NEWS

Tetlow, J.D., will become the university’s 33rd president and serve as the first laywoman effective July 1, 2022

PRESIDENT from page 1

Tetlow graduated cum laude from Tulane University in 1992, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in American studies. At the same time, she graduated with honors, including being named a Harry S. Truman scholar. In 1995, she received her Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, where she graduated magna cum laude.

Tetlow has served as president of Loyola University New Orleans since August 2018, where she was also the first lay president. Prior to becoming president of Loyola, she held the positions of senior vice president and chief of staff at Tulane University from 2015 to 2018. Tetlow has also held the positions of associate provost for international affairs at Tulane University, Felder-Fayard professor of law and director of Tulane’s domestic violence clinic.

At Loyola, Tetlow launched several new academic programs that led to increased enrollment and student retention. When she arrived, Loyola was also experiencing a challenging time financially, which Tetlow was able to reverse by growing revenue and the endowment, improving its revenue, and returning the university to financial stability.

“President Tetlow is beloved at Loyola for her compassionate and transparent leadership,” Daleo said in the announcement email.

While she is the first female and first non-Jesuit president, students do not know exactly what that will mean for changes at Fordham.

“Honestly, I have no idea what this will change,” Yev Gelman, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24, said. “I feel like I don’t understand the weight the president’s role has in my daily life. It’s cool we have a woman and a non-Jesuit as the president, but I have no idea what it will change in my daily life.”

McShane stated in the press conference that this is a historic moment for Fordham as “for the last 175 years, the president has always been a cleric, always worn a collar, always been a man.”

While working at Tulane University, Tetlow worked on improving admissions, rankings, diversity, research strength and fundraising. She also led Tulane’s efforts to make progress on race and equity, as well as addressing sexual assault on campus.

“Tania Tetlow has in abundance the qualities of leadership one needs to run a major university, among them discernment, patience, decisiveness, self-awareness, and magnanimity,” McShane said in the announcement.

Although Tetlow is not a Jesuit herself, she is a member of the Fordham community. Both of her parents graduated from Fordham University, with her late father, Louis Mulry Tetlow, receiving his Ph.D. from Fordham’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) in 1974, only four years after earning his master’s at Fordham. Tetlow’s mother, Elisabeth M. Tetlow, also graduated from GSAS, receiving a master’s degrees in philosophy and theology in 1967 and 1970. Tetlow’s parents met and married at Fordham, and Tetlow was born in New York.

Both Tetlow’s father and uncle were Jesuit priests. Her uncle, Joseph Tetlow, S.J., served as head of the Secretariat for Ignatian Spirituality in Rome for eight years, along with other positions, such as president of the Jesuit School of Theology.

In a video message introducing Tetlow to the community, she said that her family gave her “a Jesuit education since birth.”

Tetlow is married to Gordon Stewart and has a 9-year-old daughter, Lucy, and a stepson, Noah.

Sakunthala Sankar, FCLC ’24, is hopeful that a lay president with former administrative experience will benefit the university.

“I’m glad the new president is a woman and relieved that she has prior experience, because this school really needs it,” she said. “I’m hoping that with a non-Jesuit with prior experience, she can actually fix a lot of the bureaucratic problems at Fordham.”

Daleo ended the announcement by asking the Fordham community to give Tetlow a warm welcome, as she represents positive changes at Fordham.

“This is a historic and exciting moment for Fordham,” Daleo said. “As a university that seeks to transform its students’ lives, we are preparing to be transformed by bold new leadership—leadership that will build upon Father McShane’s legacy of academic achievement and institutional growth.”

Insiya Gandhi and Chloe Zelch contributed additional reporting to this story.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS Tetlow and McShane strolling the Lincoln Center Campus while meeting students and getting to know the university.

“Tania Tetlow has in abundance the qualities of leadership one needs to run a major university, among them discernment, patience, decisiveness, self-awareness, and magnanimity. ”

Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham University,

“I’m glad the new president is a woman and relieved that she has prior experience, because this school really needs it. ”

Sakunthala Sankar, FCLC ’24

Fordham Provides Free KN95 Masks

The masks are available upon request from Public Safety, but students feel university could increase accessibility

By ALEXA VILLATORO Contributing Writer

Fordham’s Public Safety offices are offering KN95 masks upon request to students, faculty and staff seeking a higher level of protection from COVID-19. The new policy in accordance with additional recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to use surgical KN95 and N95 masks instead of cloth ones.

According to John Carroll, associate vice president for administration and former director of Public Safety, Fordham remains consistent with CDC, NYC Department of Health and the university’s contracted epidemiologist’s guidelines, and continues to provide the recommended mask type for free. Carroll says students, faculty and staff can request as many masks as they need.

The availability of the KN95 masks was first announced to students in a return to campus protocol email sent on Jan. 3 by Marco Valera, Fordham’s vice president for administration and COVID-19 coordinator. Further information can be found on Fordham’s COVID-19 informational page.

“Initially, we provided 5 cloth masks to everyone that could be laundered; but, now the recommendation is only to use the cloth masks over the KN95, N95 and KF94,” Carroll said. “Disposable masks are now recommended over the non-disposable cloth masks originally issued last year.”

Edward Garcia, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’24, believes that Fordham could have done a better job communicating with students upon their return to campus this semester. He points to the mask policy, crowded elevators and classrooms, and the required entry test that he believes was not enforced enough.

“I would say it’s their job to have these resources more accessible,” he said. Garcia suggested the university provide the masks in frequented places, such as the library, and advertise the free masks more visibly.

Lucy Peterson, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’22, echoed Garcia’s concerns, saying that she “had some idea they would be passing them out.”

The KN95 masks are available at Public Safety offices across the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses. Masks have also been distributed to the dean’s offices across the university and to security guards.

Since Valera’s Jan. 3 email, the policy has not been widely advertised by the university.

Paulina Paszkowski, FCRH ’22, has been concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and the use of masks as a commuting student. She bought her own medical-grade masks before returning to campus but still worries about contracting the virus.

“It’s helpful that they are saying we can provide you with them, but no one is actually doing anything about the kids not wearing masks,” Paszkowski said.

Fordham has been requiring all students and faculty to wear masks inside of the classroom at all times. On Feb. 2, the university announced that students would be allowed to drink beverages in class.

“I’m not certain if all our students are taking advantage (of the free masks),” Carroll said. “But I do know that we have ample supplies for any student, faculty or staff that desires them.”

“It’s helpful that they are saying we can provide you with them, but no one is actually doing anything about the kids not wearing masks. ”

Paulina Paszkowski, FCRH ’22

ALICE MORENO/THE OBSERVER KN95 masks offer greater protection against COVID-19 and are available at Public Safety offices.

Faculty members cite the omicron variant and wanting to quarantine as reasons for holding classes virtually

By MARIN HOWELL Staff Writer

At the start of the spring semester, the university affirmed all courses at Fordham would continue to take place in person, despite the rise in cases with the omicron variant. However, some Fordham professors have deviated from those guidelines out of concern for their own health and the safety of their students.

Current university guidelines specify that professors are only allowed to teach virtually under certain circumstances, such as testing positive for COVID-19 or being prompted by VitalCheck to quarantine. The Undergraduate Faculty Handbook details additional reasons for professors to hold classes online, such as needing to stay home with a child who is in quarantine.

Outside of these guidelines, professors are expected to hold all classes in person, with the exception of some extenuating circumstances allowing professors the ability to teach remotely on a case-by-case basis. Robert Moniot, associate dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), said in one case a professor was stuck in a foreign country for reasons unrelated to COVID-19 and was granted the ability to teach remotely for up to two weeks.

Moniot added that uneasiness about teaching in person does not qualify as a circumstance for a professor to conduct classes online.

“I received a couple of emails from faculty who clearly felt uneasy about returning but did not meet the guidelines for going to virtual modality,” he said. “They did not request permission to do so. If they had, I would not have granted permission.”

Despite these specifications, a number of Fordham faculty members have taken it upon themselves to hold class online when they felt it was safest to do so. A professor in the communications and media studies department, who is choosing to remain anonymous due to fear of losing their position, said they held the first meetings of their classes online because of concerns about the omicron variant.

“The administration has pushed for in-person classes always, but there are times when I think Zoom is the better option,” the professor said. “The other issue is that we are just beginning to understand Omicron. While our administration believes that the symptoms are mild, that’s not what I am hearing, even from younger people.”

Although this professor began teaching their classes online this semester, they have since returned to in-person instruction due to a lower number of COVID-19 cases at Fordham Lincoln Center. As of Feb. 15, there are 14 cases at the Lincoln Center campus.

Another professor in the communications and media studies department, who is also choosing to remain anonymous for fear of losing their position, decided to teach one of their classes online during the first week of the semester in order to isolate after traveling.

“I actually had to fly that weekend for a family emergency,” the other professor said. “I made the decision to isolate on my return for a few days to be sure I did not bring COVID-19 back into my home.”

The professor held one class online during this self-imposed isolation period. They said that they believe current university guidelines limit professors in their ability to choose their quarantine protocols in situations such as this.

“I do not believe the policy outlined by the administration allows flexibility for professors to make decisions to pivot to online instruction based on more personalized risk exposure or other safety reasons,” they said. “The problem is that there is not an understanding of individual circumstances or an expression of trust in faculty to negotiate these issues with students.”

Other professors at FCLC have sought resources to implement a hybrid or Zoom format for their courses. Fleur Eshghi, associate vice president for Instructional Technology Academic Computing at Fordham, said her department has responded to requests from professors looking to utilize classroom technology that allows for hybrid modality.

“Faculty are in constant contact with us regarding the use of the technology in the classrooms and online, trouble shootings, and other technology requests, etc. We respond to them via many venues, such as email, phones, or requests via the Helpdesk,” Eshghi said.

While professors are still not encouraged to teach virtually outside of the current guidelines, Laura Auricchio, dean of FCLC, said she sees remote instruction as an ongoing opportunity for professors to hold classes that would have otherwise been canceled.

“I could imagine that there might be other circumstances in which a faculty member might move a class meeting online if the only other alternative were to cancel the meeting,” she said. “In the past, such a person might have had to cancel the class; now that we have online options, the class meeting could be rescued by offering it online.”

“The problem is that there is not an understanding of individual circumstances or an expression of trust in faculty to negotiate these issues with students. ”

anonymous professor

ROBINSON GERMAIN/THE OBSERVER Although the university maintained that classes would all be in-person, some professors have moved instruction online.

Fordham Holds Variety of Black History Events

OMA’s Black History Month Committee hosts a movie night, trivia night and more to honor Black History Month

BHM from page 1

“Our office strives to host events that highlight specific identities to both honor the people in our community that identify with that specific experience and to encourage those who may not identify to appreciate and learn about something new,” Lilibeth Ramos Flores, the graduate intern for OMA and moderator of the Black History Month Committee, said.

Honoring Black History Month at Fordham holds great significance toward educating a predominately white institution on Black history and Black excellence, according to Katelyn Figueroa, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’24 and the committee’s cultural program coordinator.

“If the majority understands and accepts us (the minority) as a Fordham community, we can grow stronger and exist collaboratively in an environment where everyone feels accepted,” she said.

OMA has worked closely with its Black History Month Committee to plan events for the duration of the entire month. The celebration commenced on Feb. 2 with a virtual event featuring keynote speaker Moses Harper, who held a conversation about Black History Month. According to Harper’s website, she “is a visionary of artistic expression in support of social empowerment and healing.”

On Feb. 15, the committee hosted a movie night in the Lincoln Center student lounge with the streaming of “Black Panther” to honor Black representation in film.

Later in the month, on Feb. 18, the committee will be hosting a Black History Month trivia night in McNally Amphitheatre at Fordham Lincoln Center, an opportunity for students to test their knowledge, educate themselves about Black history and to win prizes.

The committee will conclude Black History Month with a virtual Zoom showing of the “Love Your Hair” Panel on Thursday, Feb. 24, where students and faculty can share their own stories about their own hair and discuss how important their hair is to their identity. The event will be available for students at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses. Following this event will be the “Love Your Hair” Expo from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., located in the Indoor Plaza at the Lincoln Center campus. At this event, the committee will be tabling hair care products from Black-owned businesses.

OMA encourages students of all backgrounds to celebrate and self-educate on Black experience and culture at the events, according to Ramos Flores.

“If we can get students to begin to think about different identities and how there is so much history behind those identities, it is a step in the direction of research, knowledge and hopefully appreciation for others,” Ramos Flores said.

The events also offer a time for Black students to share their experiences with their peers, according to Figueroa.

“We want to feel as if we are a part of the entire Fordham community,” she said. “If those around us are able to identify and celebrate how special and important it is to be a person of color, it will help make our community, as a whole, stronger.”

The OMA committee hopes to gain high exposure and attendance at the events to ultimately “celebrate Blackness” both during and after the month.

“It is imperative to remember that Black History does not begin and end with the month of February. It exists every day and should be recognized as such,” Ramos Flores said.

MADDIE SANDHOLM/THE OBSERVER Members of the Black History Month Committee have been working to plan events throughout February to celebrate Blackness and honor Black voices.

“We want to feel as if we are a part of the entire Fordham community. ”

FLC clubs BSA, MSA, Prism and SOL came together to provide BIPOC students with a memorable night

The award provides scholarships for tuition and living expenses to students pursuing a degree in cybersecurity

By QUINCY REYES Contributing Writer

In celebration of Black History Month (BHM), students gathered for the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) mixer on Friday, Feb.11 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in G76. The room was lit up with black, green and red lights. Students enjoyed food and danced to music while coloring books and trivia cards for BHM-adorned tables. To cap off the night, a trivia competition and raffle were held. The mixer, organized by the Black Student Alliance (BSA), Muslim Students Association (MSA), Prism and Student Organization of Latinx (SOL) aimed to give students the chance to commemorate BHM in a safe, inclusive environment.

Jaron Givens, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25, said that the night was also about celebrating Black excellence.

“I wanted to come and collaborate with my peers to create a great night. BSA and everyone who planned and organized this event did an amazing job. Everyone was dancing, having fun. It is just to celebrate who we are as Black, African Americans,” Givens said.

For the leaders of these student organizations, there was a lot at stake. BSA President Chanelle Dortch, FCLC ’23, said that the event is important because it brings “some sort of solidarity amongst Fordham students.”

Dortch also stated that the event is important this year, as it is the first time since 2020 that BHM has been celebrated in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We just came back from a really tough year, so for this to be the first Black History Month in a little bit that is in-person, together and loud, that is really special, especially when there are so many students that missed out on that,” she said.

Club leaders also wanted to create a safe space for students to express themselves and celebrate their heritage and identity.

“Especially being in a PWI (predominantly white institution), not many of us in the minority groups (have) much of a space here or feel comfortable. This is just one event where we can come together, have fun, eat food and dance,” Annabel Filpo, FCLC ’23 and SOL event planner, said.

SOL Public Relations Representative Selina Rodriguez, transfer student and FCLC ’22, said that the event meant a lot to her, as at her previous school there was no representation for students of color.

“Having things like this is so important to me because I finally get to see people like me and come together,” Rodriguez said.

While the event primarily celebrated BHM, the club leaders sought to integrate and celebrate other minority cultures.

“There’s Blackness in a lot of communities, and it’s not just America. We Latinos have a lot of Afro-Latinos, but that’s not always something that is considered part of ‘Latino’ or that is talked about that way, so it’s also important to acknowledge the communities within our communities and all that interconnectedness everywhere,” SOL President Laura Vasquez, FCLC ’22, said.

Club leaders were able to move forward with the mixer even though there were some difficulties with planning because of the appearance of the omicron variant and new restrictions from Fordham.

“It was almost emotional in a sense because we worked so hard to put on this event and there were a lot of ups and downs for sure, especially when COVID picked up again,” Kiya Brown, FCLC ’23 and BSA director of public relations, said. “So we were like, ‘OK, how are we going to do this in a way that can still be fun for everyone?’”

Nevertheless, Prism President Adah Unachukwu, FCLC ’23, said the event was a reminder of the strength and importance of the BIPOC community.

“I think especially because of the pandemic everything felt really isolated. Having this event is like, ‘Oh, we are still here. We are all still here,’” they said.

PHOTOS BY ALYSSA DAUGHDRILL/THE OBSERVER Students who attended the mixer had a fun night of dancing and enjoying food. The event aimed at creating a safe space for students to celebrate their identities.

“Having things like this is so important to me because I finally get to see people like me and come together.”

Selina Rodriguez SOL public relations representative

Cybersecurity Center Secures $4.1 Million Grant

By EESHITA WADE Contributing Writer

Fordham University’s Center for Cybersecurity received a $4.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to provide scholarships for all undergraduate and graduate students who wish to pursue a master’s degree in cybersecurity. Through this grant, the university will cover all tuition, living and insurance expenses for the selected students and guarantees that they will receive government jobs in cybersecurity after graduation.

In December 2016, Fordham’s Center of Cybersecurity was founded with the goal of advancing academic and outreach programs and providing scholarships for students studying cybersecurity. It has been recognized by the National Security Agency and Homeland Security Designate as a National Center of Academic Excellence.

The grant is not a research grant, rather its primary objective is to attract students to the program. As the data science and cybersecurity masters degrees at Fordham are relatively new, these funded programs will allow Fordham to bring more students into the cybersecurity program and attract qualified students.

According to Thaier Hayajneh, professor of computer and information science and founder of Fordham’s Center for Cybersecurity, the center is currently in the process of establishing the application for students to apply to receive the scholarship. This application will be open to all Fordham students who wish to pursue a Master of Science degree in cybersecurity.

Gary Weiss, associate professor of computer and information sciences and co-director of the grant, said the scholarship will allow students to earn a funded master’s degree in cybersecurity. The program can be completed over a span of three semesters, which students have 36 months to complete. This will prepare students for a computer science Ph.D. program, starting at Fordham next fall. In addition to getting a cybersecurity degree, students will be able to enroll in data science courses.

“The distinctive aspect of this grant from the others is to combine some data science programs since cybersecurity requires processing a lot of data, and (Fordham has) a masters in data science so we will try and leverage that background,” Weiss said.

The requirements for a student to be eligible for the scholarship are that they must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident, have a minimum 3.0 GPA in their undergraduate years and show a genuine interest in pursuing a master’s degree in cybersecurity. Students must also make a commitment to work with the federal government after graduation.

Hayajneh hopes to expand the grant’s impact by creating different tracks in the security program in collaboration with other schools. Tracks would focus on the business and management of cybersecurity, intelligence and forensics of cybersecurity, policy, and law.

“The great thing about this scholarship is that it opens the door for students to get that difficult first job in cybersecurity,” Hayajneh said. “Working in a government job would open a number of opportunities for students.”

“The distinctive aspect of this grant from the others is to combine some data science programs since cybersecurity requires processing a lot of data. ”

Gary Weiss co-director of the grant

Clubs leaders hope attendance at events will increase following the university’s lifting of food ban

By OLIVIA LEDUC Asst. Features Editor

Fordham’s policy prohibiting food and beverage at on-campus events posed the possibility of removing incentives for students to attend club events. Although the restriction was lifted on Feb. 2, the Office for Student Involvement (OSI) was preparing to attract the same amount of students, despite the previous ongoing policy.

OSI partnered with several clubs at the beginning of the semester to navigate the food and beverage restriction to create “successful events” with a focus on garnering high attendance rates, said Christina Frankovic, associate director for Student Involvement.

“Since it is at the start of the semester, as is usually the case, many clubs are still working on planning and announcing their events, but we are excited to help support them in the planning process,” Frankovic stated.

According to Frankovic, attendance at on-campus club events has varied in the past, with the incorporation of food and beverages often attracting large scores of students, but other factors additionally motivate students to attend events.

“Many students choose to attend club events in order to meet other students, because they connect with the mission of the club or because of an opportunity or activity at the event,” she said.

Spring semester’s club day, which did not provide food or beverage, drew 341 attendees. This was the highest attendance rate recorded at the event in the last few years even though food and beverage were previously served, Frankovic noted. Based on this turnout, she was optimistic that attendance would not be impacted by the policy restriction.

Frankovic also believed a sense of community would not be hindered by the food and beverage restriction, as club leaders were diligently seeking creative solutions to attract students, including raffle prizes for attendees and other “engaging activities.”

As clubs continue to plan for future events, some requested a reallocation of funds, originally budgeted for food in the coming weeks, according to Cort McElroy, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24, chair of the Student Activities Budget Committee (SABC) and United Student Government treasurer.

McElroy reported that some clubs were requesting additional funding to “expand upon resources” for events without food or beverage, with most clubs submitting food and drink requests for future events in the hopes that the policy would be lifted by then.

When the restriction remained in effect, McElroy said, “SABC will help clubs pivot to the temporary food policy in any way they can” and provide guidance in reallocation transitions.

Frankovic continues to anticipate that future events will succeed in attracting students to attend, encouraged by meaningful events created by various club leaders.

“I am very hopeful for the spring semester, as I think there are a lot of exciting activities and opportunities for students to engage with,” Frankovic said.

Zuzanna Smurzynska, FCLC ’22 and president of the Campus Activities Board (CAB) at Lincoln Center, echoed Frankovic’s comments of optimism that a solid turnout of attendees was forecasted despite the preexisting policy.

CAB now has plans in progress of on-and off-campus events inducing a standard attendance rate, with hopes that food will be incorporated at all of the events following the revokement of the restriction.

“We are hoping for the rest of the semester to resemble more of a ‘normal’ spring semester... we do think that (food) might bolster our event attendance a bit,” Smurzynska said.

The unpredictability of the omicron variant has caused restrictions to change at Fordham and prompted a “go with the flow” mindset for planning events, according to Smurzynska. She said that support from fellow club members and their club adviser has made this feasible for the semester.

“Many students choose to attend club events in order to meet other students, because they connect with the mission of the club or because of an opportunity or activity at the event. ”

Christina Frankovic associate director for OSI

ALLIE STOFER/THE OBSERVER At Stove's first show of the semester, pizza and beverages were served. The event also had a large turnout.

“I am very hopeful for the spring semester, as I think there are a lot of exciting activities and opportunities for students to engage with.”

Christina Frankovic associate director for OSI

Contract Tracing Process Remains Unchanged

Despite claims of crowded classrooms and the omicron variant, no increase in contact tracing has been seen

By OLIVIA REYES Staff Writer

In order to allow for in-person classes, the Fordham administration employed a system of contact tracing for when an individual in a class tests positive. This system has been in effect since the fall of 2021. As students have returned to classes in the spring semester, many have reported an increase in receipts of contract-tracing notifications.

When an individual tests positive for COVID-19, there is a 20-step follow-up process to determine who they came into contact with, according to Associate Vice President for Public Safety John Carroll. This includes an interview with the COVID-positive individual and the process begins as soon as the contact tracers are informed of someone testing positive for COVID-19.

Those in close proximity with the infected individual may receive a notification alerting them to their close contact status, which is defined as being in contact “2 days from a person reporting symptoms or the day of their positive test, as recommended by the John Hopkins Contact training,” Robert Fitzer, director of Public Safety, said. The individual would also have had to be within six feet of the infected person for at least 15 minutes.

In accordance with guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Johns Hopkins Medicine states that contact tracing breaks the chain of transmission in disease outbreaks through a three-step process. These steps include encouraging the infected individual to isolate themselves, confidentially determining who the infected person has been in contact with and notifying those that have been near a COVID-positive individual to monitor their health for any symptoms.

Marie Atendido, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’24, said within the first week of the second semester, she had already been identified as a close contact and expressed concern about overcrowded classrooms.

“It was a bio class, and to be honest, there aren’t many open seats in that class–meaning we are pretty close together–which could pose a problem if/when someone tested positive and it spread,” she said.

Fitzer noted that once the close contacts of the infected individual have been identified, they are entered into a database. If the individual is fully vaccinated and received their booster vaccination, it is recommended that they receive a PCR test five days after exposure. Unvaccinated individuals are told to not attend classes in person, quarantine and call the Public Safety contact tracers immediately.

Despite the omicron variant of COVID-19 proving to be a more contagious strain of the initial virus, Carroll said the university has not altered its approach to contact tracing since the fall semester. He said that in comparison to the fall semester, “There has been no appreciable change in numbers being notified.”

During the fall semester, Public Safety identified 589 students in close contact with an infected individual, according to Fitzer. Out of the 589 cases, 366 came from Rose Hill and 223 from Lincoln Center. As of Feb. 15, there have been 330 close contacts during the spring semester, with 285 from Rose Hill and 45 from Lincoln Center.

“We have not experienced a relationship between class attendance and COVID spread,” Carroll said. “We have definitely seen a direct correlation with attendance at social events. Obviously there is a correlation between roommates both on and off campus.”

“We have not experienced a relationship between class attendance and COVID spread.”

John Carroll, associate vice president for Public Safety

HALEY KARINJA/THE OBSERVER Public Safety identified 589 students who came in close contact with someone who was infected in the fall semester. There has not been much of a change in numbers this semester.