Campus Chaos and Tuition Woes

By Rivy Mosegi, Contributor

My dear Buffalonians, the snow has indeed come upon us! Not only has it come, but it has practically buried some of us – my dear people in Orchard Park – where it felt like the snow reached up to seven feet. Of course, we should have been expecting significant snowfall at this time, especially since we had none during Christmas.

Canisius’ response to the weather woes, however, especially regarding the handling of virtual versus in person classes leaves room for debate. First off, we had another snow day this past Monday, but the question is – why didn’t we have more? This week brought a predicted snowstorm that continued through Wednesday, resulting in whiteouts, icy roads and everything else that comes with a Buffalo snowstorm. People could not see the roads while driving, yet the general expectation was that students could still make it to class. Virtual learning would have been the best option for classes instead of putting students in jeopardy, risking their lives just to attend class. 

Now let’s touch on how Canisius continued to have school without plowing the sidewalks. Basic safety measures like clearing walkways should be automatic. Multiple students shared frustration with the campus, telling me about their own experiences of falling on unplowed sidewalks while moving from building to building. Canisius has to do better. This should not even be a topic of discussion. Students’ well-being must be prioritized and that includes utilizing safer options like Teams and keeping the campus accessible. Are we asking for too much? 

Additionally, let’s discuss the rollout of the new textbook program for undergraduates: Canisius Complete. Although the system was implemented with good intentions, the rollout and execution has been lackluster. According to emails from the university, this program allows students early access to course materials and discounted textbooks – an efficient and interesting option for some. But here’s the problem: students were automatically enrolled without notification, adding $300-$400 to tuition bills, depending on how many credit hours one takes. This is absolutely unacceptable. The initial emails suggested students would have the opportunity to “opt-in” yet the university chose to enroll students automatically, without clear directions on how to opt-out. How does that make sense? 

The emails about the program were vague about automatic enrollment and the opt-out process. Most students, understandably, do not read every email thoroughly, especially if it seems irrelevant. As a result, the opt-out deadline passed, leaving many students unexpectedly charged. Looking around, some peers realized they had been automatically enrolled either. This is a troubling move, and leaves many students wondering what fueled the switch and why we were not well-informed. 

From snow safety to tuition transparency, Canisius needs to prioritize its students – not just in words, but in actions.