'll be marked down. Even if there isn't, I can tell you from experience that students who attend class do better and with less work than those who don't. So stop making excuses. 

  • 6 hours ago

    Get the vaccine when you are eligible. Continue wearing a mask if you have to attend class, get a good mask like n95 or kn94 or wear two masks (paper and cloth).

  • drip
    Lv 7
    18 hours ago

    Action against you? They can prevent any student from attending if they do not follow procedures and rules.  They apply to everyone. 

    Get your shots, wear a mask and go to class. 

    Transfer to another school that has online classes. 

    You can talk to your doctor, but if the university doesn’t have online classes I don’t know how they are going to accommodate you.

  • 20 hours ago

    Officially request, according to your university's and major department's procedures, a leave of absence *and* a one-time exception to the "three semesters" rule. Include a letter from your physician saying that due to underlying medical conditions, it is dangerous to your health to attend class in person due to the pandemic. 

    If the university and the department refuse to grant them, you'll either have to go to classes, transfer to a different university, or switch majors. 

    They're not really "holding it against you." They didn't write the rule to apply just to you. Anyway, three of your leaves of absence had nothing to do with the pandemic. 

    And get the vaccine, no matter which path you choose. 

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  • MS
    Lv 7
    21 hours ago

    Get the vaccine yourself.  You aren't 100% protected, but it's better than nothing.  

    If the department has policies about taking time off, and you've already used all of that time, then they aren't obligated to make exceptions for you.  

    You can always speak to someone in Student Services at your university to see if there are any options for you.  Maybe they will make an exception and give you another semester off.  Maybe they will find another way to accommodate you.  But they have accommodations in place for instances like this and you've used them all, so it's well within their right not to go out of their way for you. 

    EDIT - if you have underlying health conditions that make attending class dangerous, then you should qualify for a vaccine far sooner than the general public.  I don't know where exactly you are, but many states in the US are opening vaccine availability to the general public now.  The issue has become too many people refusing to get the vaccine rather than not enough vaccine to go around.  My older teens have already been vaccinated. 

  • Tavy
    Lv 7
    1 day ago

    Easy answer. Get the vaccine.

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