Physical & Mental Health

Part performance, part protest, a professor’s video got him suspended from Ferris State University. He didn’t want to teach in person in the first place due to COVID-19, and he says he’s retiring. His union says the suspension is an attack on academic freedom.

Successful mitigation measures allow colleges to bring students back to campus, even as COVID-19 cases are taking off. Strategies vary by campus, with some efforts limited by governing boards.

Some colleges say cloth masks will no longer meet their masking requirements, and they are requiring medical-grade masks instead.

Some institutions that began the semester online are now pushing their return-to-campus dates further out in response to Omicron, citing spiking numbers and breakthrough infections.

With the Omicron variant of COVID-19 raging, a majority of institutions are putting their trust in vaccines and tried and true mitigation strategies to bring students back to campus this semester.

Administrators at two universities discuss their efforts to reimagine how, when and where their employees will work now and in the future.

Groups planning annual gatherings in the coming weeks grapple with the Omicron variant. Most are proceeding with in-person conferences, touting extra safety precautions and more options for participation.

Omicron’s arrival leads many colleges to shift plans for the semester that starts today on many campuses. Some colleges face criticism for doing so, and some face criticism for not making changes.