ATLANTA — Confusion stirred at Spelman College over whether the fall semester will be in-person or online.
Everyone at the college received an email Thursday morning from the Faculty Council, a group of tenured professors who said they didn't feel safe teaching in-person and want to go virtual. The email quickly went viral online.
Students said they were confused and caught off guard by the email that came from the faculty group without warning, saying they've decided not to teach in-person and will use alternative instructional methods.
"A lot of my peers and I were not upset at all because safety is first, we are in a growing pandemic once again, and we support the faculty decision," Spelman Junior Kaylin Daigle said.
Daigle tweeted a screen shot of the email and it was quickly retweeted by many.
The reaction to the faculty group's email was mixed, but Daigle said the students she knows were supportive.
"Many of them wanted to take a pause. Many of them, not all, they just wanted to take a break on in person classes," she said.
In a statement to 11Alive, a spokesperson for the college said classes will not be virtual. They expect professors to teach in-person.
Vaccines are required on campus, and students and staff have to wear masks both indoors and outdoors at all times.
Read the school's statement below:
"The health and safety of the Spelman community is a top priority as we restore the residential college experience this year. With the guidance of the medical community and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention we have implemented mandatory vaccinations, along with masking and periodic testing, in order to obtain the lowest possible risk to the campus community.
The college remains open for in-person instruction. In response to faculty concerns, expanded guidance has been posted on the Spelman website for students, faculty and staff.
We welcome the input of faculty. We will continue to monitor the state of community spread in the city of Atlanta and Fulton County while continuing to closely following guidance from the CDC, and adjust plans for on campus instruction accordingly."