The Student Government Association sent a letter to Georgia State University President Mark Becker and the Georgia State administration addressing their concerns about reopening the Atlanta and Perimeter campuses this fall.
Their goal is to devise a plan alongside administration that will protect students who are taking in-person classes from exposure to COVID-19 while on campus.
“The most practical and safest option would be to close the schools and transition all in-person classes to a virtual learning environment,” the letter states. “We would ask that all student fees associated with their upkeep be refunded to students.”
But, since students are still required to come to campus for classes, SGA has also created their own safety guidelines that can be taken to help keep students and faculty safe.
Some of the measures include:
- Creating a hotline number and social media account for anonymous reports regarding safety violations. Students will be able to report anyone, including faculty and staff.
- If a student tests positive for COVID-19 they will not be penalized for any missed work and will be able to make up missed assignments.
- Hand sanitizer stations at the main entrance to every floor of every Georgia State building on campus.
According to the CDC website, Georgia is currently number four in the country for the highest number of COVID-19 cases at 238,861.
On Tuesday, students performed a peaceful protest demonstration at the entrance of Centennial Hall to challenge Georgia State’s plans to reopen in the fall. During the protest, they expressed their concerns for student health and safety.
Many of the classes that students need have not been offered online or were quickly filled during the beginning of the registration period.
“As scholars, we must heed the advice from the scientific community or risk succumbing to the pitfalls that have afflicted other schools in this state,” the letter states.
