From: "Gross, Louis J" Date: Thursday, December 2, 2021 at 11:57 AM To: dplowman , "Zomchick, John P" Cc: "Schussler, Elisabeth Ellen" , "Spurgeon, Shawn Lamont" , "Gimmel, Millie" , "Spirko, Robert L" , "Bernard, Ernest C" , "Link, Loretta" , "Gross, Louis J" Subject: Exam period and change in mandates Chancellor Plowman and Provost Zomchick, Please consider this a formal request from the Faculty Senate leadership. We are aware of concerns regarding the impact of the lifting of the mask mandate on faculty and students during the exam period. This is well-expressed by part of the comments received (included below) from a faculty member with over 120 students packed into one crowded room with poor ventilation. In response to the variety of concerns we have heard we request that: 1. We encourage the Provost to modify the statement sent to Deans to provide additional information to Deans and Departments Heads to assure students and faculty feel safe during final exam period. Being flexible and compassionate regarding student concerns is essential to the Volunteer spirit. We encourage providing additional options to faculty so they can modify their final gatherings with students to both meet pedagogical needs and acknowledge safety concerns of their students. For example, (i) for in-class exams which do not take the full exam period, spilt the class so 1/2 take it during the first part and 1/2 during the second part; (ii) check with the Registrar to see if another space option is available if their assigned room is very full; (iii) offer an exam simultaneously online and in person, to allow students the option to exercise their personal choice about safety. 2. Provide options for large on-campus spaces for exams, for those faculty who wish to utilize these, if the faculty have concerns about the safety of their students in the exam rooms for which they are assigned. For this, reassign whatever use is currently planned during exam period for Thompson-Boling, the indoor football practice facility, the Student Union Ballroom, and other large space that can allow social distancing. This is an opportunity to show that academics and the safety of our students takes precedence here. We request rapid action on the above given that exam period is about to start. The quote from the faculty member (who has authorized us to send this portion of their email to you) is: "A number of students are immunocompromised themselves, or are primary caretakers for immunocompromised family members; they have repeatedly expressed they have gratitude that I’ve enforced the mask mandate in my classroom all semester. These are not the sort of students whose parents are emailing the Chancellor; instead, many of them are telling me how terrified they are about being stuck in a classroom with their unvaccinated, unmasked classmates for our final exam. The Provost and Chancellor are stressing how much they’ve heard from students who want to be in person, and that’s probably true, but my students have been very clear: they only want to be in person if it is safe. And with no mask requirement and no vaccine requirement and a new variant, we all know it is not safe. Simply encouraging students to get vaccinated is not enough, and my students who have health issues or are caretakers are keenly aware of this. So now, at a period when students are struggling with mental health crises more than ever before, we’re requiring them to be in an unsafe physical environment, and I am powerless to protect them. I require all sorts of things in my classroom based on sound pedagogical practices! This is an important professional norm: we trust highly-qualified faculty to make decisions about what advances learning in their own classrooms. Students cannot learn if they are not safe. Even if the University is prohibited from issuing campus-wide mask mandate by this latest court decision, I should be allowed, at a minimum, to ensure that we all follow the same very basic precautions we’ve been using all semester." Stay well, Lou