Chapman said she decided to do so because of the similarity between the semester's COVID-19 policies in the announcement and those previously communicated to the FEC.
“I was afraid there was going to be a change in plan that no one had the chance to hear about,” she said. “When the campus communication came out, it was the same, so at that point I didn’t think there was a need to hold the meeting.”
Although the policies remained the same, Deb Aikat, a Hussman School of Journalism and Media professor and member of the Faculty Council, said he is still concerned about the campus remaining open during the rapid spread of the omicron variant.
He noted the projected numbers of COVID-19 infections listed in a report by UNC epidemiologists, which predicts a high of 1,650 new COVID-19 infections per day in the first two to three weeks of the semester.
“A lot of these decisions are made by people sitting behind their desks, not the ones cleaning bathrooms or engaging with a class of 200 students," Aikat said. "It almost seems like we are praying that these COVID cases will come down suddenly, magically. As much as we believe in prayer and promise, it is not happening. Shouldn’t we all work together to make sure the model doesn’t come true?”
'Things will get better'
In a Jan. 6 campus-wide email, the University said that they are consulting with infectious disease and public health experts to monitor and adjust University operations.
"Based on this guidance and trends nationally and in the state, we acknowledge that there will likely be a high number of positive cases on campus, and we will continue to monitor and adjust operations as necessary," the email said.
Aikat said he is teaching his classes remotely for the first three weeks of the semester. However, he said he understands holding classes fully remotely puts a strain on mental health for students.
“Truth be told, I think our students prefer the on-campus experience," Aikat said.
Faculty, staff and community members will convene for a Campus and Community Advisory Committee meeting on Friday — for the first time since August 2021.
The committee, which started in fall 2020, intends to bring voices from all campus constituencies into conversations about University operations, specifically regarding COVID-19.
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Katie Musgrove, chairperson of the Employee Forum, said the CCAC brings to light the experiences of a wide variety of people on campus.
“Coming to us with various options about how to run things would be more preferable,” Musgrove said. “We’re hearing updates, but having buy-in and input is so valuable.”
Despite the disruption of COVID-19 infections and tensions between the University leaders and senior administration, Chapman said she has hope as the semester progresses.
“I think it’s going to be a rough four weeks and we all need to be patient and giving toward one another,” she said. “Things will get better.”
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