RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The number of COVID-19 cases among students at Virginia Commonwealth University has doubled since Thursday. 58 students and 12 staff members have tested positive for the virus, according to the One VCU: Responsible Together dashboard. On Thursday there were 25 students and 11 staff with the coronavirus.

VCU freshman Julian Cordero says he is kind of nervous about the coronavirus cases on campus. He doesn’t want VCU added to the list of universities transitioning back to online only learning.

“It did make me nervous, I don’t want to leave in a month and a half,” Cordero said. “It’s a big reality that I’m mentally preparing for.”

At the beginning of the month, VCU professors called for a fully virtual start to the school year. About 100 professors, who are part of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) asked VCU’s president, Dr. Michael Rao to reconsider the decision to bring students back to campus.

Cordero says he will be upset if he has paid full tuition just for online school. “I didn’t want to spend… honestly around 30,000 dollars this year to come, go two and a half hours all the way back home and work,” Cordero said. “I wanted to come here and study.”

Cordero worries that the other freshman on campus could be getting overly excited. “Honestly, I think the big culprit is partying,” Cordero said.

Last week VCU said eight students got the virus after attending a party. The university warns that students hosting gatherings on or off campus with more than ten people could be suspended.

“The regulations aren’t really that hard,” Cordero said. “Just follow them and we can stay on campus and you can get your major and finally get a career for yourself.”

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