Parents and students alike are quite upset at the administration of FSC this time. It seems that the college changed the rules after tuition had to be paid for the fall semester.
Campus holds 3000 resident students but the 2020 fall semester there will only 1300 mostly freshman, sophomore and transfer students.
The college has stated the following groups of students will be eligible to live on campus during the fall semester:
- Accounting and early MAcc, nursing, performing arts majors, education students completing internships, and P3 students and other science majors involved in research and/or selected projects
- Honors students, Hollingsworth, Jenkins and McClurg Scholars, and Hollis Fellows
- New first-year and new transfer students
- Various student groups, including: Resident Advisors, Orientation leaders, Tech Buddies, ROTC, SGA executive officers, and more
All other students will not live in College housing. Commuter students who live off-campus will be eligible to attend face-to-face classes.
Forcing some students from resident status to commuter status or internet learn after tuition was paid is one of the main issues with parents and students.
If is “unsafe” to live in campus how is it “safe” to commute and live off campus??
Even some students have had their personal belongs moved out of college owned apartments without proper warnings. According to the college a company called “Dorm Pack” has the student’s items and can make proper arrangements to return the items.
Even other issues here appeared scholarships, housing, fees and transferring credits to a different colleges. Apparently, many students may be “trapped” as course credits may not be transferable and that’s unacceptable in today’s society.
FSC administration has very slow and has refused to by totally transparent to the needs students and even has lawyered up against one parent.
Parents and students have started a Facebook page called, “Parents and Students Disappointed with Florida Southern College”.
In the letter from Robert E. Puterbaugh, FSC Attorney to one parent it states:
“If you see fit to continue your social media postings rest assured that those postings will not result in the Board of Trustees reevaluating its decision, as you have requested. Additionally, since you apparently are determined to pressure the College and/or the Board of Trustees via social media rather than through rational discussions with College officials or with me as the College’s attorney, I would ask you to refrain from any further contact with the College. Further e-mails from you to College staff or administration will not be answered. Nor will I be responding to any e-mails from you or furnishing any further documents to you or your son. If you wish to retain an attorney to represent you or your son, or to bring a class action law suit as you have indicated on social media, that is your decision and if you do so, you may have your attorney communicate directly with me.”
The school needs to understand students and their parents have the right to exercise freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition.
According to an FSC statement they have arranged for CVS to set up a testing center on campus to provide rapid-response tests and will allow approximately 60 people per day to be tested. FSC will test symptomatic students, faculty, and staff, as well as to conduct random tests of students. FSC also has arranged for a company to manage contact tracing for the College.
A student is now suing Florida Southern College seeking a refund of her tuition and fees, claiming its online courses were “subpar” during the COVID-19 closure.
Sara Salerno, the parent of an undergraduate student from the Bronx, New York, has filed a class action lawsuit in federal court alleging Florida Southern College broke its contract with her daughter and others who enrolled for in-person classes when it switched to online courses because of the pandemic.
Her lawyer, Max Roberts, with New York City-based firm Bursor & Fisher P.A., said he does not comment on pending lawsuits.
When asked FSC President Dr. Anne B. Kerr, she would not comment on the pending lawsuit.
Kerr did mention that all refunds for housing and meals will be coming to those students ASAP but technology and activity fees will be decided soon. But she did not have true transparent answers to the scholarships and transferring credits issues. FSC FAQ’s
Lakeland Gazette fines one thing very disturbing Florida Southern College will have less than a half campus living there and no fall sports but 2 miles away at Southeastern University will have a full campus and fall sports including football.
If they are both getting information from the same sources, why the differences?