As institutions announce their fall reopening plans, faculty members across the country have expressed their concerns about in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
James Madison University (JMU) professors Dr. Dorothée Polanz, Dr. Thomas Adajian and Dr. Jennifer Lang-Rigal created a petition calling for more faculty participation and transparency in the decision-making process for reopening Virginia colleges and universities.
“Many colleagues reached out to us with concerns over very practical issues, since they will be the ones in the classrooms this fall,” said Polanz, assistant professor of French at JMU. “They expressed dissatisfaction with the top down and rather opaque process through which decisions are made, often by administrators who are not full-time instructional faculty.”
In the petition, faculty members requested to make their own decisions about teaching in-person classes and instructional plans for returning to campus.
Additionally, they said safety measures, such as free testing, must be put in place for the university community. For employees who test positive for COVID-19, the institution should make “specific provisions for covering health care costs” beyond their current plan, which includes mental health support, the petition said.
Since its creation two weeks ago, more than 1,200 faculty members from 20 Virginia institutions have signed the petition, which was inspired by statements from faculty at The Pennsylvania State University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“Teachers know best what takes place in their classroom and how their students feel and react,” said Polanz. “Whether they wish to teach in person or online, their perspective, concerns and questions are at the core of the academic mission.”
