University strengthens language on masking
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State University announced Monday mask wearing is expected on all of its campuses after few students followed masking recommendations in the first week of classes.
Administrators hope stronger language will spur students to comply after a minority attended with masks on during the first five days of the fall semester, officials said.
Masks are expected to be worn indoors in public campus areas, including in classrooms, laboratories, and indoor meetings and gatherings, said Dr. Johnny Stephens, senior vice president for health affairs.
The expectation is not a requirement. No penalty exists for those who choose not to wear a mask, said Monica Roberts, interim assistant vice president of strategic communications.
“Currently there is no formal recourse that can be taken, but our hope is that as students adjust to being on campus they will begin complying with this expectation to protect our community,” Roberts said in an email to The Oklahoman.
The university has no mask requirement because of an executive order Gov. Kevin Stitt issued May 28, banning mask mandates in all state-owned and state-leased buildings that are open to the public.
Senate Bill 658, which took effect July 1, prohibits governing boards over public and private universities from mandating vaccines as a condition of attendance and requiring masks for only unvaccinated individuals.
OSU faculty found “very few” students followed mask recommendations during the first week of classes, Roberts said.
Even after professors made personal pleas that students wear face coverings, most continued to attend without masks, according to an email OSU Provost Jeanette Mendez sent to faculty.
“While some students responded positively to the faculty member's request to put on (or keep on) a mask, a majority of students did not respond or did not have masks with them,” Mendez wrote.
OSU history senior Emilie Tindle said she was excited about the expectation because mask wearing has been scarce on the Stillwater campus.
Tindle estimated only 10-20% of students in her largest, most densely compacted class have worn masks. In the Student Union dining areas, Tindle said almost no students covered their faces.
“I wish OSU would and could do more to require fact-based public health measures like social distancing, online learning, vaccinations and masking,” Tindle said. “... I know we're not safe, my dear professors aren't safe, and our entire state isn't safe because there simply aren't enough measures to handle COVID-19. Expectations are a start, but they cannot be the end.”
More than 5,700 students on the Stillwater campus have been fully vaccinated at OSU University Health Services. That number doesn't include those who were vaccinated elsewhere unless self-reported.
About 20,000 students attended OSU-Stillwater this spring.
OSU President Dr. Kayse Shrum and other university officials will host a town hall at 4 p.m. Thursday to answer questions on COVID-19. Stephens said more updates will be released this week in addition to the town hall.
The announcement comes as the highly transmissible delta variant rapidly spreads across Oklahoma and the United States. The delta variant is more than two times as infectious as previous coronavirus strains, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“With evidence that the Delta variant is more than twice as infectious and is leading to increased transmissibility when compared to other variants, even in vaccinated individuals, we must be vigilant as a campus community,” Stephens wrote in a campus-wide message.
Some studies suggest the delta variant might cause more severe illness in unvaccinated individuals than previous strains, the CDC reported.
Four of Oklahoma's largest health systems hosted a joint press conference last week to beg Oklahomans to wear masks and get vaccinated.
Representatives of OU Health, SSM Health, Integris Health and Mercy said hospital bed space is scarce, and COVID-19 patients are arriving younger and sicker than before.
“If you get in a car accident, have a heart attack, need an emergency surgery, or yes, even if you have a stroke, there's a chance you might not be able to get the time-sensitive care you need,” said Dr. Bahar Malakouti, a neurohospitalist and stroke medical director at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. Have a story idea for Nuria? She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. Support Nuria’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.