The Chronicle reports a list of colleges that will start their January classes online, as part of their Live Coronavirus Updates. As the highly contagious Omicron variant continues to spread, experts are concerned that a wave of infections will hit before the new year, in congruence with college students returning to classes. Anita Barkin, co-chair of the American College Health Association’s COVID-19 Task Force, says delaying in-person instruction allows time for colleges to assess the status of the ongoing situation.
Inside Higher Ed reports that seven of the University of California campuses will start their classes online in January in response to the rise of the Omicron variant. On Monday, the large UC system’s schools – Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Riverside – all announced delays to in-person instruction until further reassessment of the public health situation. Additionally, other colleges, such as Loyola Marymount University, Oakland University in Michigan, and McDaniel College in Maryland will also delay returning to campus.
Higher Ed Dive examines which state-wide legislative events influenced one campus to go back and forth on mask mandates. The University of Tennessee at Knoxville started off its semester with mask mandates, akin to the majority of colleges, yet changed course due to legal conflicts and state and federal demands. After announcing that the university would become mask-optional, some students and faculty have expressed concerns about safety. Other institutions, such as the University of Georgia and the University of Kansas, have also rescinded mask or vaccine requirements after the suspension of Biden’s order.