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UFF-UF/GAU JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE: Tuesday, Oct. 20. Face-to-Face: Healthy Learning Environment or Administrative/Political Expediency?

DATE:            October 18, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UF Faculty, Students, Staff and Community Oppose Face-to-Face Mandate for Spring 2021

WHAT:            JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

WHO:            

  • Paul Ortiz, President, UF Chapter – United Faculty of Florida (UFF-UF)
  • Bobby Mermer, President, UF Chapter – Graduate Assistants United (GAU-UF)
  • Dave Arreola, City Commissioner (District III) Gainesville, Fl
  • Tom Auxter, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, UF
  • Ken Cornell,    County Commissioner (District 4), Alachua County, Fl
  • Rachel Hartnett, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of English, UF
  • Michelle Jacobs, Professor, Levin College of Law, UF
  • Sheryl Kroen, Associate Professor, Department of History, UF
  • Rachel Khoury, First Vice President, NAACP, University of Florida
  • Sarah Louis, President, NAACP, University of Florida

WHAT:          JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE

WHEN:          Tuesday, October 20, 2020 – 11:00 a.m. (EDT)

WHY:             Demand a safe and healthy learning/working environment at the University of Florida

HOW TO REGISTER: https://forms.gle/961zee4YSPqdgtas8

GAINESVILLE, Fl. The University of Florida (UF) is mandating a significant increase in face-to-face courses in the Spring 2021 semester, with a stated goal of matching the pre-pandemic number of class sections. Plus, UF set a deadline of October 19 for faculty and graduate assistants to apply for federally mandated COVID-related accommodations for next semester. 

UFF-UF and GAU-UF demand that all faculty, graduate assistants, and staff be given the option of remote teaching/working but especially those who are or may be at an increased risk for severe illness from the COVID-19 virus or who live with an individual at increased risk for severe illness from the virus. Furthermore, Federally-mandated accommodations for those with certain health conditions can be requested at any time. The imposition of an October 19 deadline is too limited a time frame to reasonably secure supporting medical documentation and is misleading to faculty, staff and graduate assistants who may believe they cannot request COVID-related ADA accommodations after this date.    

CONTACT:     Candi Churchill, UFF Field Staff, UF Chapter of United Faculty of Florida (UFF-UF), (352) 281-7454, candi.churchill@floridaea.org