Wente announces that no decision has been made regarding fall semester

In response to inquiries from different groups about the status of the fall semester, the Interim Chancellor posted on social media that the University is “considering all possible options.”

April 21, 2020

Emily Gonçalves

Aerial shot of Kirkland hall with trees. (Hustler Multimedia/Emily Gonçalves)

Interim Chancellor Susan Wente announced on social media Tuesday morning that no decision had yet been made regarding the fall semester.

“We are considering all possible options, recognizing that there will not be a one-size-fits-all solution across Vanderbilt’s undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, and that our fall semester may look very different than it has at any other time in our history,” the post said.

“While we’re navigating much uncertainty, our goal and sincere hope is to hold in-person classes on campus this fall,” the post continued.

Other universities across the nation have also held off on making a decision regarding the possibility of having in-person fall semester classes. Schools like Boston University, Harvard University and Oregon State University are considering plans for the possibility that in-person classes will be cancelled in the fall, according to reporting by CNN.

Wente’s post went on to say that the university is dedicated to careful analysis and is considering “an abundance of diverse expertise” to protect the health of the Vanderbilt community as the school re-opens.

We’ve had different groups raising reasonable questions about decisions related to the status of our fall semester. No final decisions have yet been made.
— Vanderbilt University Chancellor (@VU_Chancellor) April 21, 2020

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About the Contributors

Rachel Friedman, Former Editor in Chief

Rachel Friedman was a student in the College of Arts & Science who studied history and mathematics. Before serving as Editor in Chief, Rachel was the Campus Editor of The Hustler. You can reach her at [email protected].

Emily Gonçalves, Former Multimedia Director

Emily Gonçalves (‘20) was the Multimedia Director of the Vanderbilt Hustler. She majored in Mathematics and Economics and minored in Latin American Studies. When she’s not taking photos, you can catch this Jersey girl making puns, singing, advocating for girls’ education and drinking lots of chocolate milk and espresso!

Comments (5)

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Student

4 years ago

Yes, a college campus is a breeding ground for infection but our age group (specific health conditions aside) is OVERALL better equipped to recover from this virus. Furthermore, no matter how thoroughly online material is planned, especially considering students’ needs for laboratory and performance-based classes, there is no substantial substitution for the caliber of education we would receive in person. We selected and paid for this university with the expectation that we would get to take full advantage of its resources, and while the public health crisis has forced the university’s hand, should this remain the norm for the fall semester, it would not be worth the investment. Additionally, mental health remains critical at this university and at others across the nation, and although it would be dangerous to fully bring back all elements of campus culture (1 am ragers on Greek Row), people need people. To hug. To eat a meal with. To really establish a sense of belonging in these formative years.

While I trust Wente and the administration understand and highly value our safety and happiness as a student body, I believe the overall benefits of coming back to campus (even with modifications like reduced capacity in Rand, increased sanitation protocols, the option to livestream classes should a student feel ill) are the most important. As college age students, we are more likely to develop alcohol use disorders or die in car crashes than we are to die from this virus. We do need to protect the populations that are most at risk, but we can do that while living our lives, too.

Randy Lahey

Whatever happens, the fall semester is gonna be weird but we should at least be on campus. Maybe cut down on large events or give everyone a mask, but there’s never gonna be a time that’s 100% safe from coronavirus in the near future, so let’s at least get wha we pay for at vandy.

Ben

The reality is that some of the country will be open by August. I’d rather take a risk bettering myself among other 20 year olds that are at low risk for infection any may already be immune than work in a grocery store and risk infecting my family because I have no choice but to get a job given that my being at home is one more mouth to feed. With reasonable measures in place Vanderbilt will be much safer than many of our hometowns.

Jamie N

An online fall semester is absolutely necessary. The virus will resurge in the fall and I am not willing to take the risk. A campus environment is a petri dish dish for disease, especially for something as contagious as COVID. I have friends in NYC and there are terrible, terrible, sad stories that don’t make the news. Inconvenience is not a reason to justify death and misery.

Kevin

Postponing the semester to till 2021 is ridiculous. Not all of us have McMansions to run and hide to for 5 months.