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Fall Opening at UT AustinJuly 24, 2020Prof. Brian L. EvansFaculty Council ChairTexasState population of 29M361k total COVID-19 cases (1.2%) as of July 23, 2020Governor Abbott issued an executive order on July 2ndFace coverings required when inside a building or in an outdoor public spaceExceptions include exercising outside, swimming, voting, and giving a speechAllowing cities to adopt more strict policiesAustinLocal public school districts are delaying in-person classes until September 8thStudents, staff, faculty will have to take care of their kids for first two weeks of semesterUT Austin – COVID-19 ResponsePopulation of 50,000 students plus 4,000 faculty and 16,000 staffCOVID-19 cases -- one death (staff) plus 161 staff and 356 students tested positiveFaculty allowed to choose teaching modality (but not grad TAs or graduate instructors)Campus closed since March 13th except for COVID-19 researcherstiered reopening of research labs underwayCampus opens on August 20thState of Texas has Sovereign Immunity and is not liable for reopening in a pandemicClasses begin on August 26th60% online only40% with some in-person componentClasses go entirely online after ThanksgivingNo jurisdiction over off-campus parties including fraternities and sororitiesRequiring face coverings and social distancing of 6’ inside all buildingsInstructors enforce face coverings in classes (and must wear face coverings themselves)Building managers enforce them otherwisePolice will not be enforcing face coveringsPreventive measuresUT will provide disposable N95 face coverings free of chargeOne-way flow of people inside buildingsResidence hallsFull occupancySocial distancing except in roomsPlexiglass barriers between sinks; shower scheduleRequiring face coverings at football games with 50% occupancy in stadium50,000 fans in the stadiumAnother 50,000 participating in game-day eventsSeven potential super-spreader events in fall (reopening week + six home football games)Testing capabilitiesSaliva viral PCR testing up to 1,500 tests/day on campus (not that accurate)Nasal cavity swab viral testing off campus (accurate)Athletics contracted with third party for nasal cavity swab testing each MondayDaily symptoms self-check appManual contact tracingIsolation space provided through Austin Public HealthProtect Texas Together updates on fall reopening including contingency plans UT Austin – International Students (optional to present)UT Austin has 5,000 international students (10%)Thanks to MIT and Harvard, as well as The University of California System, for filing the lawsuits against Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) concerning fall enrollmentUT Austin cannot join or reply to lawsuitsOnly the State’s Attorney General Office can join or respond to lawsuitsState of Texas has Sovereign ImmunityDHS rescinded their order concerning enrollment by international students in the fall: Austin – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (optional to present)Pressure from students, staff, faculty, athletics, alumni to respond to systemic racismFaculty Council (Academic Senate) passed the following this summer:New Diversity, Equity and Inclusion StatementBlack Lives Matter resolutionAddressing Systemic Racism at UT Austin resolutionOn-going commitmentsTexas Advance Commitment ($160M Endowment) for studentsfrom families making less than $65k/year: all tuition covered w/o loansfrom families making $65k to $125k/year: all tuition covered inc. loans$3M in recurring funds for faculty equity raises across all 18 colleges/schoolsProf. Leonard Moore (History) presenting History of the Black Experience short course (streaming on YouTube)UT Austin is expecting to become an Hispanic Serving Institution – 25% of its undergraduate students will be Hispanic is 2020-21 for the first timeResponse to systemic racism from President Hartzell (July 13th)Recruit, retain, and support talented and diversity students, staff and facultyExpand undergraduate recruiting centers in Dallas, Houston, San AntonioRecruit, develop and retain world-class faculty members who bring more diversity to our research?and teaching missionsExpand scope and function of the Police Oversight CommitteeAddress campus and its symbolsRenamed a building named for a segregationistAdding statues and other contextualization for other racialized markersAdding new statues and markers near MLK statueHonor prominent black athletesPresident stopped short of the following (but is continuing to discuss them)Acknowledging racist history of the school song (“The Eyes of Texas”)Restoring deep budget cuts to American Ethnic Studies (Asian American Studies, Black Studies, Latinx Studies, and Native American & Indigenous Studies)Diversifying the President’s Tenure and Promotion CommitteeHaving undergraduate population better reflect state demographics (90% of all undergraduates must be State residents according to State Law) ................
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