Language for Indoor Masking

Suggested Language About Indoor Masking

March 24, 2022

Dear Instructors,

Effective April 10, 2022, indoor masking will no longer be required on the UC Santa Cruz campus, other than in a few locations (for instance, transit, Student Health Services, Early Educational Services). Masking remains strongly recommended in all indoor campus settings and people may choose to mask at any time. And if the situation changes and case rates trend upward and/or community rating conditions change, we will modify our plans and our guidance.

Those of us who are at high risk or who live with others at high risk for severe illness or who cannot be vaccinated may choose to keep wearing a mask indoors. We recognize that for instructors in this category, who are sharing classroom spaces, office hours, and labs, the lifting of the indoor mask mandate creates some uncertainty and concern. While masking is strongly recommended indoors, including in classrooms, because it is no longer required, it cannot be mandated on a class-by-class basis. But you can recommend continued masking to students and we are providing some suggested language, which will also be posted on the Keep Teaching website, for instructors and mentors to use.

As we start spring quarter, if you have any questions or need additional resources, please contact our Center for Innovations in Teaching and Learning at citl@ucsc.edu.

Sincerely,

Lori, David, and Jody

Lori Kletzer

Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor

David Brundage

Chair, Academic Senate

Jody Greene

Special Advisor to the CP/EVC for Educational Equity and Academic Success

Associate Vice Provost, Teaching and Learning

For instructors who plan to mask while teaching and wish to request continued masking from students:

For a variety of reasons, some people in our community remain particularly vulnerable to or apprehensive about COVID transmission. Out of courtesy for them, I will be wearing a mask in class (and/or during office hours). I would urge you all to consider doing the same.

Instructors who do not plan to mask while teaching but wish to signal support for those who do:

Option 1 (instructors who will only unmask during active instruction):

I plan to teach without a mask when policy allows, although I will continue to mask before and after class and during office hours. I ask you to consider wearing a mask in class as a courtesy to those members of our community who may be immunocompromised, have a vulnerable family member at home (such as a child under 5), or remain apprehensive about COVID transmission.

Option 2 (instructors who don’t plan to mask at all but want to signal support for continued classroom masking):

I plan to teach without a mask when policy allows. However, I ask that you consider continuing to mask in the classroom as a courtesy to those members of our community who may be immunocompromised, have a vulnerable family member at home (such as a child under 5), or remain apprehensive about COVID transmission in situations where social distancing is not possible. If you prefer that I be masked when you are in close proximity to me, please let me know. I will be glad to put my mask on while we talk.

Instructors who do not plan to mask and who do not plan to ask students to mask:

Regardless of your personal decision about masking, I ask that you interact in a respectful and considerate way toward those who have made a decision that is different from your own.

Instructors who do not wish to hold office hours with unmasked students:

I will be offering both in-person and remote office hours this quarter. I ask that you wear a mask when meeting with me in person. If you prefer to meet without a mask, please sign up for my remote office hours.