University of Idaho professor opposes return to in-person classes in fall

University of Idaho will open campus for in-person classes with the start of the fall semester. Several question and answer sessions have addressed student, faculty, staff and community concerns about the plan, but some faculty members aren’t convinced the plan is a good idea.

Michael McGriff, a non-tenured assistant professor of Creative Writing at UI, posted a statement on Facebook about the issue this week. He included a letter he sent to UI Human Resources about continuing to teach online.

The post reads like a conversation between McGriff and the HR form he filled out. McGriff said the post is almost word for word the form he sent to Human Resources. In an email, McGriff said he is sympathetic to the situation the university and the Idaho State Board of Education are in, but he believes it’s important for members of the community to voice their opinions and give feedback to decisions being made.  

McGriff opposes re-opening campus in the fall due to concerns for his health, his family’s health and the health of his students. 

“My fear is that we’re going to knowingly create a ‘super spreader’ environment where this tragic virus is going to end up ripping through our student population and then end up in our broader communities,” McGriff said.  

Specifically, he’s concerned about the spread of COVID-19 in enclosed spaces, like classrooms. According to a the Harvard Medical School Coronavirus Resource Center, coronavirus can linger in the air for up to three hours. In his post, McGriff said he feels obligated to keep his students safe by teaching online so they don’t get infected or infect vulnerable people in their lives.  

Many other faculty members supported McGriff in his opinion, he said. Non-tenured faculty members at UI and across the country are desperate to keep their jobs, which is why many of them have not voiced their disagreements with policies regarding COVID-19, McGriff said.  

McGriff said the university has told faculty they will only be able to teach online if they submit a request and it gets approved by HR, department chairs or deans. The only way these requests will get approved is if the faculty member has a serious documented medical condition which puts them at risk, McGriff said.

However, according to UI Director of Communications Jodi Walker, there are three ways a faculty member can request different teaching arrangements. The Argonaut detailed the reasons faculty and staff members can request to work from home in a previous article.

Walker said UI leadership has been working hard on ensuring staff and faculty feel safe and secure, but returning to campus is important, as UI is a residential campus. She said UI is obligated to give them the best and safest experience possible.

McGriff said he is glad safety measures are being put in place and is sympathetic to the people making these decisions, but wishes the option to keep classes online was available.  

“As a University of Idaho professor, I feel the service standards required of me are best met by me not dying.” McGriff said in the post.  

This article has been edited to include information from UI Director of Communications Jodi Walker.

Joey Cisneros can be reached at [email protected]