University of Idaho students signed up for in person classes who have yet to complete the required COVID-19 testing protocol will lose access to BbLearn, VandalWeb, Zoom and Teams effective Feb. 4, according to an email from President Scott Green.
The students have been notified repeatedly and received instructions from the Office of the Registrar on how to prevent access from being turned off, the email stated.
“Although case numbers continue to fall across the state, we have not let up on our dedication to the Healthy Vandal Pledge,” Green stated. “Thank you for your continued diligence and commitment to each other.”
While case numbers on the Moscow campus remain low, students signed up for classes in person must be tested if they haven’t already or provide proof of a valid test to avoid being denied access to university systems. Roughly 200 students are still on the list to be blocked, according to UI Communications Director Jodi Walker on Tuesday.
“That’s about a quarter of the students that were on the list when we first contacted them a week ago saying this was going to happen,” Walker said. “The students are definitely going in and taking care of it.”
Part of the issue stems from students who plan to attend class only online, thereby avoiding the need for testing, but haven’t completed what’s necessary to get an override. Instructors are encouraged to double-check override issues for students attending online options, Walker said.
“The students just need to go in and check their account to make sure the right override button is clicked,” Walker said. “There are other students who maybe decided to participate online and just haven’t cleared that up.”
The override can be done for all classes, according to Associated Students University of Idaho President Lauren Carlsen. Blocking students who haven’t completed testing or gotten an override to attend only online addresses problems the university dealt with last semester when some students chose not to complete either.
“If students do not get the test done or ask for the override, they can have a lot of different issues when it comes to getting their classwork,” Carlsen said. “This ensures they get that override done and resume their educational experience.”
Having the overrides done will also be useful later in the semester if students head home for spring break and need to be tested upon returning. It also ensures everyone is following the necessary steps to conduct in person classes safely. Carlsen said she appreciates the university’s transparency on the matter.
“There are a lot of students who are really worried about COVID-19 and they walk into a classroom and get nervous just sitting there,” Carlsen said. “This will hopefully address any concern they have because those who haven’t been tested are not in class.”
Since Jan. 1, UI has tested over 6,593 students and employees for COVID-19, returning 115 positive results and a positivity rate of 1.74%, according to its case count page. The university reported 570 test results from the last week, with eight of those being positive.
Testing is available by appointment at the Student Recreation Center.
Angela Palermo can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @apalermotweets