After poor communication in terms of move-in times and safety guidelines, as well as a C+ rating on “We Rate Covid Dashboards,” Fordham’s response to the pandemic has done little to put the community at ease. 

Fordham’s Rose Hill campus was forced to shut down on Feb. 14 because it surpassed the New York state limit of a 5% positivity rate. Only nine days after the pause was lifted, the university announced it would offer full in-person instruction and activities for the fall 2021 semester, hoping that mass vaccinations would eliminate the need for social distancing by the summer. The university gave no alternative plan should COVID-19 still be a health risk and is merely relying on the assumption that enough of the population will be vaccinated by then. The university has also not yet released a plan for vaccinating students as of March 17, 2021. 

Fordham’s responses to on-campus outbreaks garnered criticism from affected students who accused the university of disingenuous care, lack of communication and insufficient amenities to safely quarantine. If these are the subpar measures that Fordham responds with now, the school’s potential response to an outbreak in the fall leaves little room for optimism.

The current circumstances do not alter the responsibility placed upon Fordham to protect its students — a promise that Fordham reaffirmed when it welcomed students back to campus in the fall of 2020.

When students chose to attend — or return to — Fordham, they did so with the expectation that their needs and safety, health included, would be prioritized. Even though we are in a pandemic, the current circumstances do not alter the responsibility placed upon Fordham to protect its students — a promise that Fordham reaffirmed when it welcomed students back to campus in the fall of 2020.

Though vaccine rollouts are going smoothly, let us remember that almost a year ago to the day, we were also swearing that things would return to normal soon. We do not know what the future holds, and, with 2020 already being so turbulent, Fordham cannot afford to make claims about upcoming semesters with such confidence and disregard for students’ well-being.

These are trying times, and Fordham’s attempt to give students hope about a return to normalcy in the fall is commendable. However, Fordham also has a responsibility to be realistic and to anticipate possible public health concerns that may continue to persist. The administration should not release statements about the future without concrete, well-thought-out plans ready to be implemented, should the need arise.

Fordham needs to improve the way it creates and communicates coronavirus-related protocols. With its track record of inadequately supporting pre-semester quarantining students and reopening the Rose Hill campus despite student concerns, how can Fordham students trust that the administration will prioritize their health in the fall?