On 11 November, UCD and UCDSU announced that the University would continue to operate with the majority of classes online for the remainder of the academic year.
In a statement published on November 13th, UCDSU President Conor Anderson welcomed the announcement; “We welcome the announcement that classes will remain online for the remainder of the academic year. Not because students want to learn online. We want to be back on campus and to have full access to University facilities and to the social aspects of college life as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we know the likelihood of it being safe to do so in the next six months is not realistic”.
UCDSU highlighted the importance of certainty for the coming term; “We can stop waiting in hope that in person classes will resume. We can stop paying high rents in Dublin with the worry that we would not secure housing easily if classes were to resume. International students can return home to be with their families and stop paying high rent in Ireland. We can look forward and make informed financial decisions about where we will live and how we will study.
“Many students do feel disappointed, further isolated and lonely at the prospect of another semester online. We want all students to know that there is a wide range of supports in place across the University if you are struggling. The best starting point is to reach out to your Student Advisor or your Welfare Officer in your Students' Union. We are asking family and friends of students to reach out and support the students in their lives at this time. You can feel isolated in a University the size of UCD very fast, and now with the vast majority of social contact taking place online and the knowledge that it will be for a prolonged period of time, students will need extra support from their family and friends to get through the months ahead.”