In a split vote, the WCU Faculty Senate approved a resolution in opposition to the opening of the University to residential instruction on account of persistent high level of community spread of COVID-19. Faculty Chair, Dr. Kadie Otto, called a special meeting ahead of campus opening to consider a resolution authored by Dr. Yancey Gulley (CEAP) with an amendment by Dr. Will Lehman (A&S). The Faculty Senate heard from Chancellor Dr. Kelli Brown, Interim Provost Dr. Richard Starnes and Chair of the Staff Senate, Ben Pendry, on the extend of efforts to prepare for residential instruction as well as concerns on the impact on staff. SGA President Dawson Spencer also addressed the concerns among students and a spread of differences of opinion among students surveyed. Faculty senators expressed their concerns about the regional health care capacity as well as the impact on students’ academic career and program viability with the return to online only modality of instruction. The main text of the resolution reads.
WCU Faculty Senate is gravely concerned about the health and well-being of the Catamount community and those in the region we serve (particularly those from vulnerable populations); thus, we oppose a residential opening for the Fall 2020 semester and stand in solidarity with those School Systems, Faculty Senates, and County Health Departments who have spoken out against face-to-face instruction during this pandemic. We furthermore call on the state legislature to guarantee funding to the UNC system, and financial assistance to affected students, if and when further outbreaks force schools to return to online-only instruction.
The resolutions passed 15 to 13 with one abstention. The resolution does not have an immediate impact on the operations of the University as the decision to open is ultimately made at the UNC System Level.
I am pleased that the resolution was approved. What are the next steps? When will we know if this has impacted the instructional method for WCU?
The next step is to closely monitor and test the WCU students, faculty, staff and others on campus for the COVID 19 virus to insure this virus does not spread across campus.
It is my understanding that the Jackson County Health Department is not reporting anyone testing positive for COVID 19 that is not a full time resident of Jackson County. That would include most WCU students.
WCU will need to find a reliable vendor for the COVID 19 testing.