Opinion: The University’s response to COVID-19 ignores international students
AU should be better accommodating to the needs of the whole student body
Photo courtesy of Karina Meirmanova
By Karina Meirmanova | March 30, 2020
Over the course of just two weeks, our world has shifted upside down. All over the world, nations are experiencing horrible impacts of the novel coronavirus. The United States has surpassed both China and Italy in the number of reported cases, and is now considered to be the new epicenter. Due to preventative measures that are being put in place by the government, on March 16, American University announced that it would be shifting to online classes for the rest of the semester.
As an international senior studying public health, I never imagined that the last few months of my undergraduate career would be going this way. For the past four years, I saw AU as my home away from home. My whole family lives in Almaty, Kazakhstan, so naturally, AU held a dear place in my heart. However, in the face of AU’s response to the global pandemic, the University has disappointed me, and I’m sure I am not the only one who is experiencing hardship as a result of AU’s decisions.
For the past four years of attending AU, I have not been able to ask for any financial support. As an international student, I cannot file for any financial aid, loan or help due to my citizenship and immigration status. As the global situation worsens and economies sink, it becomes harder and harder to justify paying for AU’s tuition. Now that tuition must still be paid despite a compromised educational experience.
Online classes are not even close to the learning experience provided by face-to-face classes. Studying public health and having experience with taking science classes with labs, I know first hand that an online setup is not going to provide the same quality of learning as meeting in person. Therefore, it is absurd to charge students at the same rate for face-to-face lectures as online classes. What kind of learning online classes can provide for students who are taking organic chemistry labs?
Additionally, the University has not taken any actions to accommodate their international students, which accounts for 13 percent of the student body with over 140 countries represented. My timezone is 10 hours ahead of EST; consequently, classes that are held at 3 a.m. my time are impossible for me to attend. Due to a lack of accommodations, I will be penalized, risking failing a class and not formally graduating if I do not attend an online session in the middle of the night. This seems quite alarming and unfair to me.
I do understand that at the end of the day, a private university is a business and all businesses are driven by profit. However, as the global population is dealing with a pandemic that is killing people and bringing down the economy, this profit-driven mindset must be put aside. AU is an educational institution with a high reputation; therefore, I believe that the student body should be treated equally. It is highly immoral and unjust to try to profit from the student body by not adjusting class rates and not accommodating everyone who is a part of AU’s community.
AU can be and do better. It is an uncertain time for everyone; however, as an institution with over 12,000 students who depend on it for their diplomas and education, transparent communication and financial help should be prioritized. I hope that there is a way to make a change and truly show through actions that AU is an institution that values its students and does not discriminate based on students’ passports for a profitable outcome.
Karina Meirmanova is a senior studying public health in the College of Arts and Sciences.
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