With the latest changes regarding COVID-19, students in our community are faced with significant challenges. Just a short number of them include:

Financial challenges: Spring 2020 classes will be online and co-ops are being cancelled. Many UWaterloo students depend on co-op income and part-time jobs to pay for their tuition and rent, which they may no longer be able to afford. In addition to this, they may not be able to sublet their apartments so they will be paying for places they are not even residing in.

Spring 2020 classes will be online and co-ops are being cancelled. Many UWaterloo students depend on co-op income and part-time jobs to pay for their tuition and rent, which they may no longer be able to afford. In addition to this, they may not be able to sublet their apartments so they will be paying for places they are not even residing in. Emotional challenges: It has been a stressful time for all students and ones particularly disadvantaged right now are those dealing with mental illnesses, those having to move back to their abusive homes, and those staying away from their loved ones during these difficult times because of visa and border issues.

Most course instructors have been extremely helpful and understanding so far. But they still have to follow the guidelines set by the administration to allow any leniency regarding course grades. We, therefore, urge the university administration to prioritize students' well-being over maintaining academic standards and allow students to opt-in for a CR/NCR for some of their courses instead of a numerical grade, which can never be a fair assessment of their learning in the first place.

We students have already done most of the work for the term. We worked hard so far. We hope the university recognizes these extenuating challenges some of us are faced with and chooses to make our lives, just a little bit, easier.