Faculty Concerned About Returning to In-Person Teaching

Faculty across the country are expressing concerns about the health implications of returning to in-person instruction this fall semester, according to a report by Inside Higher Ed. A June 2020 survey of Purdue University faculty and staff members and graduate students, which received more than 7,000 responses, found that 53 percent of respondents felt unsafe about returning to campus for in-person classes in fall. Sixty-two percent of respondents felt at least somewhat unsafe teaching or interacting with students. Ninety-two percent said they were not confident students would “socially distance appropriately outside the classroom.” Just under 60 percent of respondents said they lacked confidence that students would wear masks “most of the time,” despite a rule requiring face coverings. About three-quarters of faculty members at Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities surveyed by the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties do not believe they can safely teach face-to-face in the fall semester. About 40 percent of faculty respondents reported having a medical condition that puts them at increased risk of severe illness as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 60 percent are very concerned about contracting COVID-19 or potentially exposing their family. Only 12 percent want to return to teach in person in fall. Faculty members at numerous other institutions have completed similar surveys...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news