To whom it may concern at CU-KC:

We, the undersigned students of CU-KC, are petitioning to continue online for the entirety of the Summer 2020 trimester, up to and including finals week, due to:

1. Our legitimate concerns over the safety of students during this pandemic, and especially in regards to the rising COVID-19 cases in this county, city and state. The decision to pack groups of students into classrooms directly contradicts the message of caring and protection we received when campus was closed in the first place in March 2020.

2. We received little communication throughout this experience thus far from the administration over the plans for classes to resume, whether we would remain online or not, and so forth. At this point, nine weeks into this trimester, the majority of students have given up any thought that we would return to on-campus schooling at least until September. This was an assumption, of course, but an assumption made on lack of communication. To change this plan more than halfway through the trimester has taken us all aback. Also, to add, that in an online schooling setting, you would be informed as class began whether tests would be proctored or not. Communication is key and it has lacked.

3. To force students who have moved home to care for family, taken another job to combat the financial burden of the pandemic, and those who have lost childcare, to completely change their plans with little notice seems inconsiderate. To have students return to the school for one week and then have two weeks off before the next trimester makes housing especially difficult for many.

4. This announcement has been seen as a punishment rather than an opportunity. We have done all that you have asked. We have sacrificed our learning and are struggling. We have paid our full tuition and have not received what we have been promised. We have waited in the dark, and now we are shocked and disappointed by the actions of the university.

For these reasons and many more, we the undersigned ask you to keep finals week online, for the consideration of your student body.

Thank you.