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December 2021

Response from Chancellor’s Office

Scoggins, MatthewFri 12/3/2021 5:41 PM Dr. McAlpin, This acknowledges your e-mail to Chancellor Plowman. The issues you raised have been addressed by the administration in previous campus communications, including the e-mail from the Chancellor on Wednesday in which she outlined the constraints placed on the University as a result of Tennessee law and the preliminary injunction against enforcement of the applicable federal executive order. As we have throughout the pandemic, we will continue to monitor and respond appropriately to changes in local and campus health conditions and the legal landscape. Matthew Scoggins Chief of Staff Office of the Chancellor 533 Andy Holt Tower 1331 Circle… Read More »Response from Chancellor’s Office

Letter to Chancellor Plowman Regarding Masks

The following was just sent (Friday 12.3.21 around 10:30 am) to Chancellor Plowman and Provost Zomchick on behalf of UCW and the UTK AAUP: Dear Chancellor Plowman, We are writing to request that the UT Knoxville campus follow CDC guidelines regarding masking indoors, reinstate the mask mandate, and allow those who can to work remotely, immediately, in the interest of keeping our campus safe from COVID. The CDC currently recommends that everyone in areas of substantial or high transmission wear a mask in public indoor places, even if they are fully vaccinated. Moreover, in Knox County, the CDC reports that the average positivity rate is 8.22%… Read More »Letter to Chancellor Plowman Regarding Masks

New York Times Reports on Chilling Effects of “China Initiative” and Dr. Anming Hu

On November 28, 2021, the New York Times published As U.S. Hunts for Chinese Spies, University Scientists Warn of Backlash.  According to the report, a chilling effect has taken hold on American campuses, contributing to an outflow of academic talent that may hurt the United States while benefiting Beijing.  The trial of Dr. Hu, who worked at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, is being held up as a clear example of government overreach. He was under house arrest for 18 months during the investigation with no job or income, reliant on GoFundMe donations for his legal defense fees. Neighbors and church friends delivered groceries and took out… Read More »New York Times Reports on Chilling Effects of “China Initiative” and Dr. Anming Hu

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