Ali Malekzadeh, Jamar Orr, Lois Becker, Michelle StippFor Roosevelt University to consider ALL students affected by COVID-19 for CARES funding
The Issue:Roosevelt University has received a $2.9 million grant from the federal government, with the stipulation that $1.4 million is given out as emergency cash grants to all students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (United States Senate - Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds). There has been no announcement from Roosevelt University regarding the funds they received. However, when asked directly about the funds at Roosevelt University's May 8th Town Hall meeting, President Ali confirmed that Roosevelt University would be excluding all non-returning students from $1.4 million in CARES Act funding.
As per stated on the U.S. Department of Education’s website, the purpose of the CARES fund is to “provide emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted, many of whom are facing financial challenges and struggling to make ends meet”. Roosevelt University was allocated a total of $2,927,478 through CARES, with the stipulation that $1,463,739 be allocated to Emergency Financial-Aid Grants to Students. Nowhere in the bill does it limit the distribution of said funds to non-returning (s.3548, Title II - Education Provisions). Rather, as seen in the excerpt above, the language states that it is for ALL students whose lives have been disrupted.
Roosevelt claims that only students returning to Roosevelt University in the Fall of 2020 will be eligible for the funds, due to the fact that there are federal restrictions and university guidelines preventing them from including everybody else. However, nowhere in the CARES bill text does it have criteria stating anything to that affect . The only criteria states that that the money is suppose to go towards students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes all students enrolled during the Spring 2020 term.
Starting this week, we will begin contacting Roosevelt University. We want them to know that we know about the funds, and that we want more transparency with what they intend on doing with the funds. As a member of the Roosevelt University community, we are asking for your help through these four ways:
Emailing Ali Malekzadeh, Jamar Orr, Lois Becker, and Michelle Stipp with the letter below.
Calling the offices each of the people listed above to voice your concern regarding Roosevelt’s criteria and transparency regarding the CARES Act grant.
Posting the letter below on social media, and tagging Roosevelt University's accounts in the post.
Sign and share the Change.org petition.
We welcome anybody who is a part of the Roosevelt University community to work with us to change Roosevelt University's decision regarding the CARES Act funding, whether they're a current/former student, professor, staff member, parent, or anybody else!
The Decision Makers:Ali Malekzadeh (President of Roosevelt University)amalekzadeh@roosevelt.edu(312)341-3800
Jamar Orr (Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean Students)jorr05@roosevelt.edu(312)341-2016
Lois Becker (Provost / Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs)lbecker05@roosevelt.edu(312)341-3615
Michelle Stipp (Director of Financial Aid)mstipp01@roosevelt.edu(312)341-3868
The Letter:To President Ali Malekzadeh, Jamar Orr, Lois Becker, and Michelle Stipp,
As a member of the Roosevelt University community, I am writing to you regarding The CARES Act: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. As confirmed at May 8th’s Town Hall by President Ali, he stated that Roosevelt University would be excluding recent graduates from the pool of eligible students due to federal and university restrictions.
As per stated on the U.S. Department of Education’s website, the purpose of the CARES fund is to “provide emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted, many of whom are facing financial challenges and struggling to make ends meet”. Roosevelt University was allocated a total of $2,927,478 through CARES, with the stipulation that $1,463,739 be allocated to Emergency Financial-Aid Grants to Students. Nowhere in the bill does it limit the distribution of said funds to recent graduates. Rather, as seen in the excerpt above, the language states that it is for ALL students whose lives have been disrupted.
The graduating class clearly fits the criteria set out by the Federal Government.
CARES was signed into law during the Spring 2020 term, to aid students affected by COVID-19. As such, the grants should be available to all students who were enrolled during this period, not just the ones that will will continue paying Roosevelt tuition in the fall. Instead, Roosevelt University never mentioned that they had received this grant from the Federal Government, and students were unaware that this funding was even available. While the Student Emergency Fund (or The Laker Grant) was made available to students, there are many other basic living essentials that fall outside the criteria outlined by it’s criteria. The CARES scope of “financial challenges and struggling to make ends meet” would allow for these essentials to be taken into consideration and potentially met by CARES grant money. More importantly, graduating students shouldn’t be penalized for successfully completing their degree in the midst of a Pandemic, or how Roosevelt University waited until after their May 8th graduation date to make the CARES grant funds available.
Roosevelt’s Class of 2020 is among the most affected group of students at the university. They lost their networking opportunities, the post-graduation jobs that had been lined up, the part-time jobs that was making it possible for them to complete their education, among many other hardships. They are entering the work-force when companies and organizations are downsizing (if not closing completely), without any knowledge as to when it will end. CARES could assist these students in their transition during a traditionally uncertain period of their lives, one that is exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic currently occurring, which is exactly why CARES was created in the first place.
For these reasons, I am requesting that Roosevelt University1. Release the criteria that they will be utilizing to decide who receives the funds.2. Include ALL students who attended Roosevelt University during the Spring 2020 term for the CARES grant funds no matter what their enrolment status is for the fall term. This list would include (but is not limited to) students returning in Fall 2020, students who graduated on May 8th, and students who will be transferring to other institutions.3. Be transparent about any additional funds they may receive from the Federal government, when they apply and receive it.
As a member of the Roosevelt University community, I urge you to reconsider how the money will be distributed and ensure that ALL members of the Roosevelt family, students or graduates, are able to successfully navigate the next chapter of their lives.
Sincerely,YOUR NAME HERE