Among Liberty faculty, there is widespread confusion about what exactly is expected of them during the coronavirus pandemic—much of it driven by a lack of clarity in the university’s own communications. In a March 16 email sent by the university, faculty were told that while their classes would be moved online, they must conduct their classes from their on-campus offices. A March 19 email to faculty reiterated that instructors must be on campus during their class times and office hours. Faculty members were further told that if they wished to avoid being on campus at this time, they should submit requests for consideration to their department chairs, who would then run those requests up the chain of command. And a March 25 email reminded faculty that in order to work from home during the pandemic, they must include an explanation for their request.
In light of these emails, some faculty were puzzled by Falwell’s appearance Tuesday on ABC News Live. During his interview, the chancellor insisted that any faculty who “feel they’re at risk … don’t have to come into the office,” and that “only essential staff” were on campus, including “cleaning staff, food-preparers and security.”
Falwell has said he does not know the exact number of the students on campus at the moment, but this week a spokesperson for the school estimated the number to be around 1,900. Add this to hundreds of faculty and support staff, and you’ve got a buzzing, populated campus at a time when the CDC recommends avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people.
In the statement published by the university on Monday, March 23, Liberty said Falwell “has been consulting with medical professionals daily, including Dr. Jeffrey Hyman of Northwell Health, New York’s largest health care provider.”
On Wednesday, when I reached Dr. Hyman’s office for comment, an employee consulted with the doctor before speaking on his behalf and distancing Hyman from Falwell’s decision. “He himself has nothing to do with that,” the employee insisted.
After I emailed Falwell about the discrepancy between Hyman’s account and the university’s claim, Liberty quietly revised the statement on its website to excise the doctor’s name: “Falwell said the university has been consulting with medical professionals daily, including a physician from New York’s largest health care provider.” (The article on the Liberty news service website does not include a notice that the story has changed.)
Asked why the school would remove Hyman and other medical professionals’ names, a university spokesperson told me that “many health professionals who provided advice to Liberty University recently began receiving calls from the media. They are private people who do not talk to the media and plan to keep it that way.” When I noted that the office of the medical doctor in question did, in fact, speak to me and denied his involvement with Falwell’s decision, I received no answer.
In the same March 23 statement on Liberty’s site, Falwell claimed that he “received a favorable reaction” when he told Lynchburg’s city manager and mayor about his decision to allow students to return to the dorms. “They thanked us for making that decision,” Falwell said.
Contacted on Wednesday, Lynchburg City Manager Bonnie Svrcek disputed Falwell’s claim. “The city unequivocally does not agree with Falwell’s decision,” Svrcek wrote via email.
According to Svreck, as early as March 16, she and Mayor Treney Tweedy asked Falwell to get in line with the majority of other colleges in the nation by closing the Liberty campus amid the Covid-19 pandemic. (In an interview with the Daily Beast, Svrcek went even further, saying Falwell misled her “to believe that the school was … abandoning plans to invite students back into residence halls following spring break.”)
Svrcek characterized Falwell’s relationship with the community as a “professional and typically collaborative.” When asked whether Falwell typically follows city recommendations or ignores them, Svrcek simply said, “Jerry Jr. is an independent thinker.”
On March 24, Mayor Tweedy said in a statement that she had understood residence halls would not be open, except to a handful of international students. “I want the residents in this community to know that at no time did I or the City Manager endorse having the students return to Liberty University’s campus or any of the other college or university campuses in our community,” Tweedy said, noting that while Liberty University is an important part of the Lynchburg community, she nevertheless believes Falwell’s decision to welcome students back to campus is “reckless.”
In the same March 23 statement, Falwell also said that “the communication lines were open” with the office of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam during the decision-making process. “They sent a message back that they were very grateful to us for letting them know what we had decided,” Falwell said—a characterization vigorously disputed by the governor’s office. In a statement, Alena Yarmosky, a spokeswoman for Northam, said the governor is “concerned” that Falwell has kept Liberty’s campus open. “All Virginia colleges and universities have a responsibility to comply with public health directions and protect the safety of their students, faculty and larger communities. Liberty University is no exception,“ Yarmosky said.
Source: politico.com
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