Wall St. Journal Discusses Student Lawsuit
By Douglas Belkin - April 10, 2020 6:00 am ET
Students filed lawsuits this week against Drexel University and the University of Miami in an effort to recover spring tuition, room and board and fees after their campuses closed and their classes moved online.
The suits, which aim to be class actions, allege the schools are failing to give them the educational experience they paid for, one with in-person instruction. Total cost to attend either the University of Miami or Drexel exceeds $70,000 a year.
Both schools said they hadn’t reviewed the lawsuits and declined to comment.
Schools around the country have been moving classes online to adhere to social-distancing regimens to try to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Some schools prorated rebates for room and board, but very few—if any—have reimbursed students for tuition….
…Roy Willey, a lawyer at the Anastopoulo Law Firm in South Carolina, the firm that filed the cases against the University of Miami and Drexel, said the schools weren’t providing students with the experience they were promised.
In addition to academics, tuition and fees cover face-to-face interaction with professors, mentors and peers; access to facilities such as computer labs and libraries; and extracurricular activities and networking opportunities, the suits allege.
The suits pull quotes from the website of each school, which promote their residential experiences. From the suit against the University of Miami: “Living on campus opens a world of interaction with other students, faculty and staff members in many social, development and academic activities."
“The on-campus learning experience is very different than it is online; these student’s didn’t sign up to online colleges,” said Mr. Willey, who filed the cases.
Last month, University of Miami President Julio Frenk announced the move to online classes in a video addressing students. He said the school held 1,300 training sessions over spring break for faculty to transfer classes online.
“All this effort has paid off. This morning classes resume virtually, and I am happy to share that the transition, largely, has been a success,” Mr. Frenk said.
Universities have incurred additional costs since the pandemic began, including the expense of moving classes online. They are absorbing revenue declines as they cancel summer programs and athletics. Schools are also girding for declining enrollment and revenue when school starts this fall.
