To whom it may concern,

This is a collective letter in the name of the first year Psychology students in the academic year 2024 - 2025. The aim of this letter is to ask you to reconsider the choice of not making the recorded lectures available to us students.

In discussing this topic between us we have localized two main reasons for this request:

First: The risk of general illness and COVID-19

After only one week of attending lectures I am sure no one has missed the numerous students coughing in each lecture and displaying other symptoms of sickness.

While the lecturers are positioned at a safe distance and therefore not having to put themselves at significant risk there is no way for us to socially distance in the very tightly packed facilities.

Many students feel forced to attend lectures even though they are sick which leads to a deep increase in students feeling physically unwell which in turn leads to a decreased ability to perform. In order for students to not miss out on relevant information they have to push themselves past healthy limits and neglect appropriate recovery time and rest while also risking the spread of their illness.

This seems especially irresponsible to us in the face of the COVID-19 epidemic whose effects might have reduced but are in no way resolved. Restrictions and regulations may have been lifted but the threat is still present today for both healthy and, especially, vulnerable individuals. We appeal to your responsibility as a public institution in the interest of us students but also the general public.

Some students with first hand experience have highlighted the reality of post-COVID conditions to us. We fear that neglectful behavior towards our physical health will result in more cases of severe or chronic illness resulting in the possibility of some students not being able to participate fully in this study in the future. There is data that suggests that reinfections increase the likelihood of long post-COVID conditions. Furthermore there is currently no cure or treatment available for this condition.

We feel it is unethical to give students no other options but to attend a lecture while being sick and therefore encouraging them of neglectful and risky behavior towards themselves and others.

Some of us students have gathered relevant sources we would like to share with you on this topic:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10454552/...

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03173-6

https://www.c-support.nu/over-long-covid/

Second: Inclusivity of students from different backgrounds

We are fortunate enough to have a wide variety of students who come from various backgrounds. This includes students with urgent health deficiencies, family problems, lower financial means, neurodiversity and many more conditions which at times hinders them from attending a lecture in person.

Wellbeing presents a significant part of the field of psychology which in turn encompasses the topics inclusivity, accessibility and equity.

The very first sentence of the introduction to the psychology programme on the UvA website states the following: ”Delve into academic research and unravel the complexities of the human mind, gaining insights to help others overcome challenges.“

It seems contradictory to what we are supposed to learn in this program to not act on this matter and help a majority of our students to overcome their personal challenges. We ask you to set an example to all potential future psychologists and lead with compassion, understanding and creating equal opportunities for a diverse group of people with diverse backgrounds.

We understand the intention of wanting to encourage students to attend the lectures to ensure a successful study experience, however, we feel that in reality what this is doing is hindering our access to information and compromising our ability to study and perform optimally. We feel that this keeps less privileged students from gaining benefits from the lecture at all.

In summary: We ask you to make a choice that is both responsible and inclusive. A choice that prioritizes the well being of all students. And finally, a choice that aligns with the values of the field of psychology and your university.

We thank you for your time and consideration.