Petition to End Campus Mask Mandate 

Let’s make wearing a mask on Chapman University’s campus optional!

This is a petition to support an individual’s freedom to choose whether or not to wear a mask on campus. This is an issue that is talked about frequently behind closed doors but is rarely spoken about publicly. The opinions of students and faculty should matter most.

On August 17th, Chapman reversed its plan from making mask-wearing on campus a choice to mandating it for all students, regardless of vaccination status. This is inconsistent with both the state of California and Orange County’s mask mandates for colleges and universities. 

As of October 15th, 2021, 93% of students, 97% of faculty, and 88% of staff are fully vaccinated. Chapman has 0 covid cases and has consistently held a less than 1% covid positivity rate among the student body for weeks. No deaths or serious hospitalizations have occurred in Chapman students since the return of in-person instruction.

Updated statistics can be found here: https://cusafelyback.chapman.edu/dashboard/ 

These positive numbers are the result of herd immunity from vaccination and prior infection and cannot be attributed to the strict masking policies, especially when it is clear that the Chapman student body does not mask appropriately. It is guaranteed that at least one of the following occurs in every class on campus:

• Masks are reused.
• Masks are dirty. 
• Masks are worn below the nose.
• Masks are taken off during class both by students and professors.
• Many students interact with each other maskless until a professor/staff member forces them to put one on.

Masking makes learning more difficult and contributes to a lost sense of community. Students with disabilities and mental illnesses, especially ones who are hard of hearing or experience respiratory issues, will find this even more challenging to communicate, make friends and connections, and enjoy their educational experience. 

Chapman has spent nearly 2 million dollars on classroom technology upgrades to support remote instruction for hybrid classes, why have the students not been able to take advantage of that investment. If a student does not feel comfortable being exposed to the community, they should have the option of zooming into their classes rather than mandating others to wear a mask.

We need to allow students to make decisions for themselves without the interference of Chapman University.