Today VP of Finance and Admin, Stacy Pearson, circulated a letter concerning budget stress due to COVID 19 and subsequent budget priorities. It seems unbelievable that during this crisis WSU administration elected to shift $2,000,000 from student revenue to support the football program. Then our new football coach, the highest paid state employee at about […]
1) About the welcoming week events: a. Why did the university sponsor and seek outside sponsorship (BECU) for unmasked and densely populated events to take place before classes started? (CougsGlow dance party = https://twitter.com/WSUPullman/status/1428951054335438848 b. What safety measures were in place? c. Were vaccinations required at the door to get into these events? (As a […]
The responses we are receiving assume we have poor understanding of basic descriptive statistics. I challenge the recent assertion that >90% of students are vaccinated. You have to report the response rate for that to have any actual context. Can we please add a dashboard on the vax status data, by campus, by status (faculty, […]
The COVID-19 delta variant poses an increasing challenge to WSU students, staff, and faculty. It is also putting our families at risk–our unvaccinated children and immune-compromised family members. It is endangering the larger surrounding community, where the vaccination rate is only 44%. This petition demands for more shared leadership and transparency informing COVID-19 policy, alternative […]
Dear Colleagues – Here are some mostly Pullman-centric factoids about COVID-19 as of 24 Aug 2021. The Whitman County case count (293/100,000) is lower than the state level (437.5/100,000). The vaccination rate in Pullman is much higher (59%) than other areas (36-39%). Local hospital representatives report an increase in case load, but we are doing […]
Please note the COVID Petition submitted here
Could the FAQ-s clarify the types of masks permitted under the governor’s order? It is likely to cause disturbances. https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/Secretary_of_Health_Order_20-03_Statewide_Face_Coverings.pdf p.4: “Types of face coverings permitted. o For purposes of this order, a face covering must: +Fit snugly against the sides of the face; + Completely cover the nose and mouth; + Be secured with […]
WSU policies surrounding fall 2021 instruction were developed under assumptions about the effectiveness of vaccines and lower positive case rates. These were reasonable policies given the information at the time. Unfortunately, that information is now outdated and obsolete. The rising covid case rate – even among vaccinated individuals – has many instructors concerned about the […]
There are many unanswered questions about the logistics of moving forward. To name a few: 1. If a course is billed as FTF, can an instructor flip to SO or hybrid if they get sick? Now such changes are not being considered (apparently) 2. What if they are too sick to teach–who steps in? 3. […]
Along with many of my colleagues I am adamant that the administration re-implement the hybrid model of teaching for those with medical or caregiver needs. My two boys are 3 years and 10 months, and they have never even had a cold. My significant other and I both teach large scale classes and are essentially […]