03/14/2020
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
To: USC University Administrators:
LOS ANGELES, March 14, 2020 --In light of the escalating nature of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we thank USC for its commitment to keeping dorms and dining halls open, but remain concerned about the short and long term implications of this crisis on especially the most vulnerable students on campus.
With 20% of the student body eligible for Pell grants and over 11,000 total international students on campus, we fear that a sizable number of our classmates will be stripped of the means to meet their basic needs, most crucially housing and food, in light of travel restrictions, work interruptions, and quarantines.
As the university decides to take more drastic measures while navigating COVID-19, we ask USC to maintain its commitment to protect and provide for low-income students, housing insecure students, international students, Transition-Age Youth, and any other vulnerable groups of students. Though we acknowledge that the university may need to take more restrictive measures if the crisis continues to escalate, we ask that the following series of actions and resources be addressed in order to alleviate the burdens and worries of countless students.
Housing: We hope that the University continues the petition to remain on campus, but in the event of the campus and dorms all closing, we ask that housing vouchers or hotel stay at the USC hotel continue to be granted to provide for students who cannot travel home because of finances or travel restrictions. And for students impacted by work cancellations and other financial burdens, we ask that the University commit to providing emergency grants for students at risk of eviction or utility loss, especially in the case of the City of Los Angeles’ inaction.
Food: In light of potential dining hall closures and dwindling income, we ask that USC commits to keeping the food pantry open as well as opening a virtual food pantry as provided in previous years to transfer Trader Joe’s gift cards to students. Food recovery from campus vendors and broad dissemination of CalFresh eligibility and resources can also serve as short and long term strategies to alleviate need.
Work and Wages: We appreciate the University’s commitment to providing two weeks of paid administrative leave to campus workers. In light of continued work and wage uncertainty, we hope that the University also provides more holistic and accessible emergency aid to disperse to students for flights, rent, utilities, food and other expenses.
Finally, to promote educational accessibility and equity for all, we hope that a stable internet connection can be provided to all students for online classes, in the form of a designated space on campus to connect to Wifi or remote hotspots that can be accessed.
The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice lays out more strategies to support vulnerable students in crisis here that we encourage the University to consider: http://bit.ly/HopeCenterResources.
We recognize that USC proactively works on many of the issues identified above, but we hope that codifying and institutionally developing and promoting them can provide some peace of mind to students in the interim, and crucial resources to them, especially if the situation worsens.
Sincerely,
Undergraduate Student Government, International Student Assembly, Black Student Assembly, Latinx Student Assembly, Student Assembly for Accessibility, Trojan Shelter, Trojan Advocates for Political Progress, College Democrats at USC
