USC is currently in its fifth and final phase of its return to campus plan: Welcome Back. The newest change in the university’s indoor masking mandate sparked mixed feelings among students, faculty and staff on whether or not they believe masking is still necessary.
Provost Charles Zukoski sent an email on Friday informing the student body that masks will no longer be required in most indoor spaces as of Monday.
The current positivity rate for students at USC is 0.7%, which is nearly half of the 1.36% positivity rate for L.A. County.
Moa Andreasson, a sophomore majoring in public relations, is happy about the decision.
“Being a former dancer, facial expressions are just so important,” Andreasson said. “If you’re a dancer or a performer or not, I feel not having a mask just helps a lot when communicating with your peers and your professors.”
Though some students find the new lift to be a step in the right direction, Vahe Peroomian, a USC professor of physics and astronomy, sees it as a potential academic obstacle for some. In one of his classrooms, there are only 40 seats for 38 students, which makes it difficult for students to socially distance themselves. He worries this change will discourage in-person learning and that students will opt for Zoom classes instead.
“It’s not the same experience,” Peroomian said. “I see how that affects student learning. I see how that affects how much material they absorb. So what they’re doing is they’re being shortchanged because of their fears because they can’t convince themselves to come to the classroom.”
Some other professors hope to reinstate the mask mandate. The USC chapter of the American Association of University Professors released a statement on Sunday. “Though local case and death rates have thankfully receded from the most recent surge of the pandemic, it remains essential to exercise collective care,” wrote the statement. “Being a world-class institution in the heart of a global metropolis, USC must prioritize and amplify the need of all human beings for care and safety.” Annenberg Media reached out to the organization for additional comment, but has not heard back as of publishing.
Sanjana Ilango, a freshman studying computer science and business administration, has noticed different attitudes towards masks at Viterbi versus Marshall in her own experiences. While her classes at Viterbi have typically had the capacity for students to be seated farther apart, her classes at Marshall have been much smaller and encourage a lot of collaborative group work.
A lot of people already weren’t taking the mask mandate seriously when it was still enforced,” Ilango said. “I wear a mask because first of all, I was so used to it; second of all, it doesn’t bother me; and third, a couple of my friends are immunocompromised, so I do my best to keep myself safe to keep them safe as well.”
Whatever students decide, USC plans to continue providing resources to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Pop testing services will still be available across campus. In the same notice announcing the change in indoor masking, Provost Zukoski also announced that free N95 masks will be available to any faculty, staff or student upon request. Additionally, in preparation for spring break travel, students are encouraged to pick up a take-home antigen testing kit from the Lyon Center or USC Bookstore patio.