We, the undersigned, are all instructors of various ranks at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls and are committed to providing a quality education to the students at UWRF this fall.
Because:
- We are a teaching institution and students are attracted to this campus because of close interaction between faculty and students.
- In person learning needs to remain a priority of this campus.
- The high level of transmission in Pierce and St. Croix Counties is threatening the continuation of in-person learning.
- Despite the “Protect the Nest” incentive campaign the percent of students vaccinated remains low.
- It is important for students to get vaccinated not only to maintain the quality of their education, but also to protect their health and the health of others.
We therefore urge a shift in policy toward stronger containment of the virus by requiring that there be weekly testing for those who are not vaccinated. Students should be informed that if they do not follow this protocol, they will be held accountable (see UW-Madison policy at https://news.wisc.edu/required-covid-testing-what-to-expect-this-fall/ ).
“If you agree with the petition, but are hesitant to have your name attached to it for any reason, feel free to email [email protected] with your name and position (Instructional Academic Staff, Assistant Professor, etc.). A tally of all those in each category will be included in the results, but no names of those who send such an email will be identified.”
Updates
September 15, 2021
The momentum behind this request is a clear sign that our colleagues understand the risks we face this semester. This movement confirms that protecting in-person instruction is a priority for the entire campus community.
21 Comments
We understand weekly testing is expensive — and it is also true that NOT testing is likely to cost us more — in human health and in economic terms.
I very much enjoy and look forward to my hands-on lectures and laboratories with students on campus. And it's fantastic to be back with students in-person. However, I would like to see a greater number of unvaccinated individuals being tested each week (more than the current 10%) and better communication between the university and student population regarding vaccinations, testing, and exposure/quarantine protocols.
The regional culture supports rugged individualism yet ignores the science of pandemics and the research-validated protection of vaccines. Our campus may be shifting to an ONLINE UNIVERSITY as more and more Instructors will refuse to risk their children and partners' lives due to the "personal choice" of others in the workplace. If the campus wants to retain in-person learning, a 100% vaccine mandate must be put in place.
I agree with the statements being made, especially for a vaccine mandate. Leaving decisions to the instructor about how to handle cases or how to arrange the room to reduce cases without giving us the tools to actually help our students means that we are set up to fail. It is also incredibly frustrating that all we have is anecdotal evidence about how bad things actually are on campus because no one will tell us actual numbers! Reading through statements where instructors have posted their numbers of students showing up, quarantined, etc is some of the first real numbers I'm hearing. We need information to make informed decisions! We need stronger policy to ensure the safety and health of everyone on campus!
I had full classes on Monday. On Wednesday I had eight students out of twenty-four in one class, three students who have tested postive, several more waiting for results, and many more in quarantine as a precaution. Many students are wearing face coverings that do not stop the virus, and a good amount refuse to cover their nose. I should be a teacher in the classroom, not the mask police. Mask mandates are not enough. As an institution of higher learning we should be following the science, following the lead of other colleges and universities, more clearly emphasize the need to get vaccinated, and require at the minimum weekly testing for unvaccinated students and staff.
Like many on this list, I believe this petition asks for very little and is, possibly, a little too late for this term. We're on the climbing up side of the infection curve and have 60-70 positive kids. All models are symmetric, so we're going to get at least 70 more on the climbing down side of the curve. If cases are still going to climb up for a couple of weeks, we may be looking at 300+ positive cases before Thanksgiving. Some 2-week periods of fully remote instruction or some other drastic measures may also have to be implemented to at least slow the current wave.
The only way to keep classes in person is either mandating a stronger testing policy or mandating vaccine requirements for students and employees. I just do not see any other viable options to contain COVID so we can continue offering in-person teaching. As much as our students do, I also do not want to move to online teaching.
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We, the undersigned, are all instructors of various ranks at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls and are committed to providing a quality education to the students at UWRF this fall.
Because:
- We are a teaching institution and students are attracted to this campus because of close interaction between faculty and students.
- In person learning needs to remain a priority of this campus.
- The high level of transmission in Pierce and St. Croix Counties is threatening the continuation of in-person learning.
- Despite the “Protect the Nest” incentive campaign the percent of students vaccinated remains low.
- It is important for students to get vaccinated not only to maintain the quality of their education, but also to protect their health and the health of others.
We therefore urge a shift in policy toward stronger containment of the virus by requiring that there be weekly testing for those who are not vaccinated. Students should be informed that if they do not follow this protocol, they will be held accountable (see UW-Madison policy at https://news.wisc.edu/required-covid-testing-what-to-expect-this-fall/ ).
“If you agree with the petition, but are hesitant to have your name attached to it for any reason, feel free to email [email protected] with your name and position (Instructional Academic Staff, Assistant Professor, etc.). A tally of all those in each category will be included in the results, but no names of those who send such an email will be identified.”
Updates
September 15, 2021
The momentum behind this request is a clear sign that our colleagues understand the risks we face this semester. This movement confirms that protecting in-person instruction is a priority for the entire campus community.
21 Comments
YES PLEASE! I want to keep teaching in person. ALL the big universities have made vaccines mandated for their students, including the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota! Why are we going to lag behind?
We understand weekly testing is expensive — and it is also true that NOT testing is likely to cost us more — in human health and in economic terms.
I very much enjoy and look forward to my hands-on lectures and laboratories with students on campus. And it's fantastic to be back with students in-person. However, I would like to see a greater number of unvaccinated individuals being tested each week (more than the current 10%) and better communication between the university and student population regarding vaccinations, testing, and exposure/quarantine protocols.
The regional culture supports rugged individualism yet ignores the science of pandemics and the research-validated protection of vaccines. Our campus may be shifting to an ONLINE UNIVERSITY as more and more Instructors will refuse to risk their children and partners' lives due to the "personal choice" of others in the workplace. If the campus wants to retain in-person learning, a 100% vaccine mandate must be put in place.
I agree with the statements being made, especially for a vaccine mandate. Leaving decisions to the instructor about how to handle cases or how to arrange the room to reduce cases without giving us the tools to actually help our students means that we are set up to fail. It is also incredibly frustrating that all we have is anecdotal evidence about how bad things actually are on campus because no one will tell us actual numbers! Reading through statements where instructors have posted their numbers of students showing up, quarantined, etc is some of the first real numbers I'm hearing. We need information to make informed decisions! We need stronger policy to ensure the safety and health of everyone on campus!
I had full classes on Monday. On Wednesday I had eight students out of twenty-four in one class, three students who have tested postive, several more waiting for results, and many more in quarantine as a precaution. Many students are wearing face coverings that do not stop the virus, and a good amount refuse to cover their nose. I should be a teacher in the classroom, not the mask police. Mask mandates are not enough. As an institution of higher learning we should be following the science, following the lead of other colleges and universities, more clearly emphasize the need to get vaccinated, and require at the minimum weekly testing for unvaccinated students and staff.
Like many on this list, I believe this petition asks for very little and is, possibly, a little too late for this term. We're on the climbing up side of the infection curve and have 60-70 positive kids. All models are symmetric, so we're going to get at least 70 more on the climbing down side of the curve. If cases are still going to climb up for a couple of weeks, we may be looking at 300+ positive cases before Thanksgiving. Some 2-week periods of fully remote instruction or some other drastic measures may also have to be implemented to at least slow the current wave.
The only way to keep classes in person is either mandating a stronger testing policy or mandating vaccine requirements for students and employees. I just do not see any other viable options to contain COVID so we can continue offering in-person teaching. As much as our students do, I also do not want to move to online teaching.
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YES PLEASE! I want to keep teaching in person. ALL the big universities have made vaccines mandated for their students, including the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota! Why are we going to lag behind?