Hunter College Loans Students Laptops For Remote Learning

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Students attending Hunter College will be forced to take classes remotely for the rest of the spring semester due to measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, and the school is offering a helping hand by loaning out laptops free of charge.

Hunter College students can pick up free loaner laptops from the school's main Upper East Side campus, the school announced. Students must present a Hunter ID, be registered for spring 2020 classes and have no registration holds on their records to get a laptop, school officials said. Only students who don't have any other computer available to them at home should request a loaner laptop, a spokesperson for Hunter College said.

Students who loan out laptops will be able to use the machines for the rest of spring semester, a Hunter spokesperson said. The college will let students know how to return the computers before summer break.

Psychology major Wendy Genao picked up a loaner from the school on Wednesday. Genao, who is taking five courses this semester, said she is "so glad" Hunter is providing students with laptops.

The entire City University of New York system suspended classes from March 12 to March 18 as schools prepared to transition to fully remote learning, according to CUNY's website. School campuses remain open but are encouraged to cancel events with 50 or more people for the rest of the semester. Non-essential campus staff are also being directed to work remotely, according to the school system's website.

"By transitioning to distance learning, CUNY will be upholding its responsibility as the largest urban public university in the country and meeting our goal of minimizing exposure to those on our campus communities to coronavirus transmission," a CUNY statement reads.