Jinnie Saran is an upper-level student at UFV pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree. When she’s not in class, she is the president of the CreWri Association. In light of the recent Omicron outbreak, she began an online petition that pushed to extend online learning, which has now surpassed 200 signatures.
What motivated you to create this petition?
It was the obvious lack of safety measures at UFV and their refusal to take proactive steps in protecting their community. At most, students and staff are encouraged to wash their hands and wear a mask. However, there seems to be nothing beyond this such as upgrading to MERV-13 filters or requiring N-95 masks within a classroom setting. There are also no strict vaccine mandates as [vaccine cards] are not mandatory in classrooms, which are confined spaces that are occupied for a great length of time. There is absolutely no reporting of COVID-19 positive cases on campus, as well as no form of contact tracing. An instructor is not allowed to disclose to a class if someone has a case; thus, not only are we not able to have an accurate percentage of cases linked to the university setting, but we are putting other students at risk of spreading the virus to their communities unknowingly.
Lastly, I was highly motivated by the ableist attitude demonstrated by our institution when there are many staff and students who may be immunocompromised, live with someone who is immunocompromised, or have other disabilities that make in-person learning not only challenging but unsafe for them. For instance, I am a blind student, and therefore must rely on other students to keep their distance from me, and can not read directional arrows placed on campus. I would note at this point that directional arrows provide zero protection against an airborne virus.
So far, the petition has pushed over 200 signatures. With many people sharing similar concerns over UFV’s COVID-19 protocols, how do you feel about the support you’ve gained from the community? Are silent voices finally being heard?
Voices were never silent, but were rather ignored by our institution.
I am very appreciative of the community, staff, and student support I have received. It not only affirms my perspective during this difficult time, but speaks to the broader issue at hand, which is the large portion of the UFV community not wishing to return to in-person classes at this time due to reasonable safety concerns. However; UFV has not engaged with the petition at this time.
We’ve seen a wave of similar concern happen at Simon Fraser University, where a student walk-out was held in protest of in-person classes. What are your thoughts on this recent movement?
I stand in solidarity with the SFU students and admire and commend them for their actions this week. These students have done something that many administrators have chosen not to do, and that is speak up for their larger campus community. Not only have their actions caught the attention of local news sources such as CBC and Global News, but it is a motivator and push for other students to take charge of their own safety. I personally wish to organize something similar at UFV if the institution refuses to listen to the petition. We have now seen this happen across any number of universities and post-secondary institutions across BC and Canada.
What actions do you think UFV should take to ensure the safety of students?
UFV should not only begin consulting the Faculty and Staff Association and students when it comes to such decision making, but should give a larger focus to student and staff welfare rather than business continuity. To be frank, what are we going to do with a strong and solid campus when the bulk of our staff and students are sick, have long COVID, or lose their lives?
Moreover, the university must recognize the harm that their decisions have made, and are continuing to make, and rectify the situation. The institution could strongly re-evaluate the sparse safety measures in place and introduce a more robust set of safety protocols to make staff and students comfortable in the physical environment. UFV could follow the lead of other institutions and choose to become a leader and a catalyst in creating positive change.
I was someone who thought highly of our institution even though others viewed us as less-than for being a smaller school, but with the actions that UFV has chosen to take, my faith and respect for my own school has gone down significantly. I am sure that many other students feel the same way. UFV must decide what is more valuable: the lives of its students, faculty, and staff community, or sustaining short-term revenue.
Interview was edited for length and clarity
Image: Charlotte May / Pexels
