By Liani Astacio and Mariana Janer-Agrelot
ACADEMIC ACADEMIC EMPATHY EMPATHY ININ CHRONIC CHRONIC CHAOS CHAOS
OPINION
22 TUFTS OBSERVER FEBRUARY 28, 2022
W
ith the emergence of the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant, a delayed start to the in-person semester, and the continuing threat and possibility of new mutations, students have no way of knowing the direction the semester will take. In the past seven days, we have seen over 300 COVID positive cases on Tufts’ Medford-Somerville campus. Students, including one of the writers of this article, are being forced to isolate themselves in local hotels due to the fact that Tufts’ modular spaces have been completely filled. That the increase in COVID cases occurred after Tufts relaxed COVID restrictions highlights how unpredictable the COVID-19 crisis is and how vital safety-net-policies are for the wellbeing of our students. The fact of the matter is that we are facing an unpredictable disease that is mutating frequently. New variants have thrown hospitals into crisis repeatedly, causing waves of stress and panic. At Tufts, many students still have virtual classes, despite the promise of complete in-person learning. The disorienting first days of virtual classes and the constant re-evaluation
of COVID policies prove the need for the reinstitution of the Exceptional Pass/Fail (EP/F) policy in order to promote equity and decrease stress on students. EP/F would give students the opportunity to take courses pass/fail, and still have the course count towards their degree requirements, which is a move to a more equitable grading policy. An equitable grading policy at Tufts would give students the assurance that the university supports them in these unprecedented times. Specifically, the Tufts administration should take note of the efforts taken by students two years ago to implement the Exception Pass/Fail policy as an indication of how much support is still needed in order to navigate the current situation. As Tufts Community Union Senators, we both have heard how essential yet challenging the fight for this policy has been. In March 2020, at the start of the COVID pandemic, three Tufts Community Union senators—our predecessors— called upon the Tufts administration to implement equitable grading policies. The pandemic had left students confused,
