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I have a summer school class starting shortly, so this will be quick, but the email that members of the @universityofga community just received does NOT give a satisfactory answer on why masks are not being required by the @BORUSG . (thread)
from our provost: "The University System of Georgia (USG) has directed the University of Georgia, along with all other USG institutions, to strongly encourage—but not require—faculty, staff and students to wear face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19...
"... The Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) has not mandated wearing facial masks, nor has the Centers for Disease Control, and the USG is following their guidance on this issue."
This is not an explanation.
This is not an explanation.
As I have said previously, we have plenty of examples of things that we require on campus -- for safety -- that are not required in other parts of the state. We require students to be immunized in order to live in campus housing.
We require students to wear eye coverings and closed-toed shoes in laboratories. This is not optional.
The fact that the @CDCgov and the @GaDPH are not *requiring* masks everywhere in GA doesn't mean that we *can't*, it just means we don't * have to."
The fact that the @CDCgov and the @GaDPH are not *requiring* masks everywhere in GA doesn't mean that we *can't*, it just means we don't * have to."
So again, this is a policy decision on the part of the USG, and it's a "we WON'T require them", not a "we can't require them." I have no idea why the USG is THE ONLY public university system with schools in the Top 20 that is not requiring masks.
We need to keep pressing for better answers, and (more importantly) for this policy to be changed prior to August 20.
#masks4usg @masks4usg
#masks4usg @masks4usg
One more thing. I haven't read the whole memo in detail yet, but extending the break between classes by 5 minutes is going to have really big cascading ripple effects. Why not *shorten* classes by 5 min. and ask us to add more online instruction to make up for the difference?
