Attendance waiver for classes floated

FAYETTEVILLE — Student leaders at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville have called for any spring class attendance requirements to be waived “solely based on personal safety concerns without the requirement of supporting documents.”

UA spokesman Mark Rushing said in an email Friday that the Associated Student Government resolution “has been received and will be reviewed and considered by university leadership.” The student government’s senators approved the resolution Tuesday, with none voting against the measure.

Student looking to enroll in spring classes designated as in-person but wanting to participate remotely have been told to fill out a form that states a request “cannot be guaranteed.” The request form tells students, “you may also need to provide supporting documentation verifying your circumstances.”

Rushing said university officials, including with the campus disability resource center, “will review and consider the submissions while working collaboratively with students to determine the appropriate academic flexibility for each student and each situation.”

Chancellor Joe Steinmetz, in an all-campus address in October, urged students to attend classes in person, stating that it is safe to do so despite the pandemic, and Provost Charles Robinson in an email to the campus Oct. 28 said that “to maximize engagement of students in the classroom, faculty may require in-person attendance for students enrolled in in-person courses, barring any health exemptions a student may have.”

UA began the fall semester with a majority of course sections — 2,733 out of 4,638, or 59% — shifted to remote instruction, according to data provided by the university. Other in-person classes had individual students opt to participate online, leaving the campus noticeably empty compared with past years.

The university this fall began recording the large majority of its classes and will do so again in the spring to help students who may have to quarantine because of covid-19, Rushing said.

A total of 2,530 campus covid-19 cases had been identified at UA since June 15, according to a state health report dated Thursday.