UA Allows Remote Option After Football Crowds Draw Backlash

Tuscaloosa AL

13 January, 2021

9:33 AM

Description

TUSCALOOSA, AL — As students return to in-person instruction at The University of Alabama today, the school announced on Tuesday that it will allow faculty the option to hold classes remotely for the first two weeks of the semester. This comes on the heels of widespread criticism leveled at the school and city after thousands gathered on The Strip following Alabama's national championship win over Ohio State Monday night. Click here to subscribe to our daily email newsletters and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices for free. You can also support local journalism by donating as little as $5 a month to become a supporting member or by downloading our free Patch mobile app. The university said in a statement to Patch Tuesday that the university, along with the city and area law enforcement agencies, worked to minimize risks before, during and after Monday's national championship football game. UA then referred to the large gathering, saying the university had also added multiple officers to patrol areas around campus, including The Strip. While swift action from the Tuscaloosa Police Department saw revelers dispersed and the streets cleared shortly after midnight, it wasn't before images made the rounds on social media, garnering national attention. The move also comes amid pressure from the United Campus Workers of Alabama, a union organization made up of workers in Alabama's public higher education systems. The demands from the group include suspending all in-person instruction for two weeks and providing evidence through sentinel testing that the campus community has returned to a coronavirus positivity rate in line with the December 2020 campus background rate. The group also requested hazard pay for all university faculty and staff who routinely come into close contact with students. "Although the videos and images from last night are from people closely crowded together outside--with many people not wearing masks--the crowds of people were also moving in and out of indoor bar and restaurant spaces," the union said in a statement to local media. "The density of thousands of people tightly packed together, coupled with the high numbers of people clearly failing to social distance and wear face masks, suggests that it is inevitable last night's celebrations could lead to a local spike in new COVID-19 cases both within the City of Tuscaloosa and on our campus." In response to the backlash and concerns raised among its employees, UA said it will allow faculty to be flexible for the next two weeks with the option to temporarily hold classes remotely. "Students have the option to attend in-person activities remotely as well. Staff will continue with adjusted flexible scheduling," the UA statement reads. "While UA classroom transmission is almost nonexistent, we understand the concerns caused by recent events. All health and safety rules remain in effect, including mandatory distancing, masks and other protocols. We will continue to enforce the Code of Student Conduct as it relates to COVID-19 and expect full compliance this semester." Follow Patch here for updates or on Facebook and Twitter.