At-risk students question UC Davis response to COVID

Amid a surge in COVID infections, campuses across the University of California have extended remote learning until the end of the month, with regular classes expected to resume Jan. 31.

But a number of UC Davis students with pre-existing health conditions are urging officials through a petition to adopt a permanent hybrid approach — a proposal that so far is getting traction with over 7,600 signatures as of Jan. 17.

“This institution needs to care about us more. [UC Davis Chancellor] Gary May said that they’re listening but it doesn’t seem like they’re actually listening,” says adnan Minasian, a third-year Native American Studies major at UC Davis who has taken a lead role in urging the administration to act.

“Students are confused and they don’t know what to plan for and it makes my job difficult as well.” — Hemant Bhargava

Earlier, UC Davis planned to go online for just a week and have students get tested to avoid an outbreak. May said this was critical because “by identifying cases early in the quarter, we can slow the spread of the coronavirus and keep campus operations running as smoothly as possible.”

But during that week, more than 1,000 students at the 40,000-student campus tested positive for the coronavirus as the omicron variant spread quickly, and that left many students fearful of returning to in-person classes. That, in turn, raised questions about the administration’s handling of the issue.

“I’m beginning to see challenges … because of the way the decision (about online learning) has been made,” Hemant Bhargava, a business management professor, told the student newspaper, the California Aggie. “Students are confused and they don’t know what to plan for and it makes my job difficult as well.”

ASUCD, the student government at Davis, released a letter on Jan. 6 to the administration addressing these concerns and saying that “the decision from UC Davis leadership to manage rather than contain the omicron variant of the COVID-19 pandemic at Davis is especially harmful for immunocompromised students and students with disabilities who will be forced to choose between their health or their education”

“I could see how many people were so afraid and angry especially after the Dec. 30 announcement.” — adnan Minasian

In addition to ASUCD, students and groups like UC Access Now, the UCD Disability Rights Advocacy Committee, and unions in Davis launched a petition calling for a long-term hybrid approach, stricter safety measures, and more support for online learning.

Last month, as the omicron variant infection levels intensified, UC San Diego said it would temporarily move to remote instruction for two weeks. Many UC campuses followed suit, deciding to wait one or two weeks to move back to in-person instruction.

While UC Davis eventually decided to wait a couple more weeks, concern over the university’s continued insistence on returning to in-person instruction has many angry at how those in charge are responding, and they are worried about how their response will affect them.

“I could see how many people were so afraid and angry especially after the Dec. 30 announcement. Pretty much everyone that I spoke to whether it was students, teachers, or other staff … was upset and no one seemed to know what to do about it,” said Minasian, who published the petition on change.org.

UC Davis has recommended that they contact the Student Disability Center to discuss possible accommodations.

The Dec. 30 announcement came before the administration at Davis decided to extend online instruction for more than one week and discussed how the campus was shifting to living with COVID-19 at an endemic level, similar to the flu.

It was this language that angered immunocompromised and disabled students. They, in particular, are concerned about the potential for an increased risk for severe illness — even death — from the coronavirus and may not get the same protection that others do from the vaccines.

In response to the needs of these students, UC Davis has recommended that they contact the Student Disability Center to discuss possible accommodations and encourage those who need it to take advantage of the Planned Educational Leave Program if they feel they need to take a leave of absence for COVID-19 related reasons.

UC Davis promises updates and says they are monitoring infection rates and other considerations.

However, many remain concerned that despite whether or not students are granted these accommodations, many of their roommates who do not share their health risks would still have to go to class and could bring the virus back with them.

Minasian views the administration’s unwillingness to completely address the concerns of those affected as nothing new.

“Ableism is a very old form of oppression and it’s kind of always been this way in this country, where disabled people have always been disregarded, and within the UC system as well,” Minasian said. “It’s just really normal to not respect high risk people and to leave disabled people to fend for ourselves.”

UC Davis promises updates and says they are monitoring infection rates and other considerations, but it remains to be seen what in-person instruction will look like come Jan. 31.

While many were relieved to hear that remote instruction would be extended, the lack of a permanent remote option has left many affected students uncertain about a safe return to in-person learning and what kind of risks that will put them in.

Minasian is among those still concerned and argues that “the only way we are going to change this is if we actually start caring about disabled lives and more marginalized lives.”
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Editor’s Note: Joshua Aalcides is a Capitol Weekly intern from UC Davis.