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Students petitioning Lakehead for more support during pandemic

Lakehead has agreed to one of five requests, but financial relief needed, student says; 'Students can’t afford to wait for support'
Lakehead University - Orillia
Lakehead University Orillia campus. Source: Facebook

Lakehead students are asking the university to take a number of steps to support them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brandon Rhéal Amyot worked with fellow Orillia campus students Aleesha Gostkowski and Evan McHardy to create a petition, calling on the university to do the following:

  1. Add a pass/fail option for all courses and allow students to opt in to that option

  2. Keep residences open for those who cannot return home

  3. Forgive remaining placement and internship hours

  4. Extend all academic appeal periods and extend tuition fee payment periods

  5. Set up a support fund for Lakehead students

Lakehead has so far agreed to the first request, with some conditions. For courses that have a numeric grade, students will still receive a final numeric grade.

After getting the numeric grade, for each course, students will have the options, for year-long 2019-20 and winter 2020 courses, to keep the numeric grade, convert it to a pass or fail, and to have a late withdrawal from the course with no academic penalty.

That’s a positive step, but students are still hoping for some financial relief.

“Students can’t afford to wait for support,” Amyot said. “Setting up an emergency fund would be Lakehead really stepping up to the plate.”

Amyot noted Lakehead was expected to make a statement next week, but said there’s no time to waste.

“Students have to pay bills this week,” they said, adding most are renters.

Also, this is about the time of year many would be seeking summer employment, but options are few during the pandemic.

“There might be this perception that students have money and everything is fine, but a lot of students are running out of money,” Amyot said. “We’re in unprecedented times, so we do need to take some big steps.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition, which can be found here, had garnered more than 4,800 signatures. The goal is 5,000.

No one at Lakehead was available for an interview, but the following statement was provided by David Barnett, provost and vice-president (academic):

“Lakehead University recognizes the extraordinary challenges all of our students are facing during these unprecedented times and the impact it is having on their learning and overall well-being.

“We are working with our student union to respond to the needs of our students. I and other members of senior administration met with LUSU, last week, to discuss the issues expressed in the petition, and we are assessing and addressing their concerns together.

“I would like to acknowledge the hard work that our faculty, staff and student union representatives have undertaken, and continue to do, to support our exceptional students.”


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Nathan Taylor

About the Author: Nathan Taylor

Nathan Taylor is the desk editor for Village Media's central Ontario news desk in Simcoe County and Newmarket.
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