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MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2021
VOLUME 115 ISSUE 16 Not officially associated with the University of Florida
Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida
Ashley Hicks & Chasity Maynard // Alligator Staff
Photos documenting the COVID-19 pandemic at UF.
UF plans in-person Spring graduation and 2020 makeup ceremonies
COMMENCEMENT PLANS WILL BE DETERMINED BY MARCH DEPENDING ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF COVID-19 VACCINATIONS
By Juliana Ferrie Alligator Staff Writer
After a year of waiting, the class of 2020 may finally get its in-person commencement ceremony. While many factors remain uncertain, the university is making an effort to hold both Spring 2021 commencement and 2020 makeup ceremonies in person at the end of the Spring semester, UF Director of Commencements Stephanie McBride said. Because of COVID-19, UF has held graduation ceremonies virtually since last Spring.
“We’re planning for the unplannable and the unknown, having never gone through a situation where you’re trying to plan for a year’s worth of makeup ceremonies,” McBride said. Although the venues are reserved, the decision to hold in-person commencement depends on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, McBride said. The university will decide whether to proceed with its plans for inperson ceremonies by March, so students and their guests can make arrangements, she said. If the vaccine has not been made available to the general public, the events will be further postponed and possibly changed to an alternate format, she wrote. However, it’s too early to know what measurement of
W omen’s basketball drops fourth SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT
Story description finishgame with comma, pg# straight basketball After a strong first half, the Gators’ aggressive energy died down and Georgia bounced back, pg. 12
vaccine availability will be used to determine if in-person graduations are possible, McBride wrote in an email. It’s also possible that determining a vaccine threshold will fall onto the State University System since it was the agency that directed schools to have alternate formats for Fall 2020 commencement. As of now, Spring 2021 University Wide Commencement will be held in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium from April 28 to May 3. The individual college recognition ceremonies will occur at varying locations, including the Stephen C. O’Connell Center and the Phillips Center for Performing Arts, according to UF’s commencement website. Class of 2020 makeup ceremonies will take place in
SEE GRAD, PAGE 5
In-person class guidelines, COVID-19 testing results and vaccinations discussed at faculty meeting STUDENTS WILL BE CLEARED FOR CLASSES AFTER BEING TESTED, NOT AFTER TESTING NEGATIVE, ACCORDING TO COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES DEAN DAVID RICHARDSON
By Meghan McGlone Alligator Staff Writer
Days before thousands of students were scheduled to return to UF’s campus, some faculty learned that about 61% of students attending in-person classes would be tested for COVID-19 by the first day of class, and students won’t need a negative test result to be cleared for campus. Faculty had the option to move their first class online but learned they could face disciplinary action for moving in-person classes online longer. These were some of the concerns brought up by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty during a faculty town hall Jan. 9. The head of UF Health’s Screen, Test and Protect program Michael Lauzardo held the meeting with epidemiologist Jerne Shapiro and CLAS Dean David Richardson to address in-person class guidelines
RTS adds buses
Additional buses are being added to some routes, pg. 4
Shop local masks
Where to find face masks from local vendors in Gainesville, pg. 6
and faculty questions. Richardson sent an email to CLAS professors on Jan. 8 outlining how students are cleared to return to campus after being tested for COVID-19, not after receiving a negative test result. If a student’s result comes back positive, their status will be changed to “not cleared.” About 61% of students taking in-person classes would be tested by Jan. 11, and the remaining testing is anticipated to be mostly complete in the first week, Richardson wrote. UF spokesperson Steve Orlando confirmed the guidelines outlined in Richardson’s email and the Jan. 9 meeting apply to all UF faculty teaching in-person classes. Students will not be required to receive a negative test result before attending in-person classes because UF does not have the capacity to test all students in face-to-face classes at once, Lauzardo said in the town hall, and UF couldn’t force them to come back in time and wait for the results. Richardson included in the email that professors with in-person sections could hold the first day of classes online but could face disciplinary action if they change the structure of their class-
SEE CLAS, PAGE 5
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