Statement of Demands released by University of Hartford Student Aliance

On behalf of the organizations and student groups, we want to thank the University of Hartford administration for its quick response to the COVID-19 crisis and their concern for the health and safety of their students. This uncertainty has only been exacerbated, in the view of many, by unclear and slowly forthcoming information from the university. In this statement, we are delivering a number of crucial questions that we ask the university to clarify with regard to these concerns. We have also compiled a list of demands in the interest of the wellbeing of the Uhart community.

These are our demands:

Tuition:

That Uhart provide clarification on the price of tuition during Spring semester and provide a timeline for refunding students partially who have already paid full tuition

Campus Operations:

That Uhart clarify, in one clear and succinct document, which facilities will be open during Spring semester, and which services will be available for students

*Hours of operation for the libraries, academic buildings, and student centers

*Hours of operation for the dining halls

*Availability of University Counseling Services, Student Legal Services, Health Services, and other services normally available to students on campus and online

Housing:

That Uhart guarantee in writing that no student will go homeless, be returned to an unsafe housing situation as a result of dorm move-out, or lose housing benefits from financial aid/VA benefits

That Uhart clarify the process by which they are approving students’ requests to remain in housing for Spring semester, and the criteria they are using to make that decision

That Uhart provide students to waive clean-up or additional dorm fees during emergency move-out

Employment:

That Uhart guarantee paid time off for all employees who will not be working during the period of time that normal university operations are suspended.

*This Includes: undergraduate and graduate student employees, faculty whose classes or other responsibilities may be canceled, staff members, contract employees, and third party workers (including but not limited to food service workers, security guards, and cleaning staff)

That Uhart guarantee all stipend employees be paid during the spring semester

That Uhart guarantee all returning workers the option to resume employment when full operations are restored on campus

Spring Semester Online Classes:

That Uhart ensure all professors are trained in facilitating online classes and making them accessible to disabled students

That Uhart provide services and equipment to ensure online classes are accessible to all disabled students

That Uhart provide facilities on campus for students without internet access to access their online classes

We demand that Uhart release a statement in which they commit to meeting these demands by no later than Friday, March 20, and that they provide clarification on all of these questions as soon as possible out of courtesy to the students and community members of University of Hartford.

We appreciate the Uhart administration’s quick and thorough response to this crisis and their cooperation with students and community members. We look forward to a productive dialogue that will ensure the safety and wellbeing of all those affected by these difficult decisions