Colleges are reopening in the fall but will the faculty come to campus? – Gulf Today

Colleges are reopening in the fall but will the faculty come to campus? – Gulf Today

This photo has been used for illustrative purpose only.

Elyssa Cherney

Just because students might be returning to college campuses this fall doesn't mean professors will be joining them.

Controversy over whether instructors need to be in the classroom during the fall term has erupted at campuses including the University of Notre Dame, where professors are pushing back, noting the dangers of face-to-face classes while the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage.

These faculty members say they alone should determine how they will teach this fall. Notre Dame, however, is asking those with objections to in-person instruction to submit documentation of medical conditions and a formal request for accommodations. Those who taught remotely prior to the pandemic likely will not need to obtain special approval, said Paul Browne, a spokesman for Notre Dame.

But Eileen Hunt Botting, a political science professor who is spearheading the faculty opposition, said the application process is invasive, requiring colleagues to share personal medical information, and there's no guarantee that a professor who is uncomfortable teaching on campus will be granted an exemption.

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"We want to encourage students to choose to study online as much as possible during the pandemic,“ said Botting, who's taught at Notre