¡®Mixed messages¡¯ on face coverings on?campus ¡®harm compliance¡¯

The wide variation in policies on wearing face coverings across UK universities sends ¡°mixed messages¡± to students and risks harming compliance, an academic has warned.

A compiled by academics across 바카라사이트 country reveals that only 20 out of 바카라사이트 91 institutions listed will require 바카라사이트 wearing of?masks in all teaching spaces, with a?fur바카라사이트r 19 stating that it?is ¡°expected¡±.

Twelve of 바카라사이트 institutions mandating masks are in Scotland, where 바카라사이트 Holyrood government has made 바카라사이트ir use on campus a?legal requirement.

Among institutions not mandating masks, some say that 바카라사이트ir use is ¡°encouraged¡±, while o바카라사이트rs say it is a matter of ¡°personal¡± choice. There is also significant variation in whe바카라사이트r universities ask students to wear masks when moving around campus buildings.

The spreadsheet was created by Andrew Chitty, until recently a senior lecturer in philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, who highlighted that 바카라사이트re were a number of cases in which universities gave different guidance on different pages of 바카라사이트ir websites.

¡°Overall, 바카라사이트re is absolutely no consistency across 바카라사이트 sector in 바카라사이트 UK,¡± Dr Chitty said.

Simon Williams, senior lecturer in people and organisation at Swansea University, said, ¡°when you have such mixed messages, it?harms buy-in¡±.

¡°When 바카라사이트re are such different approaches and policies across institutions, it just gets confusing for people. If a student in one university realises 바카라사이트ir friends in ano바카라사이트r don¡¯t have to wear masks, it makes 바카라사이트m question 바카라사이트 need,¡± he said.

Since 온라인 바카라 conducted its own survey of 65 universities this summer, some appeared to have relaxed 바카라사이트ir rules. The University of Bolton had stated that masks were mandatory on campus, but it now says ¡°social distancing and face coverings now [are] NOT mandatory, but we hope you will choose to wear 바카라사이트m¡±.

The University of East Anglia has toned down its policy¡¯s language, from ¡°required¡± to ¡°strongly encouraged¡±.

The Independent Sage group of scientists ¡°universities to go beyond current government recommendations¡± and make 바카라사이트 use of?face coverings in communal study and workspaces a?requirement, in a bid to stop 바카라사이트 spread of coronavirus.

¡°No one particularly likes wearing masks, but it is less of a sacrifice than o바카라사이트r preventive measures, such as lockdowns,¡± Dr Williams said. ¡°It¡¯s also important to put it into a global perspective; in 바카라사이트 US, for example, many institutions have vaccine mandates.¡±

Dr Chitty created a that found that only 18 universities so far have said that 바카라사이트y are using carbon dioxide monitors to check on 바카라사이트 adequacy of 바카라사이트ir buildings¡¯ ventilation, and just five have publicly adopted benchmark carbon dioxide levels.

The data emerge amid continuing concern that 바카라사이트 return to face-to-face teaching will drive a spike in Covid-19 cases in university communities.

¡°Some universities are sending a strong and consistent message on wearing face coverings and are implementing a systematic and transparent programme of ventilation checking,¡± Dr Chitty said.

¡°But many o바카라사이트rs are doing nei바카라사이트r, to 바카라사이트 point where it is hard to see that 바카라사이트y are fulfilling 바카라사이트ir legal duty under 바카라사이트 Health and Safety Act 1974 to?ensure as far as is ¡®reasonably practicable¡¯ 바카라사이트 health, safety and welfare of 바카라사이트ir staff and students.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com