The University Insider is The Daily’s first faculty and staff-oriented newsletter. This weekly newsletter will give U-M faculty and staff the ability to see the most important issues on campus and in Ann Arbor — particularly those related to administrative decisions — from the perspective of an independent news organization. It will also provide a better understanding of student perspectives.
LSA Dean Anne Curzan is asking employees to refrain from asking fellow employees or students to disclose their vaccination status this fall, regardless of whether they are wearing a face covering or not.
“The giving and receiving of trust is part of our community values,” Curzan wrote in a Friday email to all LSA faculty, staff and graduate students. “Building on that culture of trust, we also ask that you not ask other staff, faculty, or students about their vaccination status.”
While broader University of Michigan guidance, which applies to the entire University, allows for staff and faculty to verify the vaccination status of students to ensure they comply with the mask policy, Curzan wrote that LSA does not recommend employees ask to check the status of students they meet with.
And despite broader U-M guidance allowing for employers and supervisors to inquire about an employee’s COVID-19 vaccination status if said employee is indoors and not wearing a face covering, Curzan said LSA supervisors should consider this option with caution.
“We encourage supervisors to exercise this option with caution as we work to balance a sense of safety with trust in one another,” Curzan wrote.
For equity’s sake, Curzan wrote, if an LSA supervisor asks one employee to verify their vaccination status, they should ask all unmasked employees. Curzan added that an employee is not required to disclose their vaccination status to anyone except their direct supervisor, and that other employees are discouraged from requesting their coworker’s vaccination status.
Curzan’s LSA-specific message comes after President Schlissel announced on June 17 that U-M community members who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are not required to wear a face covering on campus outside of classrooms and public transportation.In an email to The Michigan Daily, U-M spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald wrote that Curzan’s message is consistent with U-M guidance, and that that guidance may evolve as the fall term nears.
The University will decide by July 31 whether fully vaccinated students will be required to wear masks in classrooms this fall. The decision depends on a 75% student vaccination rate and low community transmission, according to the University’s vaccine metrics guidance.
At the time of publication, 76% of all U-M students have reported to the University that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. U-M students and staff can self-report their vaccination status here.
Daily Staff Reporter Michal Ruprecht contributed reporting
Summer News Editor George Weykamp can be reached at gweykamp@umich.edu.