Amid COVID-19 Outbreak, UMass Students Protest Rule Forbidding Them To Go Into Work

As UMass Amherst tries to beat back a major COVID-19 outbreak, some students are frustrated by at least one new restriction.

For about two weeks, while the campus is designated "high risk," the university has ordered all students living on-campus or nearby to stay home — except for bare essentials.

That means not going to a job unless it's remote.

The university said it will compensate students with on-campus jobs, but not off-campus.

"We're just extremely angry and concerned about the university forcing students into even more financial insecurity," said Sonya Epstein, president of the Student Government Association, which organized an email compaign to protest the rule.

Epstein said they believe large parties are to blame for the surge in cases, which makes the no-work rule unfair.

"The students who are being the most impacted are likely not the ones who have been going to these huge gatherings, because these students are the ones who have to go to class, then go to work," Epstein said.

UMass Amherst spokesman Ed Blaguszewski said the latest COVID-19 outbreak stems not just from parties, but more general flouting of social distancing and mask rules. He said unsafe behavior by a minority of students has made the restrictions necessary for everyone.

"It absolutely is not fair," he said. "But we got very strong guidance from the state Department of Public Health: 'Listen, this is what we really should do. We need to contain this.'"

UMass Amherst reported about 600 active cases on Friday. 

Blaguszewski said students caught breaking the rules — including going to work during the quarantine period — could face sanctions, such as loss of housing privileges or dismissal.

To soften the blow, Blaguszewski said, the university is offering $300 to students who qualify through the Student Employment Assistance Grant. Additional help is available on the University's Single Stop resource guide.