Background Information Supporting Our Petition
The SC State Colleges and Universities banned together to not end restrictions “too early” and have
been displaying that they have far more power than SC Elected Officials. Find their op ed in
Appendix A (below).
This is all because Governor Henry McMaster and most legislatures are allowing the unelected state
college leadership massive amounts of control when these colleges are owned and paid by the State.
The Legislatures are to have control of the spending and what goes on in these SC State Colleges. In
the end, the legislatures will have to answer to the voters in SC while the college leaders do not.
The Governor will also have to answer to why he does not protect the SC students, SC employees,
along with so many others from forced medical decisions.
Since Fall 2021 Georgia, Florida, and numerous other state colleges have no COVID-19 vaccine
requirements, no mask mandates in classrooms, and no required COVID-19 testing and have similar
or better results even while classes meeting in-person. It has been proven that the mandates can go.
Students and their families are seeing the differences in all the colleges and are starting to use
COVID-19 policies in making their choices of where to attend.
See current list of SC State Colleges & Universities that require masks in the classrooms here.
Mask Policy
Students and employees have been required to wear face coverings over the last 4 semesters in
nearly all instructional spaces, research labs, and on public transportation in all SC State Colleges and
Universities. Some SC State Colleges required masks in all indoor spaces and others required
everywhere.
There was never a goal stated to students or the employees about when mask restrictions may be
lifted or when might be placed back. The mask policies seem to go back and forth and announced
surprisingly to all.
Why The Mask Policy?
Face coverings have proven to not effectively stop the spread of a aerosol virus. Years of per-
pandemic planning documents led public health experts to initially discourage the use of masks. There
are numerous studies showing that medical masks raise carbon dioxide levels in the blood, suppress
the immune system by lowering arterial oxygen, and collect and colonize viruses, bacteria, microbes
and mold.
After this much time, it seems evident that the masks have been used as a tool to help make some
feel comfortable in leaving their homes.
So, why have the masks been required in the SC Colleges and Universities classrooms for so long?
Several Reasons:
Example of a Faculty Member Who Organized An Instructor Walk-Out August (2021)
There is a Clemson University faculty member who last fall orchestrated a WALK OUT on the first day
classes, August 18th, if masks were not required indoors. However this same faculty member had no
problems posting August 9th on Facebook that she was so excited for Open Mic Night at Kite Hill
Brewing Company to start. She said that “I'll be sipping their cucumber/lime Refresh seltzer and
playing some tunes. Come out to join in and/or listen.” Good for her for enjoying a night out, but how
insincere for her to refuse to teach in person without everyone in masks while being comfortable
hanging and singing in bars with crowds. See screenshots of her posts here.
Student-led Petition
In spring semester of 2022, a student-led petition at Clemson University to end the mask mandate was
posted to President Jim Clements' front door. The students pointed out the unequal enforcement of
masks on campus. They called out the university for hosting the indoor First Lady Gala in December
off campus without a masking requirements while requiring all students wear masks in classrooms.
Are the leaders of the SC Colleges and Universities really not that concerned over the use of masks?
Are University leaders only placating to the demands of some faculty who would demand masks for all
or classes back on-line?
Also, is tough to believe that guidelines need to be mandates while in the classrooms but not
everywhere else.
Another odd masking requirements going on at least at Clemson University - Requiring the pep band
and cheerleaders to wear masks at the basketball games while fans and the other students are not
required to wear masks during the games.
Required COVID Testing
There are two types of COVID-19 testing requirements in the colleges:
Each SC State College and Universities have vastly different COVID-19 testing requirements and
many SC State Colleges and Universities have never had required on-going COVID-19.
See Table 1(below) for a list of SC State Colleges and Universities and their COVID-19 testing requirements.
Clemson University students and employees have been required to test the most of all the SC State
Colleges. Since the fall semester of 2020, the University has required weekly testing of students and
weekly or bi-weekly testing of employees during the main fall and spring semesters in order to be
allowed into campus buildings. On February 14, 2022, Clemson University announced that they would
be moving to testing requirement of testing every 2-weeks at the end of the month from their every
week requirement.
If the student or employee is late in getting their test submitted or if test positive, then their access (via
cell phone / campus ID) to campus buildings are cut off. If positive, then it does not matter if you
submit additional negative tests – you are isolated. Policies change, and the current isolation and
quarantine as well as the testing policies of Clemson University can be found here.
Isolation Policies
SC State Colleges and Universities have similar isolation policies.
If you work or attend at one of the colleges that require on-going COVID-19 testing, then you are more
at risk of being caught off guard of finding yourself in forced isolation. Many who are not sick find
themselves testing positive for all reasons.
If a student tests positive and lives in on-campus housing, then you are told to leave during your
isolation period. The first few weeks of spring semester (2022) the case counts were so high that the
Clemson University's policy was to tell students who have permanent homes up to 6 hours away to
return home (to their parents). If the student's permanent home was over 6 hours away, then they
were provided isolation housing in a local hotel. Those who go to the University's isolation/quarantine
jail (hotel) are only allowed outside 1 hours per day during a specific time.
All students and employees who test positive are not allowed inside campus buildings. Employees
suddenly have no access to their offices. And students suddenly have to notify each instructor to work
out missing lectures, labs, exams and assignments. Each instructor handles this differently and there
have been many who make a stressful situation even more stressful. Some instructors threaten and
even give 0's for all in-class assignments, labs, quizzes, exams missed.
Discriminatory Quarantining of those without proof of COVID-19 shots and abusive policy
Nearly all of the SC State Colleges and Universities continue their policy of only quarantining those
students and employees who have not submitted their ever changing number of Covid-19 shot
records. Quarantine time periods vary greatly from 5 to 14 days.
The SC State Colleges and Universities ask all students and employees who test positive to provide
the name of any close contacts. Close contacts who have not received all recommended vaccine
doses, including boosters are required to quarantine for 5-14 days after being exposed to a known
positive case of COVID-19. If the individual remains asymptomatic during this quarantine, they will be
allowed to exit quarantine. An example of this policy can be found here at Clemson University and
here at University of SC in Columbia.
Those required to quarantine are locked out of the campus buildings including their campus dorms
and dining halls. Those that are quarantined are not sick and have tested negative in their last
required weekly COVID-19 testing.
Of course all roommates of the positive testing individual are considered a close contact. Also, anyone
who tests positive for COVID-19 can turn in anyone as a close contact whether true or not. The
individual who is contacted as being a close contact never is revealed who was positive that came in
close contact with them. There is no proof required that the person was ever actually a close contact.
The quarantine policy is easily abused and is inviting a form of bulling another at in the SC State
Colleges and Universities.
Once a student is quarantined or isolated, they must contact each of their instructors to work out how
to handle missed lectures, labs, exams, group projects etc. Each instructor handles this differently and
there have been many who make a stressful situation even more stressful. Some instructors threaten
and even give 0's for all in-class assignments, labs, quizzes, exams missed.
Policy Pushing COVID-19 Shots
The quarantine policy is favoring those who have submitted records of having all the University's
required number of COVID-19 shots. The University is treating employees and students who have had
the ever-changing required number of COVID-19 shots as if they can not get COVID-19 or spread
COVID-19 to others which has been proved false in SC and all around the world. This is spreading
false information.
The SC State Colleges and Universities are punishing those who have not taken the
current number of required COVID-19 shots with this discriminating quarantine policy. This appears to
be the University's way of “requiring” the vaccines which is not allowed by current legislation.
Clemson University's COVID-19 Testing Lab
It is great that the SC State College and University students and employees who are sick or want
testing have access to the COVID-19 testing.
However, the testing should voluntary for all and mandatory for none.
Clemson University, the university that has been requiring the most testing, has their own on-site
state-funded test lab.
Clemson University began requiring testing of all students and employees during the summer of 2020.
In October of 2021 it was reported by the University that they received a commitment of $6.9 million by
Governor McMaster and the SC Legislature Joint Bond Review Committee for their own PCR testing
lab. The University reported that each test costs approximately $8 and that their lab has capacity to do
9,000 saliva tests per day after the expansion from the state funding. The lab has processed nearly all
the on-going required student and employee tests as well for those in the greater Clemson area. As of
February 11, 2022, a total of 987,744 COVID-19 tests of students and employees of the University
have been reported on the University Dashboard since August 16, 2020. The vast majority of these
tests were processed in the University's own lab. By next week the students and employees of the
University will have tested over 1 million times since the fall semester of 2020.
Why Mandatory Testing Continues
As long as the University keeps receiving adequate funds from the state of SC (Governor McMaster
and Legislatures), the mandatory testing will continue. There is no good reason for all this state money
being used for extreme testing the students and employees. DHEC announced that testing should be
for those with symptoms or for close contacts. The emergency is over.
Clemson University is also providing the testing data for research using grant money. More can
be read on the lab's on website about Clemson granting $135,000 for COVID-19 research.
For instance this from the website - “Clemson University researchers have gathered large amounts of de-
identified data, thanks to the collective efforts of faculty, students and staff to respond to COVID-19
with a comprehensive testing program,” he said. “The data will be crucial in developing novel, cross-
disciplinary strategies to address COVID-19 on campus and the surrounding community. The CUSHR
COVID Research Launch Grants provides critical seed funding for research that can help us find new
solutions to this pandemic and come out of COVID stronger.”
There is no problem with research. However, it is wrong to force people to be part of research and
to use their data and perhaps even their own genetic material that is taken from them weekly.
There is no clear consent of approval in using the student's and employee's data and genetic
material for research. If there is approval, it should be voluntary and not required for class
registration access, employed requirements, or to even have use of the Clemson COVID-19
testing service.
The governor and the legislatures should not allow the University to use the students and employees
as forced lab rats. All the money to operate this lab and receive additional grant dollars using the data
they collect from all testing seems to be reason enough that the University will continue fighting that
mandatory testing of students and employees remain.
No Mandates of Testing, Masks, or Vaccines at Many Other Schools
The University of South Carolina has had and still requiring 1/month testing. The College of
Charleston does not and has no requirement of on-going COVID-19 testing of students or employees.
See Table 1 for a list of SC State Colleges and Universities and their mandatory COVID-19 policies.
In the neighboring state of Georgia, the University System of Georgia declared in May 2020: no mask
requirements (not even inside classrooms), no vaccine mandates, and no required testing for students
or employees. Since the summer of 2020 these Georgia Colleges and Universities have been in-person and
operating as they were prior to March 2019. These colleges include: Abraham Baldwin Agricultural
College, Albany State University, Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Augusta University, Clayton State
University, College of Coastal Georgia, Columbus State University, Dalton State College, East Georgia
State College, Fort Valley State College, Georgia College and State University, Georgia Gwinnett
College, Georgia Highlands College, Georgia Institute of Technology (Ga Tech), Georgia Southern
University, Georgia Southwestern State University, Georgia State University, Gordon State College,
Kennesaw State College, Middle Georgia State University, Savannah State University, South Georgia
State College, University of Georgia, University of North Georgia, University of West Georgia, Valdosta
State University.
All the state schools in Florida (too many to list) have done the same including FSU and University of
Florida.
Other states have done the same and are repealing their COVID-19 mandates.
There is no unusual outbreak of COVID-19, sickness, or deaths at any of these universities or colleges
or in their very different communities. Many of these schools are in rural areas with limited health care
options and others are located in dense city areas.
Having testing available for those who want it along with safe and healthy recommendations have worked as well or even arguably much better for many universities and colleges.
The emergency is over! Please stop.
It Is Time Make SC College Great Again and to Put Students First
The SC State College and University leaders and faculty should be taking a stand for making the
learning experience for students the best that they can by being in-person and without masks. These
young adults can never redo these years of their lives and much has been sacrificed by parents and
tax payers of South Carolina for these students to have a great education.
If some instructors at the university do not want to teach students in-person without forcing them to
wear face coverings, then at this point they should consider if they should be continue teaching. These
instructors are showing their lack of care for their students, and this may not be the best profession for
them.
Masks hinder learning. The classroom experience is not the same with masks being worn by
everyone. Face coverings hinder communication which is essential in an effective classroom setting. It
is difficult to be heard while speaking with a face covering, and it is difficult to hear. Students have
never seen the faces of most of their instructors.
Some instructors have applied mental stress to their students telling the students that the safety of the instructor, the instructor's family is all dependent on the students to not get them sick. This March, the students will have sacrificed already 2 years of their
education to help others. Whether they wear masks or not, are vaccinated or not, or test or not
when they have no symptoms - the students are not to blame for COVID-19.
We have COVID-19 vaccinations and those that want them have had access to them. Also, we have
much information about who are more vulnerable and how preventive measures can help one to boost
their immune systems. We have ways to protect our elderly or compromised love ones and to keep
them isolated if they desire.
It is time to stop the blame and promote health and not fear. So many states and other universities are
concluding this very thing and removing mandates.
The emergency is over. We are not tired of COVID but of tyranny.
If COVID-19 mandates are not removed, then we will not forget at election time, when our friends ask us whether
SC State College is a good choice for their children to attend, and when we are asked to donate to our
SC State College or University.
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TABLE 1 – List of SC Colleges and Universities and their COVID-19 mandates on Feb. 25, 2022
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Appendix 2:
Commentary 12 SC college presidents: Don’t end COVID measures too soon
BY FRED CARTER, BOB CASLEN, JAMES E. CLARK, JIM CLEMENTS, DAVID J. COLE, J. DERHAM COLE
JR., DAVID A. DECENZO, ANDREW T. HSU, GEORGE W. HYND, SANDRA J. JORDAN, RICHARD E.
COSENTINO AND AL M. PANU Al M. Panu, chancellor University of South Carolina Beaufort
Sep 25, 2020 Updated Jul 19, 2021
College and universities, which are usually the settings for large, exuberant crowds and many face-to-
face gatherings, are having to do the best they can while also following best practices of wearing face
coverings and social distancing in order to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19, as outlined by the
Centers for Disease Control and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
South Carolina’s colleges and universities have each done considerable work to reduce class sizes and
manage foot traffic in and around our academic buildings, residence halls, dining facilities, stadiums
and arenas.
We have established face covering requirements, hand-washing and sanitizing stations, deep-cleaning
protocols and routines for wiping down desks and common spaces. We have communicated regularly
with our university communities, including parents and families, to ensure understanding of these “new
normal” behaviors.
But this is only part of the solution.
Our students are not on campus 24/7. As they navigate the towns and cities in which they reside, the
close partnerships that universities and colleges have with the governor’s office, mayors’ offices and
city and county councils have been critical for maintaining consistent public health protocols off
campus.
As presidents representing every corner of this state, we know this is a big lift for everyone in South
Carolina. We know that the many different coronavirus-related ordinances and governor’s orders
require uncommon sacrifices of convenience and money. However, if these ordinances and orders are
lifted prematurely and the virus sees a resurgence in the state, the potential short-term gains of some
could mean catastrophic long-term losses to others, both in lives lost and businesses closed.
We are grateful to Gov. Henry McMaster and all our elected officials at the state and local levels for
adopting ordinances and passing statewide legislation over the summer to keep South Carolina on the
right path.
And we call on these elected officials to hold fast to these measures. Efforts to require face coverings,
regulate high-risk commercial activity and limit large gatherings where social distancing is not practical
are working and are helping reduce the spread and transmission of this virus. Our greatest fear is that if
these safeguards are removed too soon, we may end up back where we were in the spring — shutting
down our campuses and, by extension, jeopardizing the economic health of our cities and towns. This
is something no one wants.
As of this writing, South Carolina is seeing an overall decrease in the number of actual positive cases
(7-day average) and in the percentage of positives in those tested — a trend we all want to see continue.
We’ve come this far; let’s not jeopardize our progress by relaxing protocols too soon. We all look
forward to the day when we can hear each other more clearly without the muffled sounds of face
coverings and gather in large groups without worrying about how many feet separate us.
Let’s stay patient and look to the day when we can truly enjoy the roar of the crowd — the sound of our
collective victory.
Fred Carter is president of Francis Marion University; Bob Caslen is president of the University of
South Carolina; James Clark is president of S.C. State University; Jim Clements is president of
Clemson University; David Cole is president of the Medical University of South Carolina; Derham
Cole is interim chancellor of the University of South Carolina Upstate; David DeCenzo is president of
Coastal Carolina University; Richard E. Cosentino is president of Lander University; Andrew Hsu is
president of the College of Charleston; George Hynd is interim president of Winthrop University;
Sandra J. Jordan is chancellor at University of South Carolina
been displaying that they have far more power than SC Elected Officials. Find their op ed in
Appendix A (below).
This is all because Governor Henry McMaster and most legislatures are allowing the unelected state
college leadership massive amounts of control when these colleges are owned and paid by the State.
The Legislatures are to have control of the spending and what goes on in these SC State Colleges. In
the end, the legislatures will have to answer to the voters in SC while the college leaders do not.
The Governor will also have to answer to why he does not protect the SC students, SC employees,
along with so many others from forced medical decisions.
Since Fall 2021 Georgia, Florida, and numerous other state colleges have no COVID-19 vaccine
requirements, no mask mandates in classrooms, and no required COVID-19 testing and have similar
or better results even while classes meeting in-person. It has been proven that the mandates can go.
Students and their families are seeing the differences in all the colleges and are starting to use
COVID-19 policies in making their choices of where to attend.
See current list of SC State Colleges & Universities that require masks in the classrooms here.
Mask Policy
Students and employees have been required to wear face coverings over the last 4 semesters in
nearly all instructional spaces, research labs, and on public transportation in all SC State Colleges and
Universities. Some SC State Colleges required masks in all indoor spaces and others required
everywhere.
There was never a goal stated to students or the employees about when mask restrictions may be
lifted or when might be placed back. The mask policies seem to go back and forth and announced
surprisingly to all.
Why The Mask Policy?
Face coverings have proven to not effectively stop the spread of a aerosol virus. Years of per-
pandemic planning documents led public health experts to initially discourage the use of masks. There
are numerous studies showing that medical masks raise carbon dioxide levels in the blood, suppress
the immune system by lowering arterial oxygen, and collect and colonize viruses, bacteria, microbes
and mold.
After this much time, it seems evident that the masks have been used as a tool to help make some
feel comfortable in leaving their homes.
So, why have the masks been required in the SC Colleges and Universities classrooms for so long?
Several Reasons:
- Politicians and leaders hiding behind CDC and DHEC guidelines and COVID
consultants/policy “experts” and turning guidelines into mandates. The recommendations
seem to change suddenly and without reason. More importantly though - These COVID
guidelines / recommendations are not laws and the state of SC leaders need to keep
recommendations from turning into requirements for all. - The SC Governor McMaster and the SC Legislatures will not make laws protecting the people
of SC from these COVID mandates of things that we use to take for granted were personal
individual decisions. - Some faculty members in the colleges (a) enjoy working from their home or (a) scared of the
students and refuse to teach in-person if students are not required to mask or (c) both. These
faculty members demand loudly that they are not going back in the classrooms without mask
mandates.
Example of a Faculty Member Who Organized An Instructor Walk-Out August (2021)
There is a Clemson University faculty member who last fall orchestrated a WALK OUT on the first day
classes, August 18th, if masks were not required indoors. However this same faculty member had no
problems posting August 9th on Facebook that she was so excited for Open Mic Night at Kite Hill
Brewing Company to start. She said that “I'll be sipping their cucumber/lime Refresh seltzer and
playing some tunes. Come out to join in and/or listen.” Good for her for enjoying a night out, but how
insincere for her to refuse to teach in person without everyone in masks while being comfortable
hanging and singing in bars with crowds. See screenshots of her posts here.
Student-led Petition
In spring semester of 2022, a student-led petition at Clemson University to end the mask mandate was
posted to President Jim Clements' front door. The students pointed out the unequal enforcement of
masks on campus. They called out the university for hosting the indoor First Lady Gala in December
off campus without a masking requirements while requiring all students wear masks in classrooms.
Are the leaders of the SC Colleges and Universities really not that concerned over the use of masks?
Are University leaders only placating to the demands of some faculty who would demand masks for all
or classes back on-line?
Also, is tough to believe that guidelines need to be mandates while in the classrooms but not
everywhere else.
Another odd masking requirements going on at least at Clemson University - Requiring the pep band
and cheerleaders to wear masks at the basketball games while fans and the other students are not
required to wear masks during the games.
Required COVID Testing
There are two types of COVID-19 testing requirements in the colleges:
- Incoming: Testing required prior to returning to dorms or classes.
- On-Going: Testing mandated throughout the semester.
Each SC State College and Universities have vastly different COVID-19 testing requirements and
many SC State Colleges and Universities have never had required on-going COVID-19.
See Table 1(below) for a list of SC State Colleges and Universities and their COVID-19 testing requirements.
Clemson University students and employees have been required to test the most of all the SC State
Colleges. Since the fall semester of 2020, the University has required weekly testing of students and
weekly or bi-weekly testing of employees during the main fall and spring semesters in order to be
allowed into campus buildings. On February 14, 2022, Clemson University announced that they would
be moving to testing requirement of testing every 2-weeks at the end of the month from their every
week requirement.
If the student or employee is late in getting their test submitted or if test positive, then their access (via
cell phone / campus ID) to campus buildings are cut off. If positive, then it does not matter if you
submit additional negative tests – you are isolated. Policies change, and the current isolation and
quarantine as well as the testing policies of Clemson University can be found here.
Isolation Policies
SC State Colleges and Universities have similar isolation policies.
If you work or attend at one of the colleges that require on-going COVID-19 testing, then you are more
at risk of being caught off guard of finding yourself in forced isolation. Many who are not sick find
themselves testing positive for all reasons.
If a student tests positive and lives in on-campus housing, then you are told to leave during your
isolation period. The first few weeks of spring semester (2022) the case counts were so high that the
Clemson University's policy was to tell students who have permanent homes up to 6 hours away to
return home (to their parents). If the student's permanent home was over 6 hours away, then they
were provided isolation housing in a local hotel. Those who go to the University's isolation/quarantine
jail (hotel) are only allowed outside 1 hours per day during a specific time.
All students and employees who test positive are not allowed inside campus buildings. Employees
suddenly have no access to their offices. And students suddenly have to notify each instructor to work
out missing lectures, labs, exams and assignments. Each instructor handles this differently and there
have been many who make a stressful situation even more stressful. Some instructors threaten and
even give 0's for all in-class assignments, labs, quizzes, exams missed.
Discriminatory Quarantining of those without proof of COVID-19 shots and abusive policy
Nearly all of the SC State Colleges and Universities continue their policy of only quarantining those
students and employees who have not submitted their ever changing number of Covid-19 shot
records. Quarantine time periods vary greatly from 5 to 14 days.
The SC State Colleges and Universities ask all students and employees who test positive to provide
the name of any close contacts. Close contacts who have not received all recommended vaccine
doses, including boosters are required to quarantine for 5-14 days after being exposed to a known
positive case of COVID-19. If the individual remains asymptomatic during this quarantine, they will be
allowed to exit quarantine. An example of this policy can be found here at Clemson University and
here at University of SC in Columbia.
Those required to quarantine are locked out of the campus buildings including their campus dorms
and dining halls. Those that are quarantined are not sick and have tested negative in their last
required weekly COVID-19 testing.
Of course all roommates of the positive testing individual are considered a close contact. Also, anyone
who tests positive for COVID-19 can turn in anyone as a close contact whether true or not. The
individual who is contacted as being a close contact never is revealed who was positive that came in
close contact with them. There is no proof required that the person was ever actually a close contact.
The quarantine policy is easily abused and is inviting a form of bulling another at in the SC State
Colleges and Universities.
Once a student is quarantined or isolated, they must contact each of their instructors to work out how
to handle missed lectures, labs, exams, group projects etc. Each instructor handles this differently and
there have been many who make a stressful situation even more stressful. Some instructors threaten
and even give 0's for all in-class assignments, labs, quizzes, exams missed.
Policy Pushing COVID-19 Shots
The quarantine policy is favoring those who have submitted records of having all the University's
required number of COVID-19 shots. The University is treating employees and students who have had
the ever-changing required number of COVID-19 shots as if they can not get COVID-19 or spread
COVID-19 to others which has been proved false in SC and all around the world. This is spreading
false information.
The SC State Colleges and Universities are punishing those who have not taken the
current number of required COVID-19 shots with this discriminating quarantine policy. This appears to
be the University's way of “requiring” the vaccines which is not allowed by current legislation.
Clemson University's COVID-19 Testing Lab
It is great that the SC State College and University students and employees who are sick or want
testing have access to the COVID-19 testing.
However, the testing should voluntary for all and mandatory for none.
Clemson University, the university that has been requiring the most testing, has their own on-site
state-funded test lab.
Clemson University began requiring testing of all students and employees during the summer of 2020.
In October of 2021 it was reported by the University that they received a commitment of $6.9 million by
Governor McMaster and the SC Legislature Joint Bond Review Committee for their own PCR testing
lab. The University reported that each test costs approximately $8 and that their lab has capacity to do
9,000 saliva tests per day after the expansion from the state funding. The lab has processed nearly all
the on-going required student and employee tests as well for those in the greater Clemson area. As of
February 11, 2022, a total of 987,744 COVID-19 tests of students and employees of the University
have been reported on the University Dashboard since August 16, 2020. The vast majority of these
tests were processed in the University's own lab. By next week the students and employees of the
University will have tested over 1 million times since the fall semester of 2020.
Why Mandatory Testing Continues
As long as the University keeps receiving adequate funds from the state of SC (Governor McMaster
and Legislatures), the mandatory testing will continue. There is no good reason for all this state money
being used for extreme testing the students and employees. DHEC announced that testing should be
for those with symptoms or for close contacts. The emergency is over.
Clemson University is also providing the testing data for research using grant money. More can
be read on the lab's on website about Clemson granting $135,000 for COVID-19 research.
For instance this from the website - “Clemson University researchers have gathered large amounts of de-
identified data, thanks to the collective efforts of faculty, students and staff to respond to COVID-19
with a comprehensive testing program,” he said. “The data will be crucial in developing novel, cross-
disciplinary strategies to address COVID-19 on campus and the surrounding community. The CUSHR
COVID Research Launch Grants provides critical seed funding for research that can help us find new
solutions to this pandemic and come out of COVID stronger.”
There is no problem with research. However, it is wrong to force people to be part of research and
to use their data and perhaps even their own genetic material that is taken from them weekly.
There is no clear consent of approval in using the student's and employee's data and genetic
material for research. If there is approval, it should be voluntary and not required for class
registration access, employed requirements, or to even have use of the Clemson COVID-19
testing service.
The governor and the legislatures should not allow the University to use the students and employees
as forced lab rats. All the money to operate this lab and receive additional grant dollars using the data
they collect from all testing seems to be reason enough that the University will continue fighting that
mandatory testing of students and employees remain.
No Mandates of Testing, Masks, or Vaccines at Many Other Schools
The University of South Carolina has had and still requiring 1/month testing. The College of
Charleston does not and has no requirement of on-going COVID-19 testing of students or employees.
See Table 1 for a list of SC State Colleges and Universities and their mandatory COVID-19 policies.
In the neighboring state of Georgia, the University System of Georgia declared in May 2020: no mask
requirements (not even inside classrooms), no vaccine mandates, and no required testing for students
or employees. Since the summer of 2020 these Georgia Colleges and Universities have been in-person and
operating as they were prior to March 2019. These colleges include: Abraham Baldwin Agricultural
College, Albany State University, Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Augusta University, Clayton State
University, College of Coastal Georgia, Columbus State University, Dalton State College, East Georgia
State College, Fort Valley State College, Georgia College and State University, Georgia Gwinnett
College, Georgia Highlands College, Georgia Institute of Technology (Ga Tech), Georgia Southern
University, Georgia Southwestern State University, Georgia State University, Gordon State College,
Kennesaw State College, Middle Georgia State University, Savannah State University, South Georgia
State College, University of Georgia, University of North Georgia, University of West Georgia, Valdosta
State University.
All the state schools in Florida (too many to list) have done the same including FSU and University of
Florida.
Other states have done the same and are repealing their COVID-19 mandates.
There is no unusual outbreak of COVID-19, sickness, or deaths at any of these universities or colleges
or in their very different communities. Many of these schools are in rural areas with limited health care
options and others are located in dense city areas.
Having testing available for those who want it along with safe and healthy recommendations have worked as well or even arguably much better for many universities and colleges.
The emergency is over! Please stop.
It Is Time Make SC College Great Again and to Put Students First
The SC State College and University leaders and faculty should be taking a stand for making the
learning experience for students the best that they can by being in-person and without masks. These
young adults can never redo these years of their lives and much has been sacrificed by parents and
tax payers of South Carolina for these students to have a great education.
If some instructors at the university do not want to teach students in-person without forcing them to
wear face coverings, then at this point they should consider if they should be continue teaching. These
instructors are showing their lack of care for their students, and this may not be the best profession for
them.
Masks hinder learning. The classroom experience is not the same with masks being worn by
everyone. Face coverings hinder communication which is essential in an effective classroom setting. It
is difficult to be heard while speaking with a face covering, and it is difficult to hear. Students have
never seen the faces of most of their instructors.
Some instructors have applied mental stress to their students telling the students that the safety of the instructor, the instructor's family is all dependent on the students to not get them sick. This March, the students will have sacrificed already 2 years of their
education to help others. Whether they wear masks or not, are vaccinated or not, or test or not
when they have no symptoms - the students are not to blame for COVID-19.
We have COVID-19 vaccinations and those that want them have had access to them. Also, we have
much information about who are more vulnerable and how preventive measures can help one to boost
their immune systems. We have ways to protect our elderly or compromised love ones and to keep
them isolated if they desire.
It is time to stop the blame and promote health and not fear. So many states and other universities are
concluding this very thing and removing mandates.
The emergency is over. We are not tired of COVID but of tyranny.
If COVID-19 mandates are not removed, then we will not forget at election time, when our friends ask us whether
SC State College is a good choice for their children to attend, and when we are asked to donate to our
SC State College or University.
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TABLE 1 – List of SC Colleges and Universities and their COVID-19 mandates on Feb. 25, 2022
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Appendix 2:
Commentary 12 SC college presidents: Don’t end COVID measures too soon
BY FRED CARTER, BOB CASLEN, JAMES E. CLARK, JIM CLEMENTS, DAVID J. COLE, J. DERHAM COLE
JR., DAVID A. DECENZO, ANDREW T. HSU, GEORGE W. HYND, SANDRA J. JORDAN, RICHARD E.
COSENTINO AND AL M. PANU Al M. Panu, chancellor University of South Carolina Beaufort
Sep 25, 2020 Updated Jul 19, 2021
College and universities, which are usually the settings for large, exuberant crowds and many face-to-
face gatherings, are having to do the best they can while also following best practices of wearing face
coverings and social distancing in order to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19, as outlined by the
Centers for Disease Control and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
South Carolina’s colleges and universities have each done considerable work to reduce class sizes and
manage foot traffic in and around our academic buildings, residence halls, dining facilities, stadiums
and arenas.
We have established face covering requirements, hand-washing and sanitizing stations, deep-cleaning
protocols and routines for wiping down desks and common spaces. We have communicated regularly
with our university communities, including parents and families, to ensure understanding of these “new
normal” behaviors.
But this is only part of the solution.
Our students are not on campus 24/7. As they navigate the towns and cities in which they reside, the
close partnerships that universities and colleges have with the governor’s office, mayors’ offices and
city and county councils have been critical for maintaining consistent public health protocols off
campus.
As presidents representing every corner of this state, we know this is a big lift for everyone in South
Carolina. We know that the many different coronavirus-related ordinances and governor’s orders
require uncommon sacrifices of convenience and money. However, if these ordinances and orders are
lifted prematurely and the virus sees a resurgence in the state, the potential short-term gains of some
could mean catastrophic long-term losses to others, both in lives lost and businesses closed.
We are grateful to Gov. Henry McMaster and all our elected officials at the state and local levels for
adopting ordinances and passing statewide legislation over the summer to keep South Carolina on the
right path.
And we call on these elected officials to hold fast to these measures. Efforts to require face coverings,
regulate high-risk commercial activity and limit large gatherings where social distancing is not practical
are working and are helping reduce the spread and transmission of this virus. Our greatest fear is that if
these safeguards are removed too soon, we may end up back where we were in the spring — shutting
down our campuses and, by extension, jeopardizing the economic health of our cities and towns. This
is something no one wants.
As of this writing, South Carolina is seeing an overall decrease in the number of actual positive cases
(7-day average) and in the percentage of positives in those tested — a trend we all want to see continue.
We’ve come this far; let’s not jeopardize our progress by relaxing protocols too soon. We all look
forward to the day when we can hear each other more clearly without the muffled sounds of face
coverings and gather in large groups without worrying about how many feet separate us.
Let’s stay patient and look to the day when we can truly enjoy the roar of the crowd — the sound of our
collective victory.
Fred Carter is president of Francis Marion University; Bob Caslen is president of the University of
South Carolina; James Clark is president of S.C. State University; Jim Clements is president of
Clemson University; David Cole is president of the Medical University of South Carolina; Derham
Cole is interim chancellor of the University of South Carolina Upstate; David DeCenzo is president of
Coastal Carolina University; Richard E. Cosentino is president of Lander University; Andrew Hsu is
president of the College of Charleston; George Hynd is interim president of Winthrop University;
Sandra J. Jordan is chancellor at University of South Carolina
