Clemson University announced this month that masks and physical distancing would not be required inside classrooms this fall semester despite operating at total capacity.
Some faculty do not agree with the decision and plan to stage a walkout on Wednesday to press the administration to reconsider. Kimberly Paul, an associate professor of chemistry and genetics, announced the protest in a Facebook post.
“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,” the caption read.
Clemson Vice President for Strategic Communications Joe Galbraith said the administration had heard concerns raised by the professors. Galbraith listed other safety measures to be enacted by Clemson, such as a robust testing strategy employed before students arrive during the fall semester and a vaccine clinic beside the testing site.
“We all had hoped this pandemic would be behind us when we began the academic year. In the 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.
State Pressure
University President Jim Clements previously admitted that state laws affected the implementation of some safety protocols. The State reported that the SC General Assembly blocked mask mandates at state schools earlier this summer, including at the University of South Carolina.
Andrew Pyle, an associate professor of communication, believes that the university cares for its community but remarked that the school should employ its “political capital” to push for a mask mandate.
Struck by this right now – if @ClemsonUniv is unwilling to burn some political capital over a major public health issue, is there anything we'll burn political capital for? I mean, what's the point of having a huge amount of clout in the state if we won't use it… to save lives?
— Andrew Pyle (@Momph21) August 15, 2021
An earlier tweet from Pyle read, “Just to be totally clear – this [type of] gathering, w/o masks – this will be why we have to go online in a week. I hope, desperately, that none of our students, faculty, or staff contract long COVID – or, heaven forbid – die from this preventable illness.”