Loyola Freshman Learns On-Campus Living is Canceled Minutes Before Boarding Plane to Chicago
“When we were walking to the gate I got an email saying that Loyola closed the dorms for the fall”
This is crazy, but at least she found out before the flight.
CBS News in Chicago reports:
Loyola Freshman Learns On-Campus Living Canceled Minutes Before Boarding Flight To Chicago
A family from Salt Lake City, Utah, planned on moving their daughter into a dorm on Loyola University’s campus but found out minutes before boarding the plane that the university canceled on campus living indefinitely.
Sophia Bartlit was ready for her freshman year and was planning on living on campus in the Marquette South Hall.
“My brother dropped us off at the airport, and we said our goodbyes. We got through security and checked all six of our huge bags,” Bartlit said.
As she walked through the airport in Salt Lake City minutes before her flight to Chicago she got an email.
“When we were walking to the gate I got an email saying that Loyola closed the dorms for the fall,” she said.
“It was not an easy decision and is made with great disappointment and sadness,” said Dr. Jo Ann Rooney, president of Loyola University Chicago.
“It’s just something I’ve gotten used to with my senior year being impacted by the virus, and I’ve kind of just expected uncertain times,” Bartlit said.
Students who planned on living on campus need to make new arrangements.
“We weren’t completely surprised,” said Sophia’s father Fred. “These days you have to be ready for change.”
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Comments
Okay, somebody convince me that the school waited until students had enrolled and paid their tuition, fees, etc., to decide to close the dorms for at least the fall term. Couldn’t have students decide to find another school, right? So, the school locks them in to attending Loyola by taking their tuition and fees and only then tells them they’re going to have to make other living arrangements, just two weeks before the fall semester starts. Yeah, I’ll buy that.
Yes it was done deliberately and is criminal – bait and switch……
Many knew this was already the plan back in March at the start….
Dorm operating costs are largely fixes costs, so it is more economically advantageous to keep the dorms open, at least until a major infection hits the campus. Chicago is a large city and I am sure that the student can find alternative living arrangements near campus if that is what she wants. Loyola is still going to offer some on-campus instructions for classes that cannot be on-line only. The on-campus instruction will end on Nov. 20 and the remainder of the semester will be on-line only.
University administrators don’t seem to understand the notion of “low-risk population”. Students that age don’t get sick from covid. Today’s headlines breathlessly tout the horror of students testing positive but say nothing about how many actually had symptoms.
I don’t see how this can work in general. At least at the difficult schools—say, top-flight STEM—immersion in the culture is an essential component of an education, much like learning to swim by being thrown into the deep end of the pool. An occasional wade-about in the shallow end just isn’t in the same league. Some things just can’t be done as well by remote.
Loyola, Crayola, Shinola…
Victrola if you are Joe Biden.