Finals: How has the university performed this year?

Cleveland State University approached uncharted territory this year, as the Coronavirus changed the landscape of education in the United States. While it forced every school across the country to face the same predicament, many schools adopted different policies to deal with the spread of the virus. Has CSU adequately addressed issues related to the virus while providing an effective learning environment?

The university has done its best to ensure that student needs are met and that students do not lose any educational opportunities, including in-person classes. Mostly, CSU’s administration has tried to consider students’ opinions in their decisions, however, they have fallen short a few times. 

For instance, they outraged many students over not having spring break, as it typically provides a much-needed mental break for students during a crucial time during the semester. Students are currently feeling overwhelmed and overworked in the approach to finals, as they have not had an actual break throughout the semester. On a similar note, most students expressed they would much rather have had “spring break” added at the end of the semester, ending the semester early, then at the end of winter break, starting the semester late. Many students had to work very hard to get a pass/fail option added to both semesters when a majority of the student body claimed that it would have lessened stress throughout the semester for them.

While there are many things the university could have done better, they provided many opportunities and attempted to ensure as much safety as possible for a return to campus. Included in these opportunities were a vaccination clinic for both students and the general population, constant updates on the state of the virus and the university’s regulations, the ability to stay on campus in dorms, and many in-person classes. 

Overall, the university did what it could to keep its students safe, comfortable, and on a somewhat normal schedule. With a few bumps in the road, the administration persevered to deliver a close-to-normal semester. Obviously, campus life was very much lacking this year. Many events that were usually held on campus were held via Zoom- similarly to many classes-  and many students either did not have any classes on campus or had very few. Hopefully, the sacrifices made this year were worth it, and next year will be as close to the real college experience as possible!