On August 25, in an editorial titled “Penn State Professors Have Right to Protest and Shouldn’t be Punished for ‘Zoom-In’ Rally,” the Daily Collegian Editorial Board wrote:
Following a summer of letters and rallies demanding a vaccine mandate at Penn State, the fall semester was ushered in with a “Zoom-In” protest held by faculty members. The protests occurred on the first two days of classes, with approximately 270 people taking part in the event.
Penn State’s faculty is one of the main reasons why the university has garnered such prestigious recognition and, as a result, they have every right to protest how the administration is handling the coronavirus.
The sheer number of faculty that took part in this event speaks volumes in the solidarity and stance professors are taking. And after numerous attempts to plead with the higher-ups, the university continues to neglect what the educators have to say…
As professors attempt to do what they can to make learning accessible to all, it only seems fair for the administration to return the favor and show the same amount of effort in helping out the faculty.
Rather than receive help, professors were faced with a possible reprimanding for taking part in the Zoom-In protest. After two semesters worth of virtual learning, two more days can’t hurt anybody. The merit for punishment seems unnecessary, considering professors have the right to protest and express themselves.
CJU/PSU 