Syracuse University on Monday announced new measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus.
“Over the holiday, news spread of a newly identified COVID variant, the impact of which is currently being studied across the globe. Syracuse University continues to closely monitor campus and local public health conditions, including issues and concerns related to this new variant,” said a letter from the university to all students and employees. “Prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, despite the university’s very low level of COVID transmission and infection within our campus community, the Public Health Team considered several scenarios to support a safe return to campus. With that scenario planning in mind, today the university implemented several proactive actions to identify and respond to any changes in COVID transmission levels on campus attributable to the holiday break.”
Among the action taken by Syracuse:
- Conducting enhanced wastewater testing of on-campus residence halls and select other buildings.
- Expanding the percentage of the campus population (in all categories, including students, staff and faculty) selected for random testing. The university said, “This action, combined with enhanced wastewater testing, will give us increased insight into the level of infection in the university community, and, if necessary, inform the best response.”
- Continuing to require wearing masks indoors at all times and outdoors when in the presence of others or in a group.
Princeton University on Saturday raised its coronavirus risk level to “moderate to high.”
The university cited “a surge in cases among undergraduate students, coupled with increased case rates in the area.”
Princeton is requiring all undergraduates to submit a COVID-19 test as soon as they return to the campus from Thanksgiving break.
United Academics, the faculty union at the University of Vermont, has filed a grievance demanding more contact tracing, VT Digger reported.
The union, which is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, cited four instances when an instructor did not receive warning that a student they worked with one-on-one had been diagnosed with COVID-19, as well as when professors were not notified by administrators of multiple students in their class testing positive.
“Instructors are becoming aware of close-contact exposure only when they are told directly by students in their classes who tested positive,” the grievance read.
An email from Joel Seligman, the university’s chief communications officer, said, “We take compliance and the health and safety of our employees very seriously.”
He said the university invited the union to “share information with the university about any situations they were aware of where they believe COVID-19 procedures were not properly followed” and did not receive a response.
Boston College has postponed men’s hockey games against the University of Notre Dame this Friday and Harvard University next Tuesday.
The college said the decision was made to comply with “COVID-19 protocols and out of an abundance of caution.”
Boston College is working with the two universities to reschedule the games.
All Bowdoin College students returning from Thanksgiving break will be required to take an observed antigen COVID test, even if they didn’t travel anywhere. Students will pick up the tests on campus and self-administer them while being observed online through eMed, an at-home COVID-19 rapid antigen test service that makes sure students are conducting the test properly. Then eMed uploads the results to the Bowdoin dashboard, said Mike Ranen, associate dean of student affairs and director of residential and student life. In addition, on Monday or Tuesday, all Bowdoin students, faculty and staff will be required to take a PCR test, which they’ve been doing twice a week since the start of the semester.
Students from Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and other campuses in the state rallied in Lansing against vaccine mandates for students, WILX News reported.
A Michigan State student, PJ Serati, said, “People should have the right to make that decision. A lot of our critics tell us, ‘Hey you have the right to choose a different school, you have the right to quit your job, you have the right to go somewhere else, move to a different country.’ That is not the United States. The United States allows for the individual to benefit, not the institution.”
However, polls have shown that most students support the vaccine mandates.
Another Michigan State student, who wasn’t at the rally, Haleigh Colombo, said, “America is set up in a system where we have to have these kinds of regulations for the greater good, and even if it isn’t something you enjoy, it’s better for the entire state as a whole.”
Registration for Brazil’s college-entrance exam is down 44 percent from last year, the lowest level since 2006, the Associated Press reported.
Fear of COVID-19 is seen as the reason for the decline.
The exam takes more than five hours and is given over two weekends. It started Sunday. The test is the primary admission standard for Brazilian universities.
Registration for Brazil’s college-entrance exam is down 44 percent from last year, the lowest level since 2006, the Associated Press reported.
Fear of COVID-19 is seen as the reason for the decline.
The exam takes more than five hours and is given over two weekends. It started Sunday. The test is the primary admission standard for Brazilian universities.
The University of Missouri System Board of Curators on Thursday reversed its position on COVID-19 vaccines and voted to require them for employees, The Columbia Missourian reported.
Two months ago, the board voted to ban vaccine requirements.
But board members said that President Biden’s executive order requiring those who are federal contractors to be vaccinated convinced them. About $76 million in federal grants was at risk if the board had not voted to require vaccines.
The Berklee College of Music, in Boston, is closed today, and will have online classes only through Tuesday, Nov. 23.
A notice on the college's website said, “Classes will be cancelled for Thursday, November 18, and we will be working with faculty to move to remote instruction beginning Friday, November 19. This mode of instruction will be in effect through Tuesday, November 23. Essential campus operations will remain open under current masking protocols, including residence halls and dining facilities. Administrative offices will remain in operation, and student appointments with staff and faculty can occur remotely during this time.”
The college also said that “rehearsals and other group events scheduled on campus through Tuesday, November 23 are canceled.”
The notice did not mention COVID-19, but WHDH News said the cause was “a spike in COVID-19 cases.”
South Korea is seeing record numbers of COVID-19 cases as 509,000 high school students were taking a one-day college-entrance exam at 1,395 sites across the nation, the Associated Press reported.
The annual exam, called Suneung, or the College Scholastic Ability Test, is considered crucial in college admittance.
Students were required to have their temperatures taken before taking the test, and those with fevers were sent to separate testing areas. The Education Ministry said that 68 infected students and 105 others in self-quarantine took the hourslong test in isolation.
The 3,292 new cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Thursday marked the second straight day of over 3,000 cases.
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville will continue its mask mandate—despite a lifting of the mandate by the system, The Knoxville News Sentinel reported.
System president Randy Boyd lifted the mandate on Monday night, citing a law signed by Governor Bill Lee, a Republican.
But Donde Plowman, chancellor of the Knoxville campus, wrote to the campus that the university had obtained an exemption to comply with an order that covers federal contractors. She wrote to the campus that, effective Monday, a mask mandate would still be in place.
“I know these changing conditions are confusing, and we will continue to update you as we know more. Thank you for your understanding as we continue to navigate challenging times. I appreciate all the work you do to make our university a success every day,” she said.
At the university’s Chattanooga campus, officials wrote that all “are welcome and encouraged to continue wearing face masks inside buildings,” despite the mask mandate lift.
AT UT Southern, there are no federal contracts, so the mask mandate will be lifted.
Randy Boyd, president of the University of Tennessee System, lifted all mask mandates in the university system, WBIR News reported.
“On Friday evening, Governor Bill Lee signed SB9014/HB9077, which precludes state entities from having mask or vaccine mandates unless exempted from the law by the state comptroller when federal funding is at risk,” Boyd wrote to the campuses. “Accordingly, we are lifting mask requirements across the UT System effective immediately.”
He also wrote that the system has applied for an exemption for its employees working on federal contracts. “The University of Tennessee System has applied for an exemption to allow each campus and institute the flexibility necessary to implement the requirements of the federal executive order as required by certain federal contracts with UT campuses and institutes,” he said.
Michigan State University is giving all nonunionized faculty and academic staff 2 percent merit raises effective Jan. 1, The Lansing State Journal reported.
Michigan State president Dr. Samuel Stanley Jr. wrote to faculty, “During the past 18 months, we have had to make many difficult decisions in response to COVID-19. Responses to our financial challenges have been among the most difficult, knowing the impact on those who enable the academic mission of the university every day. The ways in which you have pursued your scholarly work and the education of our students have been extraordinary. On behalf of a grateful university, thank you. While we continue to face challenging financial terrain, I feel it is extremely important to provide a raise for faculty and academic staff next year.”
Michigan State temporarily cut salaries for nonunionized faculty and academic staff, for a period of time, by 1 to 7 percent.
Karen Kelly-Blake, MSU Faculty Senate chairperson, said, “We appreciate the raise. We also appreciate the administration’s recognition that the work of both the faculty and academic staff continue to be extraordinary. We also look forward to continuing to talk with the administration on how to make the faculty and academic staff whole.”
She added, “I think that the compensation at Michigan State University and any restoration thereof now must take into consideration the current inflation rate. I am not a financial manager, but I imagine that even with the cost of living, that with the 6 percent inflation rate, MSU’s compensation does not put it at the top of the pack.”
China has confined nearly 1,500 university students to their dormitories and hotels following an outbreak of COVID-19 in the city of Dalian, the Associated Press reported.
The order was issued Sunday after several dozen cases were reported at Zhuanghe University. Hundreds of students were transferred to hotels for observation.
Students are continuing classes remotely.
Students at Belmont University, in Tennessee, are protesting a failure of the university to adopt strict COVID-19 protocols, WKRN News reported.
The students held a rally. “Our protest is called ‘vax up mask up,’ with the goal to get the Belmont administration to enact COVID housing once again,” organizer Natalie Schilling said. “They revoked that this year and to also encourage better enforcement of the mask mandate.”
The university issued this statement in response to the rally: “The health and safety of Belmont students, faculty and staff is always a priority and at the forefront of our minds as we try to provide students with an in-person living and learning experience this term. As has been the case throughout the pandemic, our COVID-19 task force, appointed by and in regular contact with the president, is constantly monitoring conditions and case counts on Belmont’s campus and in Nashville.”
Earlier this year, BuzzFeed News reported on an anonymous Twitter account used to charge that Belmont was not taking COVID-19 seriously.
When Carolynne Estrada was applying to colleges her senior year of high school, her father died unexpectedly. She knew she had to attend a postsecondary institution that would allow her to bring the cat her dad had given her.
“When I saw that Johnson & Wales accepted me and that they would allow me to bring my pet that my dad had given me that same year, it was genuinely the reason why I came to the school,” said Estrada, now a senior at the university.
The Maricopa Community College District must accommodate two nursing students who sued the district in response to its vaccination requirements, The Arizona Republic reported.
The students refused to get vaccinated for religious reasons and argued that the district’s policy violated their religious rights by not helping them complete their clinical rotations required for graduation, according to article. The rotations were scheduled at partner sites that require vaccination.
U.S. District Judge Steven Logan granted the students’ preliminary injunction request earlier this week. The district has to allow the students to finish the clinical work required to complete the nursing program at Mesa Community College so they can graduate in December.
“Plaintiffs are faced with the choice of, on the one hand, compromising their religious beliefs to complete their clinicals and graduate as expected on December 17, 2021, or on the other, adhering to their beliefs and giving up the nursing degrees to which they are otherwise entitled and all their associated benefits for the indefinite future,” Logan wrote in his order.
The students were supposed to start clinical shifts this week at the Mayo Clinic, which has a vaccine mandate that does not allow religious exemptions. College officials required students to adhere to the clinic’s policy and offered them the option to complete the clinical portion of the program in the spring if clinical placements at sites without vaccination requirements were available. The district will now have to offer an alternative option.
Michigan State Fires Unvaccinated Staff, Suspends Students
Nov. 11, 6:05 a.m. Michigan State University has fired two employees and suspended 16 students for failing to get vaccinated against COVID-19, The Detroit News reported.
At the University of Michigan, "less than 10 staff members" have been placed on a 30-day, unpaid leave, Kim Broekhuizen, a spokeswoman. said.
Employees who aren't vaccinated or don't receive approval for an exemption by Dec. 8 will be fired, she said.
-- Scott Jaschik
Berkeley, USC Postpone Football Game
Nov. 10, 6:01 a.m. The University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Southern California have postponed this Saturday’s football game because of a COVID-19 outbreak on the Berkeley team.
The game will now be played on Dec. 4.
“It was a difficult decision to postpone this Saturday’s game against USC,” said Jim Knowlton, director of athletics at Berkeley. “We know how important every one of our games is to our student-athletes, especially our seniors who have been incredible representatives of the program, but it was the right thing to do. Due to additional impact on specific position groups, we have decided to postpone Saturday’s game. We have had multiple COVID-19 positives within our program, and we are taking every step we can to mitigate the spread and protect the greater community.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that, last Saturday, Berkeley played the University of Arizona despite 24 players being out due to COVID-19.
This week, 44 players are out.
A statement provided to the San Francisco Chronicle by the city of Berkeley’s Department of Public Health said, “Cases emerged in an environment of ongoing failure to abide by public health measures. People in the program did not: Get tested when sick, stay home when sick, [or wear] masks indoors. These simple measures keep people safe. Failing to do so results not only in individual infections, sickness, and worse, but also threatens the safety of all around them—especially those with compromised immune systems.”
-- Scott Jaschik
U of Michigan Sees Increase in COVID-19 Cases
Nov. 9, 3:02 p.m. The University of Michigan is experiencing a “significant rise” in the number of COVID cases among students over the last week, university officials told All About Ann Arbor.
“Social gatherings without masks continue to be the primary identified route of transmission among students,” said a Michigan statement.
Officials have identified two clusters involving 40 students. All the cases were related to a party over Halloween weekend and fall break travel.
-- Scott Jaschik
Quinnipiac Sees ‘Noticeable Increase’ in COVID-19
Nov. 9, 6:14 a.m. Quinnipiac University is seeing a “noticeable increase” in COVID-19 cases among students and employees, NBC Connecticut reported.
University officials said they had 30 new cases diagnosed over the past seven days. Before this week, the university was reporting an average of nine cases a week.
Quinnipiac is urging students to get tested if they are symptomatic.
-- Scott Jaschik
Saint Michael’s College Held Friday Classes Online Due to Outbreak
Nov. 8, 6:14 a.m. Saint Michael’s College in Vermont held Friday’s classes online due to an outbreak of COVID-19.
Saint Michael’s, which has about 1,450 undergraduates, reported that 54 of them had COVID-19 when the decision was made.
The college announced another 14 cases Sunday but said classes would meet in person.
Lorraine Sterritt, the president, blamed Halloween parties for the outbreak. "The situation we are in was not inevitable. We were doing really well as a community up to the point where there were numerous Halloween parties where students were unmasked and in close contact," Sterritt said. "We are managing this situation, and we will get back to where we need to be, but we need to be clear about what caused this disruption to all of our lives. It was the disregard for our health and safety guidelines and college policies on the part of some members of our community."
-- Scott Jaschik
Woman Charged With Faking Positive COVID-19 Test From U of Iowa
Nov. 5, 6:14 a.m. A lawyer in Colorado has been charged with faking a positive COVID-19 test from the University of Iowa to get out of a court appearance, The Gazette reported.
Emily Elizabeth Cohen was booked Tuesday on a detainer from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, shortly after she tweeted that the Colorado court system “just had me arrested alleging I lied about having COVID. Tweeting from cop car.”
The Boulder Daily Camera reported that Cohen is scheduled for a 10-day trial in Boulder County in Colorado starting Dec. 6 for 11 felony counts stemming from allegations she collected fees from immigrant families before losing contact with them without producing visas or work permits.
-- Scott Jaschik
Judge Permits Suit Against Montana State to Go to Trial
Nov. 3, 6:18 a.m. A Montana judge has ruled that a suit against Montana State University over the shift to online education in March of 2020 can proceed to a trial, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.
The “complaint is not one for educational malpractice, but rather for breach of contract, and defendants have failed to prove that he cannot present a set of facts for breach of an express contract,” said Judge Michael McMahon in his order. The university did not resume in-person classes until August of 2020.
The suit -- which seeks to become a class action -- demands reimbursement for a share of tuition and fees that were specifically for in-person education.
The university said there was no evidence of a contract being broken.
Many similar cases in other states have been dismissed.
-- Scott Jaschik
Pitt to Require Vaccines for All Students and Employees
Nov. 2, 6:16 a.m. The University of Pittsburgh announced Monday that students and employees would be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved exemption by Dec. 6, WPXI News reported.
University officials said that more than 93 percent of students, faculty and staff members disclosed they were fully vaccinated during the course of the fall semester. But not requiring the vaccine “is not sustainable in the long term.”
Vaccines will assure “minimal disruptions” to programs, the university said.
-- Scott Jaschik
Hawaii-UCSD Women’s Soccer Called Off Due to COVID-19
Nov. 1, 6:18 a.m. A women’s soccer game between the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, scheduled for Sunday, was called off due to COVID-19.
A statement from UCSD said, “After consulting with medical officials, Sunday’s women’s soccer match between UC San Diego and Hawai‘i has been canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test from a would-be participant.”
-- Scott Jaschik
Penn Announces Punishments for Students Who Didn’t Vaccinate
Oct. 29, 6:22 a.m. The University of Pennsylvania announced that it will prevent students from early registration for spring classes and block access to campus buildings if they fail to comply with COVID-19 immunization and testing requirements, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
More than 1,000 students -- mostly graduate and professional students -- were told they would not have access to early registration for spring classes if they do not upload immunization cards by today or seek an exemption, said Benoit Dubé, Penn’s associate provost and chief wellness officer.
“You’ll get slim pickings if you don’t address this,” he said. “You want access to early registration to get the classes that you want, not just the classes that are left.”
-- Scott Jaschik
Northwestern Students Charged With Theft of 4,500 COVID-19 Tests
Oct. 28, 6:10 a.m. Two Northwestern University students were charged with stealing 4,500 COVID-19 tests from the university, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Most of the tests have been recovered by the university.
A university spokesman declined to say whether charges would be filed.
-- Scott Jaschik
U of Akron Will Keep Vaccine Requirement
Oct. 27, 6:16 a.m. The University of Akron, which announced earlier in the month that it was reconsidering its vaccine mandate, will keep it.
"Even though case numbers have declined somewhat, being vaccinated is the most effective way of continuing progress and avoiding surges in infection rates," the university announced Tuesday.
The requirement is to be vaccinated by Dec. 13. Currently, 70.3 percent of employees have verified that they have been fully vaccinated; 60.9 percent of students have done so.
The university is making it easier to get an exemption. "A short statement using the streamlined exemption form outlining the reasons of religious belief or reasons of conscience for requesting the exemption is all that will be needed. Those requesting an exemption for medical reasons still will be required to submit a completed medical exemption form and supporting documentation from a licensed health care provider," the university said.
-- Scott Jaschik
Texas Universities Uncertain About Vaccine Mandate Order
Oct. 26, 6:15 a.m. Some universities in Texas are still studying the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for all employees of all universities with federal contracts, The Texas Tribune reported.
In other states, such as Kansas and Alabama, the Biden order has led to vaccine mandates -- despite opposition from governors and legislators.
In Texas, Texas Tech University is studying the order. So is the Texas A&M University system.
The University of Texas system said, “We will endeavor to comply with federal vaccine requirements for specific, covered individuals to protect these investments in our state.” Most universities in other states are interpreting the Biden order as covering all employees.
Texas universities have billions of dollars in federal contracts. The order seeks vaccination by Dec. 8.
-- Scott Jaschik
Waubonsee Community College: Is the President Promoting COVID-19 Rules?
Oct. 25, 6:19 a.m. The president of Waubonsee Community College, in Illinois, is not following the rules for limiting the spread of COVID-19, according to the Faculty Council, Shaw Media reported.
"Patience and caution have been abandoned by upper management in their quest to fulfill strategic goals apart from the context of the pandemic," Jeanne M. McDonald, president of the Faculty Council, said. "All predictions about the future trajectories of the pandemic cannot be substantiated by present data. We are still currently at transmission levels greater than June 2021 when mask mandates were lifted for vaccinated individuals."
On Friday, the board of the college released this statement: "The Waubonsee Community College Board of Trustees stands united in its unequivocal support of Dr. Christine Sobek, president of Waubonsee Community College, and her leadership in instituting health and safety measures that follow federal guidelines and state mandate protocols to keep the campus community safe and healthy."
-- Scott Jaschik
Hancock Will Permit Fans at Indoor Events
Oct. 22, 6:14 a.m. Hancock College, in California, announced this week that fans would be permitted at indoor athletic events, The Santa Ynez Valley News reported.
All fans 12 and older will be required to provide either proof that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or verification of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event. Records will need to be shown upon arrival prior to gaining entry to the facilities.
Masks will be required, except when the fans are eating or drinking.
-- Scott Jaschik
Rochester Offers Guidance on Holiday Parties
Oct. 21, 6:20 a.m. The University of Rochester on Wednesday released guidelines for holiday parties in light of COVID-19.
The guidelines state that departments should "carefully consider whether to have in-person holiday functions with food or drink," and for those that do so:
- "All attendees, including visitors, at indoor gatherings shall be masked and remain masked up to the point of eating or drinking. Attendees may only remove their masks when they are seated with food or drink, or if they are standing at a bar height/high top table. Attendees at tables must not overcrowd the eating space and must be actively eating when masks are removed, ideally for 15 minutes or less.
- "Events shall be limited to the seating capacity of the room.
- "If attendees move from one location to any other location within the gathering, with or without food or drink, they must wear their mask.
- "For reception-style events, it is a best practice to have the food at the end of the meeting/celebration and have it optional for people to take back to their work area.
- "Another best practice is that events with food be held outdoors or under tents -- whenever possible and as weather permits -- and that social distancing be practiced when feasible."
-- Scott Jaschik
West Virginia Faculty Members Want Vaccine Mandates
Oct. 20, 6:22 a.m. Faculty members at both Marshall and West Virginia Universities have voted in favor of vaccine mandates, but the institutions have not responded with mandates, West Virginia Public Broadcasting reported.
“WVU strongly urges everyone to be vaccinated,” said spokeswoman April Kaull. “While we always appreciate and consider input from our campus community, any change in our policy would be an administrative decision made in consultation with our Board of Governors.”
Kaull also noted high vaccination rates on campus: she said 92 percent of faculty and staff are fully vaccinated and so are 80 percent of students.
In the state, only 58 percent are vaccinated.
Marshall did not respond to a request for a comment.
-- Scott Jaschik
U of Oregon Sees Increase in COVID-19 Cases
Oct. 19, 6:15 a.m. The University of Oregon is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases, The Register-Guard reported.
The week of Sept. 13 saw 17 new cases. The following week, there were 28 new cases. The first week of classes saw a major jump to 46 new cases. The week of Oct. 4, cases jumped to 57.
With limited exceptions, the university requires all students and employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Most of those with COVID-19 are students who live off campus.
-- Scott Jaschik
Arizona Universities Mandate Vaccines for Employees
Oct. 18, 6:08 a.m. Arizona’s public universities will require employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to comply with a Biden administration order requiring federal contractors to mandate vaccinations, The Arizona Republic reported.
The decision by the institutions follows a similar move by Pennsylvania State University, which announced last week it would require employees -- including student employees -- to get vaccinated in order to comply with requirements for federal contractors.
University of Arizona president Robert C. Robbins said that all university employees, including student workers and graduate assistants and associates, must submit documentation of full vaccination by Dec. 8 or obtain an exemption for religious or disability-related reasons.
“The University has hundreds of millions of dollars in federal contracts, funding critical research, employment, and educational efforts, and already has received amended federal contracts that include this requirement,” Robbins wrote in a statement. “While we respect individual opinions regarding the vaccine, we will continue with these mission-critical endeavors and will be complying with this new requirement.”
A spokeswoman for Arizona governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, told The Arizona Republic the governor opposes the employee vaccine mandate and is reviewing the universities’ decisions to see what his options might be. Ducey issued an executive order in June prohibiting public universities from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for students.
-- Elizabeth Redden
Georgia Student, Vaccinated, Dies of COVID-19 Complications
Oct. 15, 6:19 a.m. Shawn Kuhn, a University of Georgia senior who had been vaccinated, died of complications from COVID-19 on Monday, WMAZ News reported.
His obituary said that in high school, he had been both an actor and a soccer player.
He had become a competitive fisherman and fished in several tournaments with his father.
-- Scott Jaschik
Professor Sues U Colorado Denver Over COVID-19 Rumor
Oct. 14, 6:25 a.m. A professor is suing the University of Colorado at Denver over a false report that she had COVID-19, CBS4 News reported. Celeste Archer, a historian, said her boss forwarded her an email from the Department of Occupational Health saying she couldn’t return to work until she was cleared for COVID-19.
She called the department immediately. “I’m vaccinated. I’ve taken every precaution,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. She said that somebody said they heard that you had tested positive for COVID, had it, or [were] showing symptoms, and I said, ‘Do you hear what you just said? Somebody said that they heard? So this is based on hearsay.’”
The university issued this statement: “We followed our safety protocols and responded with good intent … In less than two hours, we sorted out any misunderstandings and invited the employee back to campus.”
But Archer says there was no due process, and that if someone heard she might have COVID-19, the university should have called her first.
-- Scott Jaschik
At Belmont, Students Express Fears on Twitter
Oct. 13, 6:20 a.m. At Belmont University, a Christian college in Nashville, Tenn., students and faculty members have taken to an anonymous Twitter account to express their fears about COVID-19, BuzzFeed News reported.
The Belmont Confessions account on Twitter was created to post "your crushes, missed connections, stories, and secrets & we’ll post them anonymously," the site advises.
But with the university calling off most of its COVID-19 rules, students have turned there to complain. “I got covid week 3 at Belmont. (yes I’m vaccinated, I’ve worn my mask unless I’m outside, etc.) Seriously questioning Belmont’s covid policies,” reads one tweet.
“I got sick the other day with a steady fever and a swollen throat. I’ve been vaxxed and wear my mask even outside, it’s so goddam annoying that Belmont waited until 5 weeks into school to have a ‘Walk Up Vaccine Day!,’” reads another.
The university gave a statement to BuzzFeed News: “The health and safety of Belmont students, faculty and staff is always a priority and at the forefront of our minds as we try to provide students with an in-person living and learning experience this term.”
-- Scott Jaschik
New Mexico State Fires Professor
Oct. 12, 6:16 a.m. New Mexico State University has fired a business professor for refusing to get vaccinated, The Las Cruces Sun-News reported.
Provost Carol Parker recommended at a hearing that David Clements lose his tenure-track post, arguing he had said repeatedly that he would not follow the university’s COVID-19 policies and would discourage others to do so.
Clements has spoken widely about his view that vaccine mandates are illegal. “Well, it’s official. I’ve been terminated,” he posted to his social media accounts.
-- Scott Jaschik
U of Akron Reconsiders Vaccine Mandate
Oct. 11, 4:35 a.m. The University of Akron is reconsidering its vaccine mandate, News 19 reported.
The possible move follows a News 19 investigation that found hundreds of students are receiving exemptions, in some cases coaching one another on what to say.
University administrators say another reason to reconsider is that most students are getting vaccinated.
-- Scott Jaschik
Western Michigan Loses Appeal on Vaccinating Athletes
Oct. 8, 6:20 a.m. Western Michigan University has lost its attempt to lift a restraining order blocking the university's plan to require all athletes to be vaccinated, MLive reported.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit said Thursday, "We do not doubt [Western Michigan's] good faith, nor do we fail to appreciate the burdens COVID-19 has placed on this nation’s universities. To that point, our holding is narrow. Other attempts by the university to combat COVID-19, even those targeted at intercollegiate athletics, may pass constitutional muster."
The appeals court added, "But having announced a system under which student-athletes can seek individualized exemptions, the university must explain why it chose not to grant any to plaintiffs. And it did not fairly do so here."
Sixteen athletes filed a federal lawsuit earlier this year against Western Michigan.
-- Scott Jaschik
Colleges Updates COVID-19 Policies
Oct. 7, 6:30 a.m. Colleges continue to announce changes in their policies on COVID-19.
Allan Hancock College, in California, now requires students to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo testing daily, KSBY reported. Students get an electronic "fast pass" on their student identification cards if they have been vaccinated.
Portland State University has started a new policy that "requires that non-PSU attendees 12 years and older [to] show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test to attend indoor, in-person events held on campus that will be attended by more than 100 people. These events will advertise the vaccine requirement in their event communication."
Cornell University has announced that all employees must be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8. If employees do not receive a medical or religious exemption, they "will be removed from our payroll," said a letter from Martha E. Pollack, the president. She cited President Biden's order that all employees of certain federal contractors be vaccinated, and she said Cornell was a federal contractor.
-- Scott Jaschik
Hawaii Governor Sticks to Ban on Fans at Games
Oct. 6, 6:22 a.m. Hawaii governor David Ige, a Democrat, is sticking with his ban on fans at athletic events, including the University of Hawai‘i’s football games, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.
Ige said that permitting fans at the games would spread COVID-19.
The lieutenant governor, Josh Green, split with the governor and said that if he had the power, he would permit fans if they are masked and vaccinated. “People’s mental health includes coming back together, social activities and some confidence that they can provide for their children through work. This is the daily consideration I try to share with the governor and team,” he said.
House Speaker Scott Saiki agreed, writing to Ige, “Permitting a modicum of spectators will also demonstrate to other states that Hawaii is returning to normalcy, but in a far more prescribed manner.”
-- Scott Jaschik
Lamar U Fires 2 After They Asked About Students’ Vaccine Status
Oct. 5, 6:20 a.m. Lamar University, in Texas, fired two student services administrators after they asked students whether they had been vaccinated against COVID-19, The Washington Post reported.
The students were high school juniors and seniors in the university’s Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities.
Bruce Hodge, the student services coordinator, said he wanted the information because the university was acting as parents for the students. “I could foresee a situation with an incapacitated student where I couldn’t reach a parent and a doctor is asking me if they’re vaccinated,” Hodge said.
Karen Corwin, a counselor, and Hodge were fired. “There was no discussion. There was nothing,” Corwin said.
Lamar declined to comment on the firings.
-- Scott Jaschik
Students Sue St. John’s Over Vaccine Mandate
Oct. 4, 6:15 a.m. Seventeen students are suing St. John’s University over the institution's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, The New York Post reported.
The students say they oppose vaccines because some were tested on “aborted fetal tissue or human embryonic stem-cell derivation.”
St. John’s is a Roman Catholic university in New York. It said in court papers that it questions “the genuineness of their purported religious beliefs.”
Catholic leaders in New York and elsewhere have endorsed the vaccines for COVID-19.
-- Scott Jaschik
Oct. 1, 6:15 a.m. Catawba College has been forced to cancel this weekend's football game against Limestone University due to "COVID-19 related issues with the team," the college announced.
It was the second straight week that Catawba called off a football game because of COVID-19.
“The health and safety of our students, faculty, and college community are our top priority,” said Craig Turnbull, the interim athletic director. “This is the best course of action for everyone. We are heartbroken for our student-athletes who worked so hard to prepare for these games and had started the season off strong.”
Catawba is in North Carolina. Limestone is in South Carolina.
-- Scott Jaschik
Harvard B-School Moves Most Classes Online for a Week
Sept. 30, 6:30 a.m. Harvard University’s business school moved all in-person classes for first-year M.B.A. and some second-year students online this week, CNBC reported. The business school blamed transmission of COVID-19 on students attending social events without appropriate safety considerations.
“Contact tracers who have worked with positive cases highlight that transmission is not occurring in classrooms or other academic settings on campus,” business school spokesman Mark Cautela said in a statement. “Nor is it occurring among individuals who are masked.”
-- Scott Jaschik
Saint Augustine’s Goes Online for a Week
Sept. 30, 6:20 a.m. Saint Augustine’s University will move to online classes for a week.
A letter to the historically Black campus from Christine Johnson McPhail, the president, said the move was “part of our ongoing efforts to protect the welfare of our campus community.”
She also announced other rules for the week: students must wear masks at all times, no visitors are allowed on campus and students may only be in their own residence halls.
-- Scott Jaschik
Virginia State Cancels Classes for COVID-19 Wellness
Sept. 29, 6:17 a.m. Virginia State University, a historically Black college, designated Tuesday as a wellness day to mitigate the mental health problems associated with COVID-19.
There were no classes held. Employees could take a leave day or have a relaxed work day.
“Achieving a universitywide COVID-19 positivity rate of less than 1 percent is no small feat. It requires a great deal of work by our faculty, students, staff and administration,” said President Makola M. Abdullah. “Not only is everyone under a significant amount of pressure, dealing with the typical stress of higher education, but now everyone is doing so with the added exertion of a global pandemic. This makes intentional intervention to address physical and emotional wellness all the more necessary.”
-- Scott Jaschik
Judge Won’t Block Creighton Vaccine Mandate
Sept. 28, 6:15 a.m. A Nebraska judge has refused to block Creighton University’s requirement that all students get vaccinated against COVID-19, the Associated Press reported.
Creighton was sued by some students who said the vaccine mandate would violate their religious views opposing abortion. But Creighton, a Roman Catholic institution, does not permit religious exemptions.
Judge Marlon Polk said he wouldn’t issue a temporary order blocking the vaccine mandate, and he doesn’t believe the students will prevail. His rationale is based on the fact that the students had signed a form promising to get vaccinated as soon as a vaccine was approved by regulators.
-- Scott Jaschik
Sept. 27, 6:25 a.m. Bowdoin College has relaxed some COVID-19 rules, The Times Record reported.
The college has only three cases of COVID-19. As a result, dining services will now be at full capacity.
Vaccines are mandatory for students and employees.
-- Scott Jaschik
Edward Waters to Go Online Only at Thanksgiving
Sept. 24, 6:18 a.m. Edward Waters University, in Florida, announced that all classes and final exams will be online after Thanksgiving, WJCT News reported.
Dormitories will be closed to all but athletes.
All in-person classes from now until Thanksgiving will be reduced to 50 percent of capacity for that room.
-- Scott Jaschik
Penn State Suspends 117 Students
Sept. 23, 6:20 a.m. Pennsylvania State University has suspended 117 students at the University Park campus because they are "subject to required weekly COVID-19 testing" and have missed three weeks of testing.
The suspensions are called an interim suspension by the university.
"Students on interim suspension may not participate in classes, in-person or remotely; are not allowed on university property; and may not attend any Penn State-sponsored events, programs and activities, including football games," said the university announcement. "On-campus students on interim suspension also are temporarily removed from their residence hall assignment."
Last week, the university made calls on students who were in danger of being suspended. "These efforts brought several hundred students into compliance," the university said.
-- Scott Jaschik
Mount Mercy U Student Dies of COVID-19 Complications
Sept. 22, 6:25 a.m. Mount Mercy University, in Iowa, announced that Ashley Hudson, a student, died Monday due to complications associated with COVID-19.
“I, along with our entire campus community, extend our deepest sympathies to Ashley’s family, friends, faculty and staff, and peers during this profoundly difficult time. Ashley was an aspiring kindergarten teacher and had dreams of becoming a Mount Mercy graduate,” said a statement from Todd Olson, the president. “With a campus as tight-knit as ours, losing a member of our community -- especially a student -- is deeply painful. Grief counseling services are available free of charge to offer support to our students, faculty, and staff.”
-- Scott Jaschik
4 of 9 U of Louisiana Campuses Have Vaccination Rates Below 50%
Sept. 22, 6:14 a.m. The University of Louisiana told students in the system last month that they needed to get COVID-19 vaccines to enroll next semester. The Louisiana Illuminator reported that on four campuses, the vaccination rate is currently under 50 percent.
McNeese University (24 percent), Grambling State University (41 percent), Southeastern University (41 percent) and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (43 percent) reported that fewer than half of their students have had at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, said Cami Geisman, the vice president for external affairs for the UL system.
Doing somewhat better were the University of Louisiana at Monroe (76 percent), the University of New Orleans (62 percent), Louisiana Tech (53 percent) and Northwestern State University (53 percent).
-- Scott Jaschik
Mississippi Board Bars Public Universities From Having Vaccine Mandates
Sept. 21, 6:12 a.m. The Mississippi Board of Trustees of the Institutions of Higher Learning has voted to ban public universities from requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for students, faculty members and staff, Mississippi Today reported.
Board members have said that they support vaccines but do not believe they should be required. (One possible exception to the rule is University of Mississippi Medical Center.)
Faculty members have been urging the board to authorize vaccine mandates.
“The decision by the Mississippi Board of Trustees is a slap in the face to all faculty and students calling for basic public health protections to ensure safe learning environments in their classrooms and on campus,” said Irene Mulvey, president of the American Association of University Professors.
-- Scott Jaschik
Iowa Professors Push for Mask Mandates
Sept. 20, 6:22 a.m. Faculty members at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa are pushing the Iowa Board of Regents to permit mask mandates, KWWL News reported.
Iowa State’s Faculty Senate president, Andrea Wheeler, said instructors should be allowed to require masks in their classrooms “for pedagogical and health reasons.”
The University of Iowa Communication Studies Department released a statement on Twitter Thursday voicing support for CDC guidance calling for masks to be worn indoors regardless of vaccination status. The statement says the university is a "world-class research institution that teaches critical thinking and promotes the advancement of scientific knowledge. We have an obligation to our students, staff and faculty to follow public health guidelines."
The Board of Regents has not indicated that it will change the policy barring mask mandates.
-- Scott Jaschik
Binghamton Has Higher COVID-19 Rates Than Other SUNY Campuses
Sept. 17, 6:18 a.m. Binghamton University has had 187 COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks, 15 percent of the total cases in the 64-campus State University of New York system, The Binghamton Press reported.
Last month, all SUNY students were ordered to get vaccinations.
A Binghamton spokesman said it is safe to be on campus. He said the campus plans to increase the testing of students and employees soon.
-- Scott Jaschik
Nevada-Reno President Has COVID-19
Sept. 16, 5:35 a.m. Brian Sandoval, president of the University of Nevada at Reno, has COVID-19.
"The positive test result I received this morning and the mild symptoms I’ve experienced thus far also point to the fact that the COVID-19 vaccines are indeed doing their job. I received my COVID-19 vaccinations earlier this spring and I am so grateful I did," he wrote to the campus. "Breakthrough infections tend to be mild when one is vaccinated and this is exactly what I am experiencing right now. I want to use this moment to encourage all of our students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated if you have not done so already."
Sandoval will be in isolation for 10 days.
-- Scott Jaschik
Hawaii Governor: No Fans at Football Games
Sept. 15, 6:16 a.m. Hawaii Governor David Ige, a Democrat, said Tuesday that the University of Hawaii will continue its policy of banning all fans from football games, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.
“I hope we will be in a better place before the end of the football season,” Ige said in a statement. “However, at this point, this type of activity is simply not safe.”
He added: “We understand how important University of Hawaii athletics is to our community. The pandemic has really challenged our effort to balance our support of UH athletics with the need to protect the health and safety of our community. Our hospital ICU units are at maximum capacity. Any significant increase in ICU patients could put our healthcare system over the threshold."
The University of Hawaii is the only college among 130 major college-sports programs banning fans from games.
-- Scott Jaschik
Brown, Syracuse Tighten COVID-19 Rules
Sept. 14, 6:25 a.m. Brown and Syracuse Universities tightened their rules for preventing the spread of COVID-19 on Monday.
Brown announced "temporary restrictions" due to "an increase in positive asymptomatic COVID-19 cases as the campus resumes significant on-site operations, primarily among undergraduate students."
The university will increase testing of all students from once a week to twice a week, impose a pause on in-person dining and set a limit of five students for undergraduate social events.
Syracuse announced that, in the wake of Saturday's football game, at which few fans followed the rules to be masked, ushers will now enforce masking rules, WSYR News reported.
-- Scott Jaschik
Sept. 13, 6:22 a.m. A student at Southern Utah University student died of COVID-19 last week, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
“We also understand there were underlying health conditions,” Mindy Benson, the university’s interim president, wrote in the email. “Due to privacy and respect for the student’s family, we will not be sharing any further details … On behalf of Southern Utah University, we share our heartfelt condolences.”
A student at Texas A&M University also died of COVID-19 last week.
-- Scott Jaschik
Acting Georgia Chancellor Defends Policies
Sept. 10, 6:25 a.m. The acting chancellor of the University System of Georgia, Teresa MacCartney, on Thursday defended policies that have been sharply criticized by faculty members, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The system is barring mandates on face masks in classrooms and also vaccine mandates. The system has talked about punishing professors who attempt to enforce a mask mandate in their classroom.
MacCartney said, “Those expectations have been made clear since before the semester started. It should be no surprise. There are consequences for those not following through and doing their jobs.”
-- Scott Jaschik
Connecticut College Goes Remote
Sept. 9, 10:45 a.m. Connecticut College has shifted all classes to remote after COVID-19 rates rose at the liberal arts college, NBC Connecticut reported.
Twenty students tested positive on Monday, and 34 tested positive Tuesday.
The dean of students, Victor Arcelus, told the college that contact tracing revealed that students who had contracted the virus had been socializing in cars, in friends’ rooms, at parties or in bars -- without wearing face masks. "If COVID is in the room when students are socializing, and if they are not wearing their masks, that can lead to increased spread. Based on the contact tracing that we have done -- we get the sense that this is how it spread to as many people as it did," Arcelus said.
-- Scott Jaschik
Liberty Nears 1,000 COVID-19 Cases This Semester
Sept. 9, 6:22 a.m. Liberty University is nearing 1,000 total cases of COVID-19 this semester, almost as many as it had during the entire fall 2020 semester.
The university has had 863 cases among students and 120 among faculty and staff members, for a total of 983, according to the Liberty dashboard.
Liberty has been in a campuswide quarantine that is currently scheduled to lift tomorrow. WDBJ News asked Liberty if there was any update on the quarantine and was told to ask tomorrow.
-- Scott Jaschik
COVID-19 Numbers at Nebraska, East Carolina
Sept. 8, 6:25 a.m. The University of Nebraska at Lincoln reported 257 cases of COVID-19 last week.
During the week, 8,580 tests were completed on students, faculty and staff. The positivity rate was 2.99 percent. This was the first week that the vast majority of COVID-19 tests were completed on people who are not vaccinated, are symptomatic or are not participating in the university’s voluntary vaccine registry.
East Carolina University, meanwhile, reported three clusters of students with COVID-19, two in residence halls and one on the volleyball team, WITN reported. Five students with COVID-19 are in each cluster.
Ten clusters were previously reported in residence halls.
-- Scott Jaschik
Colleges Consider Punishments for Unvaccinated
Sept. 7, 6:06 a.m. Colleges are considering punishments for students who don’t get vaccinated, having previously tried cash and other rewards to encourage vaccination, Politico reported. Quinnipiac University students who aren’t vaccinated face fines and lost access to the campus’s Wi-Fi. Rutgers University, the first university in the U.S. to require vaccination for students, is threatening to disconnect email access and deny campus housing.
“The Delta variant has been a game changer, and we need to respond accordingly,” said Anita Barkin, co-chair of the American College Health Association’s COVID-19 task force.
-- Scott Jaschik
U of Dallas Shifts to Online Classes
Sept. 3, 3:45 p.m. The University of Dallas announced that a COVID-19 outbreak has prompted a shift to online classes for the next week.
"I know this transition to online learning for the next week is not optimal, though it does allow all of our students to continue to progress through our courses together," wrote Jonathan J. Sanford, the president. "To repeat, the distinctiveness of our undergraduate program is the learning that takes place in person. Wisdom, truth and virtue are goods best pursued in dialogue with one another. Small classes led by our dedicated faculty members reading core texts and wrestling with existential questions -- these are the hallmarks of a UD educational experience, and we all desire to return to this as soon as we possibly can."
Sanford also said that "as of yesterday evening, 38 students and one employee have tested positive. We have had more positive cases today, and anticipate continued tests this week. Some of those positives were athletes, and as a result, following [National Collegiate Athletic Association] protocols, several NCAA contests that were planned are being rescheduled. I fully anticipate that events that are scheduled for Sept. 13 and beyond will continue as planned. As we track the effectiveness of the pause in containing the high number of cases, we will make a final determination next week with respect to ending the pause as planned."
The university has about 1,400 undergraduates and about 1,000 graduate students.
-- Scott Jaschik
CDC Ties Outbreak in Chicago to Spring Break Travel
Sept. 3, 6:25 a.m. An outbreak of COVID-19 among students at the University of Chicago in the spring was linked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to spring break travel, The Chicago Tribune reported.
The CDC interviewed 140 of the 158 undergraduate students at the campus who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 15 and May 3. After spring break, which took place the last week of March, the cases “increased rapidly” even as the university ordered students to stay put.
About 64 percent of students who responded said they had traveled outside the city for spring break, while 41 percent had socialized indoors without masks. Only three were fully vaccinated.
-- Scott Jaschik
Liberty U Sees Surge in COVID-19 Cases
Sept. 2, 6:20 a.m. Liberty University, which last week placed the entire campus in quarantine, is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, WSET News reported.
On Wednesday, Liberty reported 488 active COVID-19 cases on campus. That is a large increase from last week, when Liberty reported 159 total active cases.
Other Virginia colleges, which have more students on campus, have far fewer cases.
James Madison University has 12 cases, the University of Virginia has 47, Virginia Tech has 35 and Virginia Commonwealth University has 29.
-- Scott Jaschik
Judge Blocks Western Michigan From Enforcing Vaccine Requirement for Athletes
Sept. 1, 6:22 a.m. A federal judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order blocking Western Michigan University from enforcing a vaccine mandate for athletes, the Associated Press reported.
Four women’s soccer players sued over the requirement after they were denied a religious exception. They would have been denied the right to play.
Judge Paul Maloney said they are likely to prevail in their suit.
-- Scott Jaschik
Rising COVID-19 Numbers at North Carolina Universities
Aug. 30, 6:12 a.m. ABC11 News reported on COVID-19 numbers at North Carolina universities, which are rising with the return of students.
- North Carolina State University has had 348 COVID-19 cases in August. Half of those cases were detected in the last 10 days. More than 500 students are in isolation and quarantine.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill had 351 COVID-19 cases in August with around 100 detected on Wednesday and Thursday.
- Duke University has 246 cases.
- At UNC Wilmington, nearly 500 students and staff tested positive in the last 10 days.
- At North Carolina Central University, 81 students and employees tested positive.
-- Scott Jaschik
Liberty Goes Online; Declares ‘Campus-wide Quarantine’
Aug. 27, 6:30 a.m. Liberty University has declared a “campus-wide quarantine” from Aug. 30 to Sept. 10, during which all classes will be online.
The university announced that "all large indoor gatherings have been suspended during this period" and "indoor dining locations will be participating in a take-out plan."
Liberty has 159 active cases of COVID-19, with 492 students, faculty and staff told to quarantine, according to WSET News.
-- Scott Jaschik
U of St. Francis Calls Off Football Game
Aug. 27, 6:20 a.m. The University of St. Francis, in Illinois, called off a football game scheduled for Sept. 4 against the University of St. Thomas, in Minnesota, because of "COVID protocols," St. Thomas announced.
St. Thomas said it is looking for a replacement team to play Sept. 4.
-- Scott Jaschik
Community College in New Jersey Mostly Online Until Oct. 27
Aug. 25, 6:15 a.m. The County College of Morris, a community college in New Jersey, is making the vast majority of classes online only, N.J. Advance Media reported.
Generally, only classes with laboratories or studio requirements will be in person.
“Faculty have been instructing remotely or in an online format, except for a small number of classes that require in-person instruction, since the start of the pandemic. CCM is excited about the fall semester and eagerly looks forward to welcoming its faculty and students back on campus later this fall,” the college said in a press release.
-- Scott Jaschik
Wisconsin Criticized for Housing Plan
Aug. 24, 6:19 a.m. The University of Wisconsin at Madison is being criticized for its plan to house students infected with COVID-19 in university-owned apartments where many graduate students and postdoctoral researchers live, The State Journal reported. Many of those who live there have children who are too young to be vaccinated.
“It just seems like a recipe for disaster,” said resident Naomi Burton, who lives with her husband and four children.
The university is defending its choice. As long as residents wear face masks and avoid interacting with those they suspect are quarantining or isolating, “there’s really no real increase of risk of having people in these spaces,” said Collin Pitts, associate director of campus health.
-- Scott Jaschik
College Drops Its $750 Fee for Not Being Vaccinated
Aug. 23, 6:12 a.m. West Virginia Wesleyan College has dropped its $750 fee for students who are not vaccinated, WDTV News reported.
"The COVID Fee covers the cost of weekly surveillance testing, contact tracing, up to 48 hours of quarantine, including meal delivery and laundry facilities, and cleaning and sanitation efforts," the college said in an FAQ on its website when it adopted the fee earlier this month.
Now, the college says
-- Scott Jaschik
Rice Will Start Classes Online
Aug. 20, 6:12 a.m. Rice University will start the fall semester online for two weeks, Provost Reginald DesRoches announced Thursday.
DesRoches said, "Much remains to be learned about the Delta variant and we need to pay close attention to the current surge that is especially pronounced in Texas. We need time to test and assess the prevalence of COVID-19 in the Rice community and its related health outcomes, and to implement any appropriate risk mitigation actions, keeping in mind the effectiveness of vaccination in preventing serious illness."
In a separate letter, Bridget Gorman, dean of undergraduates, said students who live in the Houston area should delay their return to campus. She also announced that "if you are currently living on campus this semester but wish to move off campus because of the complexities surrounding the COVID circumstances, housing and dining will waive the fees for breaking the housing contract in the following ways. Students that do not move on campus at all will receive a full refund for room and board."
Gorman added, "I am sure that reading this, you feel a sense of disappointment that we find ourselves in this situation -- I know that I do. But, as much as our vision for our fall start is shifting, I remain optimistic that these changes reflect a relatively short-term opportunity to pause-and-reset, rather than permanent alterations to how life on campus will be this semester."
-- Scott Jaschik
Washington State Requires Public College Employees -- Including Coaches -- to Be Vaccinated
Aug. 19, 6:21 a.m. Washington State governor Jay Inslee ordered all employees at the state's public colleges to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the Associated Press reported.
Inslee’s office said the mandate applies to coaches, including the Washington State University football coach, Nick Rolovich, who said he has declined to be vaccinated for personal reasons.
Washington State's athletics department issued this statement: “We applaud the efforts of Governor Inslee to protect the health and safety of the people of Washington. Washington State Athletics, including staff, coaches and student-athletes, will continue to follow all campus, local, state, Pac-12 and NCAA guidelines related to health and safety surrounding COVID-19 and we will work to ensure the mandates in the Governor’s Proclamation are followed.”
-- Scott Jaschik
Federal Judge Blocks Vaccine Mandate at Medical School
Aug. 19, 6:12 a.m. A federal judge blocked a vaccine mandate for all students at the Edwards Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Associated Press reported.
The college is private, but it operates on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
The judge ruled that the medical college’s collaborative agreement with the public state university makes it subject to state laws banning religious discrimination, permitting students to dissent from vaccine requirements.
“VCOM students are allowed to use the ULM library and other facilities, attend athletic events, participate in intramural sports, and are for all practical purposes, ULM students,” Judge Terry Doughty wrote in issuing the order Tuesday afternoon. “Although VCOM is a private university, it is clearly entwined with ULM policies and entwined with ULM management and control.”
A lawyer for the college said it would abide by the ruling while deciding what to do.
-- Scott Jaschik
Aug. 18, 6:20 a.m. Quinnipiac University sent an email message to 600 students who have not been vaccinated and threatened them with fines of up to $2,275 in the fall and loss of access to the campus Wi-Fi and other internet connections, The Hartford Courant reported.
“Our hope is we don’t have to assess these charges on anyone but rather the students provide their necessary documentation as required before the start of the semester,” Quinnipiac spokesperson John Morgan said in an email.
Morgan said as of Tuesday morning about 30 students had uploaded vaccine information since receiving the email.
-- Scott Jaschik
Tenured Professor Quits Job Over COVID-19
Aug. 17, 6:35 a.m. A tenured professor at the University of Alabama at Huntsville quit his job Monday over COVID-19 conditions at the college.
Jeremy Fischer, who had been an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, wrote on Twitter, "It seems that only when we reach a political, as well as public health, crisis will our university move most or all of our classes safely online. But this is a moral emergency, not a time for craven and timorous -- or self-serving responses. Our situation should be regarded alongside not only the 1918 flu, but the Tuskegee study. We know what it takes to protect community health and very likely save lives, and we have the ability to do it; what is lacking is the collective willigness to do so.
"And I find myself compelled to consider whether my continued relationship with UAH might render me complicit in a moral atrocity. Therefore, I have decided to resign my position … effective immediately."
In July, he wrote on the blog Daily Nous with suggestions for how universities should handle the pandemic.
-- Scott Jaschik
Clemson Professors Plan Walkout Over COVID-19
Aug. 17, 6:20 a.m. Some faculty members at Clemson University are planning a walkout tomorrow over the administration's decision not to require masks in classrooms, The State reported.
Kimberly Paul, an associate professor of genetics and chemistry, announced the protest. “The lack of a mask mandate is endangering the health and lives of all of us. University leadership is not listening to us. It’s time to take action,” she wrote on Facebook.
Joe Galbraith, Clemson’s associate vice president for strategic communications, said in a statement the university is aware of the concerns. “We all had hoped this pandemic would be behind us when we began the academic year. In past few weeks, the Delta variant has revived the need for Clemson to take proactive measures to protect our students, faculty, and staff,” he said.
-- Scott Jaschik
Duke Reports 100 New Cases, Mostly Among the Vaccinated
Aug. 17, 6:12 a.m. Duke University is reporting 100 new cases of coronavirus, mostly among the vaccinated, WRAL reported.
Last week, two coronavirus clusters were identified at the university, involving 29 medical students and seven members of the women's field hockey team.
-- Scott Jaschik
Collin College Nursing Dean Dies From COVID-19 Complications
Aug. 16, 6:19 a.m. Jane Leach, the dean of nursing at Collin College, died from complications from COVID-19, KERA News reported.
A college statement said Leach was a “powerful force in making things happen.”
She is the second nursing faculty member to die from COVID-19 at the Texas community college.
-- Scott Jaschik
Philadelphia Requires Vaccinations for Higher Ed Workers, Students
Aug. 13, 2:59 p.m. All who work or study at colleges and universities in Philadelphia must get vaccinated by mid-October, or wear masks while indoors and get tested for COVID-19 at least once a week, the city announced Friday, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Once a college reaches a 90 percent vaccination rate, unvaccinated people can forgo testing but must wear a mask indoors.
The Philadelphia Board of Health voted to institute the mandate, due to the Delta variant’s high transmission rate and climbing infection rates among college students.
In a statement, Temple University pledged to work toward the goal. “Public health experts have made it clear that widespread vaccination is our best defense in the fight to mitigate the virus, and to restore the joy and value of gathering with families, friends, and colleagues,” President Jason Wingard said in the statement. “It is also the responsible action to protect the health and welfare [of] our communities.”
-- Scott Jaschik
Duke Reports 2 Clusters of Student COVID-19 Cases
Aug. 13, 12:30 p.m. Duke University reported Friday that it had discovered two clusters of COVID-19 cases, among a group of medical students and its women's field hockey team.
The university’s statement said that university and local health officials had identified the clusters stemming from gatherings in the last week. A total of 29 med students and seven members of the field hockey team had tested positive and were in isolation for 10 days.
All of the students were vaccinated and most had no symptoms; a handful have experienced headaches and congestion.
-- Doug Lederman
Nursing Student Sues Over Vaccine Requirement
Aug. 13, 6:21 a.m. A nursing student has sued Middle Tennessee State University and the director of her department after the nursing program required students to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, WTVF News reported.
Avery Garfield, the student, said that state law bans such universal vaccine requirements. The suit says Garfield didn't "consent to being a human subject in experimental medicine."
An email to students announcing the vaccine requirement said that the university didn't decide on the requirement, but some of its clinical rotation partners did.
-- Scott Jaschik
Stanford Will Require Students to Be Tested Weekly -- Even the Vaccinated
Aug. 12, 6:20 a.m. Stanford University will require students to be tested weekly for COVID-19 -- even if they have been vaccinated. (The vast majority of students have been vaccinated under a university rule.)
An email to students Wednesday said that the new rule applies to "students living on campus, living in university provided off-campus student housing, or coming to campus, regardless of vaccination status."
The email said, "Unvaccinated international students and other unvaccinated students traveling to campus from international locations should arrive seven days before in-person activities to complete entry testing, vaccination, and a period of restricted activity. The university will reach out to these students with further instructions."
-- Scott Jaschik
Iowa Faculty Members Want New COVID-19 Policies
Aug. 11, 6:30 a.m. More than 500 faculty members at the University of Iowa have written to the Iowa Board of Regents to demand "swift action and compassion" on COVID-19 policies.
The faculty says "morale is at an all-time low" because vaccines and masks are not required.
A spokesman for the board said that Iowa law bars a vaccine mandate and that the board is encouraging people to wear masks on campus, The Iowa City Press-Citizen reported.
-- Scott Jaschik
South Carolina Faculty Members Demand Mask Mandate
Aug. 9, 6:21 a.m. Faculty members at the University of South Carolina want the university's interim president to reinstate a mask mandate, WLTX reported.
The interim president, Harris Pastides, lifted the mandate after receiving an opinion from the state's attorney general, who said that a provision of the state budget said, "A public institution of higher learning, including a technical college, may not use any funds appropriated or authorized pursuant to this act to require that its students have received the COVID-19 vaccination in order to be present at the institution's facilities without being required to wear a facemask."
The university's chapter of the American Association of University Professors wrote to Pastides, saying, "You have given [the attorney general's] opinion what we believe to be undue weight, allowing it to upend public health protections that, as a public health scholar, you know are urgently needed."
-- Scott Jaschik
Louisiana AG Withdraws From Vaccine Suit
Aug. 6, 6:22 a.m. The attorney general of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, has withdrawn from a suit by three students who were allegedly punished for refusing to comply with a medical school's coronavirus vaccine requirement, The Louisiana Illuminator reported.
Landry joined the federal suit against Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine over claims college denied student requests for a religious exemption to the private school's vaccine requirement and claims the school threatened that they would be ostracized by the medical community for refusing the vaccine.
Other private colleges in Louisiana, including Tulane, Dillard and Xavier Universities, have instituted similar vaccine mandates. Landry has not sued them.
Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, called on the attorney general to stop using the vaccine as a political issue. "It is simply time for the vaccine to no longer be used as a political issue but to be one recognized as a measure needed for public health and safety," she said.
-- Scott Jaschik
Are Students Buying Fake Vaccination Cards?
Aug. 5, 6:20 a.m. Are students getting around colleges' vaccination requirements by buying fakes cards indicating that they have been vaccinated?
WRAL reports that students and some faculty members at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill believe students are buying fake cards. The price is $200.
"It is really disturbing the lengths that some students are willing to go to subvert the university requirements and really subvert their duty to their fellow students to keep everyone safe," said Simon Palmore, a junior at Chapel Hill.
Jonathan Sauls, senior associate vice chancellor of student success and administration, issued this statement: "Throughout the pandemic, our students have demonstrated their commitment to limiting the spread of COVID-19 by participating in regular testing, and now by getting vaccinated. We trust our students to do the right thing, but for anyone who may be considering falsifying information about their vaccination status, we have a simple message: don't. Providing false information about vaccination status is a violation of University Honor Code and our COVID-19 Community Standards. Violations may result in disciplinary action up to suspension from the university.”
-- Scott Jaschik
Arkansas Students Want Mask Mandate, but Governor Is Skeptical
Aug. 4, 6:12 a.m. Students at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville want the state to change a ban on mask mandates, KNWA News reported.
Coleman Warren, the student body president, said Act 1002, which bans mask mandates in Arkansas, puts students at risk. "Repeal this act, because we think it should be up to the discretion of the university to make this decision," he said.
The university supports a review of the law. A spokesman said, "Given the changed circumstances since the spring, including the rapid rise in infections and the emergence of the Delta variant, we commend the governor and legislative leaders working to address this need for K-12 schools and urge them to consider adding higher education institutions as well. This would help increase the likelihood of a safe, in-person activities while also decreasing the chance of community spread."
Governor Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, said he supports a repeal for K-12 schools, but not for higher education. "They have access to vaccines," Hutchinson said. "They can make the decision to have a vaccine and protect themselves in that fashion, or they can wear a mask, as well."
-- Scott Jaschik
Appeals Court Backs Indiana U on Vaccine Requirement
Aug. 3, 6:06 a.m. A federal appeals court has rejected an appeal of a district court's ruling denying an injunction against an Indiana University ruling requiring all students to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit used language in rejecting the appeal that strongly backed Indiana University.
Writing for the panel, Judge Frank Easterbrook wrote, "People who do not want to be vaccinated may go elsewhere. Many universities require vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, but many others do not. Plaintiffs have ample educational opportunities."
He added, "Each university may decide what is necessary to keep other students safe in a congregate setting. Health exams and vaccinations against other diseases … are common requirements of higher education."
James Bopp Jr., the lawyer for the eight students seeking the injunction, told The Indianapolis Star that he would file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court.
-- Scott Jaschik
Universities Impose Mask Requirements
Aug. 2, 6:05 a.m. Many universities announced new mask requirements this weekend. They cited the research on the Delta variant.
Among the institutions: Cornell University, Lincoln University (Missouri), Purdue University, the University of Missouri and Yale University.
-- Scott Jaschik
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