Pennsylvania Leader Grapples With Graduating Seniors' Coronavirus-Related Requests - Essay Sample

Introduction

As a leader at Pennsylvania, I will oblige to the requests of the graduating seniors. The coronavirus has caused significant disruptions in various life aspects. A significant part of the potential graduates and the alumni association are for the idea of postponing coursework till the fall semester. However, this decision could hurt the freshmen who would have their enrollment pushed forward to the spring of the following year. Nonetheless, the pros of deferring coursework to the fall semester surpass the associated cons from the decision.

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There are several pros of semester postponement. Online learning in a bid to complete the degrees in time would disadvantage some students. It would assume that all learners are located in areas where the environment is stable and conducive for learning besides having the required technology. Subsequently, students from privileged backgrounds would have an advantage over their classmates; hence the grading would be unfair. It would be difficult for the institution to determine the kind of special consideration to give to learners who are in isolation, ill, or have hospitalized members of the family. As such, students are likely to face different pressures and their performance may not be a reflection of how they would perform under ordinary circumstances.

Besides, the completion of college is a significant event in a student's life. Most of the students picture it as a colourful ceremony where they enjoy their last day in school with the friends they have made over the years. Graduating in person is highly cherished since it creates lifelong memories for students and presents an excellent way to celebrate the hard work they have employed for the accomplishment. Therefore, denying them such a chance would be a massive blow to their ultimate childhood dreams. Students need to celebrate their efforts and, therefore, it would be prudent not to deny them the chance.

Moreover, postponing the coursework is good for the broader community. It is a proactive measure to protect the students and curtail the spread of the virus. In the school setting, there are vast daily interactions among them which would spread the virus even further. Waiting until a case has been reported to take reactive measures would have adverse impacts on the entire institution. It would be more prudent to take proactive measures rather than waiting for a case to occur and begin implementing reactive measures.

Conversely, there are several cons to the decision. It is unclear about the duration it will take to find a cure for the virus. As such, students who are scheduled to sit for their exams mid-year will be forced to wait for an unspecified duration. A significant number of them would opt for online assessments or have degrees awarded based on their past performances. They would reason that waiting until the fall could inconvenience some of them immensely. Besides, the freshmen who are eagerly waiting to join the institution in the fall would be forced to wait longer, which may be quite inconveniencing. This postponement may also hurt their preferred graduation periods.

Conclusion

Overall, closing the institution has many advantages in comparison to running programs online. It would enhance their safety, ensure they complete college as they wished, and ensure no student is disadvantaged. Besides, it is an excellent way to uphold the value of degrees and promote equality in grading students; hence enhancing academic credibility.