Showing posts with label breaking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breaking. Show all posts
BREAKING: Summer Courses Now Officially Online According to Department Emails
Saturday, April 11, 2020
|
| Graphic: Raven Yamamoto |
BREAKING: Summer Courses Now Officially Online According to Department Emails
By Raven Yamamoto
The University has officially opted to move all Summer Session I courses online according to emails sent out to students by the School of Film and Television (SFTV) and the College of Business Administration (CBA).
 |
| SFTV's email notification about online summer courses. |
At the time of writing this, the University has yet to make an official announcement regarding the details of this decision to all students.
In their department emails, the SFTV and CBA Undergraduate Offices have confirmed that they will also extend this policy to their Summer Session II courses. It is unclear if other LMU colleges will do the same.
“As a result, we are rethinking our course offerings this summer in an effort to allow our students to make the best possible progress toward completing their degrees,” both memos read.
Some SFTV students who were planning on enrolling in summer school at LMU are concerned for the quality of their education now that classes will be taught online.
 |
| CBA's email notification about online summer courses. |
“People have to shoot and complete their films from home,” said first-year film and television production major Marisa Torre. “I know our professors are doing everything they can but it’s just a bad situation.”
Torre explained that she was hoping to take a summer class to stay on-track as a double major.
“I’m a freshman so graduating isn’t an issue yet but being able to get some credits done at LMU this summer really would’ve helped me,” said Torre.
Students of other colleges have also shared these concerns, especially those with hands-on majors.
“All of my hands-on labs are online now,” said junior biochemistry major Havana Campo. “These are skills I need in order to do better in my other classes, [skills] that I’m losing because I can’t do [them] physically.”
It is unclear if summer school tuition prices will remain the same, despite now being taught online.
When Campo asked about the matter in an email, the Dean of Students responded saying an announcement regarding online summer classes will be posted “soon” on the University’s Coronavirus Information website.
 |
| Junior Havana Campo inquired about summer tuition prices, to which the Dean of Students replied saying that an official announcement from the University will be made "soon." |
Updated as of April 11, 2020 at 10:11 P.M.
BREAKING: LMU to receive $4.7 Million Payout from Coronavirus Stimulus, $2.3 Million Earmarked for Emergency Student Financial Aid
By: Raven Yamamoto and Robyn De Leon
According to a report by the Department of Education, LMU will receive a payout of over $4.7 million from the government to offset financial consequences due to the coronavirus outbreak, half of which is earmarked for “emergency financial aid grants to students.”
Less than two weeks ago, President Donald Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a bill responding to the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. The bill states that nearly $14 billion will be distributed immediately to universities and colleges nationwide and requires each to allocate at least half of their awards to student financial aid in the form of cash grants for “expenses related to disruptions to their educations due to the COVID-19 outbreak.”
An article by the Chronicle for Higher Education confirms that LMU is among the several colleges nationwide to receive a payout, citing a memo put out by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The list states that LMU will be paid $4,723,135 in total, therefore requiring at least $2.3 million to be allocated by the University for student emergency financial aid.
“Each institution may develop its system and process for determining how to allocate these funds, which may include distributing the funds to all students or only to students who demonstrate significant need,” said Secretary DeVos in her letter to college and university presidents.
At the time of writing this, there has been no public communication from the University regarding if these funds have yet been received and how they plan to distribute them.
The University has not yet responded to our request for comment. Check back for updates as we receive more information.
Updated as of April 11, 2020 at 12:01 P.M.
BREAKING: LMU Moves to Online Schooling Due to Coronavirus
By Raven Yamamoto and Jonathan Grace
A message from President Timothy Law Snyder stated that LMU will be moving to online schooling until the end of March and has encouraged students to stay home due to the growing threat of coronavirus (COVID-19).
From Mar. 16-31, LMU will be moving from in-person classes to online-schooling while the University reevaluates its strategy for the remainder of the semester, just after other universities across the country have closed their campuses completely due to coronavirus.
“During this period of online instruction, we encourage students to return home to their personal residences,” Snyder said, in his memo. “We are reviewing campus events, in consultation with their hosts, to determine whether they should be postponed, canceled, or modified.”
According to the memo, there are no “suspected cases” of COVID-19 on LMU’s campuses.
An email notification was sent to LMU parents at approximately 6:15 p.m. Students themselves were not notified until 6:50 p.m. It’s unclear whether or not these emails were sent out at different times or if the delay was due to the University’s automated mass-messaging system.
Many students are worried about the impact the move will have on their financial situation.
“Although my family provides for me, I have friends that aren’t as financially stable and shouldn’t be paying the same amount for tuition when they aren’t even in class,” said first-year English major Allen Lam. “This inconveniences all of us because [of] travel expenses and time wasted.”
Some student workers are also worried about whether or not they will be able to continue working on campus.
"I'm concerned if LMU will continue letting me work my three on-campus jobs. The school has an obligation to ensure students’ safety by ensuring that every individual has access to food, housing and if we have online classes: a laptop and Wi-fi,” said Maya Lee, a senior psychology major. “If any of these necessities are jeopardized, LMU will directly be impacting their access to an equitable education.
Students have also shown concern because of how their majors weren’t designed for virtual or online learning.
“I think it's good that they canceled [in-person] classes just so that we don’t spread the virus in general but it also really interferes with art majors’ education,” said first-year theatre arts major Lindsey Howard. “We’re not going to get an actual semester‘s worth of learning because a lot of our stuff we have to learn on campus. There’s no way to do it online.”
Others don’t agree with the approach being taken by the University to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“I am very stressed out and concerned,” said junior health and human sciences major, Kayla Quiroz. “I don’t think school should be canceled, but if they are so concerned about the coronavirus, maybe there should be a medical screening.”
This move is the latest of many precautions taken by the University due to the spread of coronavirus after the cancellations of multiple study abroad programs in Italy, Paris, Asia and Spain.
Annual events like the Undergraduate Research Symposium and Preview Day will also no longer be held on campus and moved to a “secure, online format.”
President Snyder ended his memo by saying, “I am proud of our university community’s resilience, creativity, cooperation, and continued care for one another as we come together to confront and overcome COVID-19 challenges.”
It is unclear whether or not the University will be issuing any refund or decrease in tuition costs in light of these circumstances.
Students who are unable to return home must fill out this LMU Resident Status Form to be accommodated by Student Housing. The University has also provided a form for questions regarding the situation.
More updates and information can be found at LMU’s coronavirus website.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons