Classes to Be Held Both Online and In-Person at Yerevan State University Amid Calls for Partial Tuition Reimbursement

Discussions are circulating among students and faculty regarding the possibility that several classes at universities may be conducted online after September 15. Despite Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Arayik Harutyunyan's statement following an August 10 meeting that classes will resume in public schools, vocational institutions, as well as music and art schools with in-person instruction while adhering to sanitary and hygienic rules, concerns persist.

“Some faculties have informed their students that it might be possible to conduct classes both online and in-person. We have been told that several specialized courses will be conducted online, while others will take place on campus,” said a YSU student in a conversation with us.

According to the student, the preliminary and discussed idea of conducting part of the classes online and the other part in person poses challenges for students living in the provinces. “There has been no clear decision or response from the university; we are in the dark and awaiting feedback. The main issue is the housing situation for students from the regions; we rent an apartment and have lived in Yerevan for several years, and now we don’t know what to do. It’s difficult to plan expenses for both tuition and housing rental,” they noted.

Sofi Tovmasyan, a graduate student from the Public Relations and Media Communication department at YSU, expressed hope that she would receive information about the start and progress of the classes from the university this week. “I find it surprising that our faculty has not yet responded to the procedure for conducting classes, as they are usually quite proactive in terms of communication,” she pointed out.

As of now, it is only confirmed that classes will begin on September 15, but it remains unclear how they will be conducted. “I can only speculate that they will be partially online and partially offline, but I can’t say what the distribution will be,” she added.

The YSU Student Council intends to address the Armenian government to demand partial reimbursement of student tuition fees. In a discussion with Auroranews, YSU Student Council President David Apoyan mentioned, “This issue is current and urgent. In support of students, we have initiated an online petition to submit to the Armenian government and demand reimbursement of tuition fees. Many students and their parents have already signed and are participating in the initiative.”

According to Apoyan, the Student Council, considering that the university has limited financial resources and cannot provide partial reimbursement of tuition fees for all students, has appealed to the Armenian government.

When asked whether the initiative includes all students regardless of average grades, Apoyan stated that the petition is being carried out for all students of YSU. “Previously, when we made a demand, it was based on social support, meaning many students couldn’t afford to pay tuition. However, the reinforcing measures for the 14th phase of the coronavirus lockdown were primarily focused on prioritizing education, which is, of course, a positive development; however, it should not occur during a time when students are facing social hardships to be presented with a program that reimburses fees based on student performance. This has been poorly organized,” he remarked.

Apoyan noted that the initiative to provide partial reimbursement of fees refers to all students because the education being provided lacks equal quality, and due to technical issues, many students cannot connect to classes, while many lecturers also struggle to adequately present course material.

“It has also been taken into account that last semester, many students' parents had savings from previous years that enabled them to pay tuition, but this semester, some of them have lost their jobs in the current crisis and have exhausted their savings. We have around 500 students this semester who have not fully paid last semester's tuition; this has never happened before that we have 500 students who haven’t paid last semester’s tuition,” he added.

When asked if provincial students, who have housing issues in Yerevan, are addressing this matter with the Student Council, Apoyan responded positively. “This is also one of the topics being discussed, and many students are reaching out to us. Students are faced with the necessity to come to Yerevan and rent apartments, which incurs additional expenses and creates a certain social burden. We cannot demand that the entire teaching process be conducted in person since many students and faculty are expressing concerns for their health and are indicating they are not ready to participate in in-person classes. We believe the best solution would be for the classes to be conducted online. In this manner, neither provincial nor Yerevan-based students would suffer,” Apoyan emphasized.

We also spoke with Gevorg Emin-Teryan, YSU's spokesperson, about the start and organization of the classes. “There will be a blend of in-person and online formats, and all faculties will have schedules detailing which parts of the courses will be conducted online and which parts will be in person,” the spokesperson stated.

According to Emin-Teryan, there is a command from the YSU rector outlining how the classes should be organized, which includes criteria regarding how many people can be present in each building. “The online component will not be conducted through various social networks but rather through the e-learning system developed by YSU. The registration procedure is presented in a video within the system, as well as the course schedule. In-person classes will be held for subjects that require practical work and direct interaction with the instructor,” added the spokesperson.