Reports surfaced that multiple universities across the U.S. canceled classes and created safe spaces for students to cope with the presidential election. This move sparked criticism that these schools are not preparing students for the "real world."
Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., faced mockery online after it announced a "self-care suite" for students to decompress from the 2024 election stress.
At Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy, students were treated to "milk and cookies," "hot cocoa," and activities like "Lego" building and "Coloring and Mindfulness Exercises" to distract from the election results.
"Seriously, @Georgetown? We all know that it’s not conservative students who want the daycare experience," Angela Morabito from the Defense of Freedom Institute tweeted. "Stop coddling leftists who can’t handle reality."
Another prestigious university reportedly canceled classes and eased course requirements on Wednesday after President-elect Trump's victory.
The Harvard Crimson noted that courses in Sociology, Math, and General Education at Harvard canceled classes or made attendance optional. Some professors extended assignment deadlines, too.
Economics lecturer Maxim Boycko told students in his "Intermediate Microeconomics" course that quizzes would be optional that day. He encouraged students to take time off if needed.
"As we recover from the eventful election night," Boycko wrote in an email, "class will proceed as usual today, except that classroom quizzes will not be for credit. Feel free to take time off if needed."
The student newspaper also mentioned that many professors had postponed exams or lightened assignments after Trump's win in 2016.