Help this petition reach Joyce McConnell's desk!

My name is Jade and I am currently a third-year student at CSU studying Data Science wanting to address the current mask policy at CSU. For two years now, we have listened and complied with CSU's requests in hopes of them following the guidance of Larimer County. In an email sent just before the fall semester (August 3, 2021), the CSU Pandemic Preparedness Team made this abundantly clear stating that they would "continue to work closely with the Larimer County Health Department to understand and assess changing information and how it can be best applied to our university." This is a striking contrast to the email that Joyce McConnell sent this year shortly after the announcement of Larimer County lifting the indoor mask mandate. February 10th of this year, Joyce McConnell sent an email to the student body in response to Larimer's lifted mask mandate saying "Colorado State University will follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines" instead of Larimer County's guidelines as they promised in 2021. She also acknowledges that "Larimer County has made the decision--in conversation with national, state and local public health officials." Two contradicting statements that I believe Joyce McConnell should address to the student body. Not only that, but CSU has seen a drastic decline in positivity rates and an increase in vaccination rates.

With nearly 90% of CSU students vaccinated and just shy of 9,000 students testing positive for COVID-19 since May 2020 (almost 2 years ago), it’s time to follow the guidance of the Larimer County Health Department and end CSU’s mask mandate. In an email sent to the student body, Joyce McConnell stated that "[Colorado State] currently has less than 1% positivity rate on the saliva tests ... Meanwhile, the number of members of the CSU community who report that they have been vaccinated and boosted continues to rise." She goes on in the email to suggest that those two statistics alone is why saliva screenings are no longer mandatory and antigen tests voluntary. With the positivity rate decreasing, vaccination/booster rate increasing, and Larimer County hospitalizations on the decline, the mask mandate on campus should follow that of Larimer County.
The University of Colorado has already taken steps to allow masks to be optional on campus starting March 7th. It's time to let Joyce McConnell know that it is time to lift the mandate at CSU!

Did you know? According to Larimer County, public universities are not on the list of state or federal entities that still require masks, yet CSU still requires masks.

All information relevant information linked here:  Larimer County Mask Mandate CSU COVID Dashboard CSU Vaccine Stats