The Academic Staff Assembly met Monday, Feb. 8 to discuss the implementation of mandatory COVID-19 testing and developments about the university budget. 

First on the agenda was the new Coronavirus testing policies that require students on campus to be tested weekly, and all employees and off-campus students to be tested bi-weekly if they are coming to the university. Questions were raised about how the university would police the new mandatory testing. Chair Patricia Fragola assured attendees that the university is doing its best and will stay on top of the process. 

Next up in the meeting was a topic of debate about the recent updates regarding the university budget. Some attendees expressed that the sum of the money does not address the structural issue, while others believed the university shouldn’t be run like a business. 

Other topics included folding weekly WebEx forums for discussion, a new performance review rubric and how to address the changing of gender pronouns. 

The next meeting of the Academic Staff Assembly is scheduled for March 10.