The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Volume 92, Issue 5

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OCTOBER 6, 2021 • VOLUME 92 • ISSUE 5

The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929

‘A slap in the face:’ Nurse anesthesia program’s closure comes with unclear plan ILLUSTRATION BY XAVIER CULLEN, PHOTO BY JARED HOLT

OPINION P.4: ALEX JONES OVERLOAD Opinion Editor Xavier Cullen explains why Alex Jones doesn’t deserve attention

CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE

By CHATWAN MONGKOL News Editor

Nurse anesthesia students are facing an uncertain future after Quinnipiac University abruptly announced their program’s closure earlier this year without a blueprint for what’s next. Following the School of Nursing’s “careful analysis” of its offerings and how to best allocate its resources, it decided to begin a process to discontinue the nurse anesthesia program, according to an email the school’s Dean Lisa O’Connor sent to 43 students in June. After multiple failed attempts to schedule a meeting with the nursing school’s leadership to receive some clarification, second-year nurse anesthesia student Jasmeet Mahandru and other students asked the Connecticut Office of Higher Education (OHE) for help. The Chronicle obtained emails exchanged between July and August from the OHE through the Freedom of Information Act, which suggest that Quinnipiac administration did not respond to students until after they wrote to the OHE. Emily Bjornberg, OHE senior consultant, wrote in an email to Quinnipiac Vice President for Academic Innovation and Effectiveness Annalisa Zinn after receiving student complaints

asking her to contact Mahandru directly. “I am hoping you can help me avoid a repeat of last time and try to nip this in the bud,” Bjornberg wrote. Zinn later reached out to Mahandru, saying that the OHE informed her of the complaint and that she was pleased to answer questions and resolve any concerns. “It is unfortunate it took the state of CT Office of Higher Education when someone could’ve done their job at QU and just responded to us,” Mahandru wrote to Zinn. “It took a (state) office to step in for a response but I’m grateful for their advocation for the students in our program.” In an interview with The Chronicle, Mahandru said another student in her class filed a complaint with the OHE, and she contacted two Connecticut senators about her concerns before they directed her to the OHE. Now, she said she remains distrustful of Quinnipiac and the School of Nursing. “It appears that there hasn’t been a lot of transparency between administration and our program,” Mahandru said. “They, not our directors, but the school itself has let, personally at least me, down.” OHE Chief Academic Officer Sean Seep-

ersad confirmed his office received complaints from students and has communicated with university administration to assess the situation and ensure that students can graduate. Seepersad said the OHE will continue to work with Quinnipiac “to keep students informed as QU fulfills its obligations and graduates their current enrollees.” Mahandru described her experience with Quinnipiac, in an email to Zinn, as “overwhelming” because they had to deal with getting clarification from the university while taking care of their patients outside of the classroom. “We’re upset, frustrated and tired,” Mahandru wrote. “Just because our program is closing, stop taking advantage of it. Because that is what it feels like.” Mahandru told The Chronicle many people don’t know that nurse anesthesia students had to sacrifice a lot to be in the program. The Chronicle reached out to multiple students in the program in recent months and has not received any responses. Provost Debra Liebowitz told The Chronicle that the university met with students during the See NURSE ANESTHESIA Page 3

DANIEL PASSAPERA/CHRONICLE

A&L P.6: FRESH CHECK DAY Quinnipiac’s Counseling Services held its annual mental health awareness day

CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE

SPORTS P.11: WOMEN’S HOCKEY RANKED NO. 8 Depth and chemistry makes Lexie Adzija and the Bobcats hungry for an ECAC Hockey title

Hate crimes and violence against women at Quinnipiac increase in 2020 By CHATWAN MONGKOL News Editor

NICOLE MCISAAC/CHRONICLE

Quinnipiac’s Public Safety Department works with the Hamden Police Department to help handle crimes that happen on campus.

Quinnipiac University reported an uptick in hate crimes, violence against women, burglaries and liquor law violations in 2020, according to the 2021 Security and Fire Safety Report the university released on Friday. The university initially reported on Friday nine hate crimes in 2020. Associate Vice President for Public Relations John Morgan told The Chronicle on Tuesday that the Clery Center did an audit and only qualified three of the nine “preliminary” reported incidents as hate crimes. Among the three, two were hate crimes against national origin, and one was against race. All were reported as intimidation acts. Vice President for Equity, Inclusion and Leadership Development Don Sawyer clarified that the other six incidents could be considered as bias incidents, not Clery Actdefined hate crimes. Ali Vidallon, senior nursing major and president of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), said the increase is disappointing and reflects irresponsibility. As a student of color and a member of the LGBTQ community, she

said she always has to be more aware of her surroundings, especially with how she interacts with others in different settings. “These events are not completely detached from one another,” Vidallon said. “They are cultivated from the campus’s culture and reluctance to prevent this unwanted behavior.” With national hate crimes also on the rise, according to the FBI, sophomore sociology major and Asian Student Alliance (ASA) Public Relations Officer Naomi Gorero said it’s unsettling to see the increase on campus. “I still even feel unsure and even scared to be in public even though in the recent months, it’s been rather quiet or it’s probably because the media are no longer wanting to cover these hate crimes anymore,” Gorero said. Students think the official numbers don’t reflect what really happened. Vidallon said there is no doubt that there are more incidents that went unreported. “I hear countless stories of both microaggressions and overt prejudice from people around me that are not only disheartening See CLERY REPORT Page 3


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