Oconomowoc – Representative Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc) issued the following
statement in response to University of Wisconsin – Madison classes going all-virtual and
students being quarantined as announced on Wednesday, September 9th:
“Prior to our University of Wisconsin System resuming in person classes on campus for the 2020 fall semester, great reassurances were made that adequate safety measures had been taken. As a result, students and parents put their trust in our universities, making the informed decision to enroll in classes and invest in advancement of their education.
“Now with less than 3 weeks into the start of classes, the switch has been made to all virtual instruction at our flagship campus. Students in two of the Madison dorms have been quarantined, and the Dane County Executive is asking that all undergraduates be sent home. Additionally, other UW System campuses are not fulfilling their promises of face-to-face instruction to students who have paid significant sums of money. At the UW-Whitewater campus, students who intentionally registered for in person courses are now finding that only a limited number of students are admitted into the classroom based on a first come, first served basis. Those who aren’t fortunate enough to make it into the in person classroom are relegated to virtual learning in their dorm rooms.
“My duty is to constituents and to Wisconsinites who have put their educational trust in our
universities. With that, I urge our UW system, in the strongest of terms, to meet any impediment to our students’ choices of educational options and housing with a full, prompt refund. To do otherwise would mean committing a fraud upon those who have turned to our state universities in pursuit of a quality education.”
