The following is from a college professor, Dr. Mike Hoerger. He emails it to all of his students and has posted it on X.
How are the top science programs handling high COVID-19 transmission, inclusivity, equity, and diversity in January 2025?
🔥Sick policies
🔥Virtual options
🔥High-quality masks supplied/required
🔥ASHRAE-level air cleaningThis is an excerpt of my welcome email to students:
This is a “COVID Safe” class that is designed to be cautious, compassionate, inclusive, and equitable by providing extremely strong, evidence based COVID precautions. My goal is for our classroom to be the most COVID-safe indoor in-person learning environment in the state of Louisiana and push our colleagues to do better in other states that more often lead the way, such as Texas, California, NY, NJ, and Connecticut. Anyone entering the classroom will be expected to wear a well-fitting high-quality mask (e.g., N95, KN95, KF94) 100.0% of the time. I will provide many different types and sizes of N95s free of charge, though you are welcome to bring your own. Our classroom will also meet international standards for air cleaning (ASHRAE 241). As well, if you have COVID, a non-COVID illness, any symptoms of illness (coughing, sneezing, running nose, headache, etc.), a recent known unmasked illness exposure (e.g., sick housemate), you are expected to join class via Zoom or simply rest. Let me know right away. Most people will attend 1-3 classes virtually, and it’s not a big deal. These are best practices for EDI. Although I am confident I can provide a safe and supportive learning environment, please discuss with me if you prefer an alternative option because you are caregiving for parents, immunocompromised, unable to mask (e.g., oxygen line), or some other reason. I am happy to accommodate but have tried to take every step to include you. If the state or university ever bans indoor masking, I will move the classroom to an outdoor hybrid format.
Given a world where leaders assert without evidence that the pandemic is “over” and COVID “like a cold or the flu” while millions are getting Long COVID, I hope you will find these policies refreshing rather than a burden. I predominantly interact with vulnerable people: patients with advanced illness, my young children, and older family. I also value my cardiovascular and cognitive functioning. Several of you may be in similar situations or simply had to deal with a lot of health issues personally the past year or so. Know I take this seriously. On a personal level, it pains me to see so many young students experiencing acute and chronic illness and disability, especially cognitive decline when the purpose of the university is learning. I cringe at the 3-5 emails I get each week on maskless “science” and “EDI” events, which obviously are not grounded in COVID-19 science or inclusivity, and some would characterize as unintentionally ableist. As a licensed psychologist, I have a moral and ethical obligation to do better (see Section 3.04 of the APA Ethics Code), so you will not be getting COVID on my watch.
These precautions should be used in every classroom and business. There’s no excuse for doing otherwise.