To: Dr. Bonita Jacobs, President of University of North Georgia

The undersigned stakeholders of the University of North Georgia request that you reconsider the current model surrounding the return to campus. While the situation may have looked more amenable to face-to-face instruction when the plan was proposed in the summer, the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in our state continues to give us a great deal of concern. As the USG guidelines allow for individual institutions to alter their plans based on evolving conditions, we request that you adjust the current plan to allow for more online learning. We do not want our beloved University to become a source of further spread, thus creating and compounding human misery.

Our region has already been greatly affected by this pandemic. According to a recent White House Coronavirus Task Force document, any area with cases of more than 100 per 100,000 population in the last week is in the “red zone,” indicating that community spread is not under control. As of August 15, cases per 100,000 population reported by the Georgia Department of Health in the last two weeks are the following for area counties: Lumpkin – 340, Dawson – 685, Forsyth – 238, Hall – 489, Gwinnett – 372, Oconee – 197, Jackson – 332, and Barrow – 370. In addition, a recent model from Georgia Tech researchers shows that given the current cases in the region, if ten people are gathered in Hall County, there is a 42% chance that at least one person has COVID-19; if ten people are gathered in Lumpkin County, there is a 27% chance that at least one person has COVID-19. There is also increasing evidence that aerosols are significant carriers of the virus, which UNG’s mitigation efforts do little to address. In indoor spaces, COVID-19 may linger in the air for up to three hours. Furthermore, the state of Georgia is doing little to support any local mitigation efforts. On July 29, the U.S. House Coronavirus Subcommittee Chairman sent Governor Kemp a letter stating that Georgia is not in compliance with White House Coronavirus Task Force guidelines and gave the state until August 12 to provide documentation on how Georgia will implement measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.

What will happen when our approximately 20,000 students return to campus? Given the current plan, there are not enough resources to handle a campus outbreak. Unlike at other USG universities such as Georgia Tech and UGA, zero surveillance testing is planned for the UNG community. If students become infected with COVID-19, the strategy of “returning home” only puts students’ families at greater risk. Even with mitigation efforts such as social distancing and face mask requirements, we strongly believe the UNG plan is simply too risky. Massive students gatherings have already begun off campus, such as the event on August 15th in Dahlonega, featured on CNN and other local news outlets.

Given all of these data points, the current lack of resources allocated to plan for serious mitigation, and the many unknowns that still exist, we request the following:
Given the rapid degree of community spread and out of concern over publicized large student gatherings, instruction should shift to online immediately and for the foreseeable future. At a minimum, faculty should have the ability to shift courses online to teach remotely with no penalties. No staff person should be required to work on campus if they can fulfill their job responsibilities off campus, and no student should be required to attend classes in-person. Students, staff, or faculty who ignore social distancing should be held accountable and should be told to self-isolate for two weeks to avoid spreading COVID-19 among fellow students, staff, and faculty.

Free, frequent, and accurate COVID-19 testing will be available for the entire campus community. The single most effective pandemic control is isolation of those who are contagious. The University will take the safety of our students, staff, faculty and their loved ones as a prerequisite for the learning and working environment we deserve.

Paid leave will be guaranteed when an employee is required to be in quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19. UNG will guarantee paid leave after the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)’s two-week limit, to cover as many quarantine periods as needed.
Additional compensation will be provided for any employees whose responsibilities or hours are increased when co-workers must isolate or quarantine.
No layoffs. The plan detailed by UNG when 14% state budget cuts were expected achieved this goal; now that the state cuts are 10%, the goal of no layoffs can be achieved.

Hazard pay will be provided for all essential employees who cannot work remotely, and payment of back hazard pay for their work since March 16.

In the case of campus closure, guaranteed pay for all workers regardless of FTE, including those who cannot work remotely.

UNG leadership will establish regular channels of communication among all personnel who work on campus, including custodial, office, and instructional staff, to monitor and modify safety procedures throughout the semester.

UNG public reporting of COVID-19 cases will include home campus building for faculty and staff, and any case clusters (as defined by Georgia Department of Health in a school setting – two or more confirmed cases among students, faculty, and staff who do not share a household and were not identified as close contacts of each other).

UNG reporting will notify all students, faculty, and staff present in the classroom with any individual confirmed to have COVID-19.

Finally, we request a public virtual town hall meeting with President Jacobs to discuss these issues.

In these extraordinary times, it is vital for universities to support faculty, staff, and students in protecting their own health and that of their surrounding communities. Anything less would be an abandonment of our duties as educators. We can provide all of the hallmarks of our mission in an online, safe environment. This is the time to truly embrace our designation as a “leadership institution.” Otherwise, we place ourselves and our students at too great a risk.

In solidarity with all UNG workers,

-UCWGA-UNG

Sources referenced:

https://publicintegrity.org/health/coronavirus-and-inequality/exclusive-white-house-document-shows-18-states-in-coronavirus-red-zone-covid-19/

https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report

https://covid19risk.biosci.gatech.edu/

https://epaper.ajc.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=54c1fa01-cd3a-44e3-8996-4ca29a631718&pnum=1
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02058-1

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/17/us/university-north-georgia-packed-party/index.html