COVID-19 on campus: a plea for clarity and transparency

It is no secret that starting the academic year was going to have its own set of challenges because of this pandemic. There were many things to consider, and over the summer, the university did a great job implementing protocols to keep the community safe. However, as the year progresses, the need for clarity and transparency from the administration is at an all-time high.

While we do get fairly frequent email updates and detailed videos on the university’s YouTube channels, students still find themselves with a lot of questions and a lot of things they are weary or uncertain about. 

The campus will be holding weekly randomized testing to monitor the spread of COVID-19 on campus. While this is ultimately a good thing, how is the randomization determined? Should students not on campus have to be worried about getting called to be tested when they do not even leave their house for class?

It is very useful to have the COVID-19 Dashboard reporting the cases on campus as results come in. However, it would be useful to know if the students who’ve tested positive are residential students or commuter students. That information alone would better convey to the community how prominent the virus is on campus itself.

And speaking of resident students, where are students who test positive being kept on campus? This may be good for students to know to keep themselves as safe as possible, especially if they are already living in those same dorms.

These are just some of the questions that we at The Leader have pondered with each other. Our entire campus community should be aware of every aspect, as it will put us all more at ease in an already stressful time.

We realize that some information — such as disclosing the location of quarantined students — has the potential to cause some panic, but nonetheless it beats the alternative of being unaware of what one could potentially be exposed to. 

We also understand the issue of confidentiality when it comes to revealing information about those who test positive. We are not asking to expose those with COVID-19, but rather for further categorization of them, as it is already done distinguishing “staff” and “faculty” cases.

To ensure this transparency, there are a few things the university should be doing — some of which may already be in motion.

First of all, everyone in the campus community should receive weekly emails from the COVID-19 Task Force, detailing information such as case counts on campus and data related to campus testing. These emails should also include any changes made to campus that may have occurred regarding the pandemic.

Alongside that, the COVID-19 Dashboard on the Elmhurst University website should be updated as frequently as possible — which the university seems to be doing fairly well with so far.

In order to keep everyone the most informed, we also ask that the university look into creating a hotline or designated email for members of the campus community to inquire about any questions or concerns they may have. 

As of now, people are directed to contact two vice presidents who co-chair the task force, but since those administrators wear so many other hats, questions directed toward them have the potential to get delayed answers or lost to the void of emails everyone is probably getting at this time. 

In order to ensure a successful school year, we must all be on the same page. There is no time or need for any secrets, no room for the possibility of any misinformation.