4/21/2020

Dear President Fry, Provost Jensen, Drexel Administration, and Faculty,

We are all doing our best under trying and (in living memory) unprecedented circumstances. It is appreciated that through the hurdles and challenges we are facing that everyone is trying to find the best solutions to move us forward. It is with this attitude that we turn to you regarding a specific population on campus that is currently not being served as best as possible – the students who were supposed to be on co-op this term and next, that had their co-ops canceled.

The current policy, as far as we can tell, is to put these students into a course designed for students who failed to get a co-op in the first place. It is worth noting, incidentally, that a good number of students who did not land a co-op in C round, did not because the reality of COVID-19 was already setting in and employers were not interested in taking on additional new employees of any sort. Those students, and those that had co-ops canceled on them, are in an unenviable situation where they are taking a course that largely advises them as if these were normal times.

The reality as very few students in this position will succeed at getting a position. Unemployment has just skyrocketed to a record 3.3 million Americans in this country, potential employers are still figuring out procedures for long-term employees, and very sadly in some cases, some potential employers could have inherent infectious risk. It is not because students aren’t trying hard enough, or are being negligent in some way. And in fact, for some students the attitude being displayed by Steinbright at the moment is quite demoralizing. On top of losing their co-op employment and income security; living in a strange, new, and uncertain reality; dealing with the effects of social isolation; and being faced with the decision of risking their health in order to secure housing and job security for their present and their future, students are being essentially told that they’re just not trying hard enough.

This needs to be addressed in two significant ways, messaging and substance.

Messaging is easy: Please do not make students who do not have employment that are supposed to be on co-op have to continue with this course. It’s just inappropriate. If the content were revised to fit the times that would be one thing, but the content is just not relevant.

As for substance, we request that some combination of the following options be employed:

1) Students who were supposed to be on co-op this cycle be excused from having three co-ops (if they are on a three co-op track) and be permitted to graduate with two co-ops. It is, after all, a pandemic, and unique circumstances. (It is also worth noting that this is the standard procedure for non-pandemic times for students who lose their co-op for other reasons such as layoffs.) Or,

2) Permit students who were supposed to be on co-op this cycle to do some sort of research of creative project with a faculty member in their field that advances their knowledge and have that count as a co-op – again, for those on three co-op tracks. While this does put more work on faculty, and we recognize that, we hope that they’ll be willing to help us in these strange times.

3) Make it possible for students who were supposed to be on co-op to take full time courses during the summer, which means providing more courses, sections, and/or enlarging course sections. This will represent more income to the university, so it should not be a problem to implement from that end. We recognize it is short term notice for rearranging the term schedule, but again, unprecedented circumstances.

It is to be hoped that this is the only co-op cycle that will suffer such drastic consequences from the COVID-19 virus. Either as a society we will return to in person interactions, or as a society we will learn to do much more remotely, including co-ops. Until such a time, please be cognizant of this group’s specific needs and make an attempt to help them.

With thanks,

Drexel Co-op Cycle Spring-Summer 2020 Students & Allies.