Dear SMU community,
SMU is no longer requiring masks to be worn on campus with a few exceptions. The mask requirement is lifted immediately except in classrooms and the Dr. Bob Smith Health Center. Masks will continue to be required in all classrooms for the duration of the current term which concludes on May 28.
Starting with the June term, faculty will have the discretion to require masks in their instructional spaces (classrooms, labs, etc.) as well as during research activities. Faculty members will communicate this information prior to the start of the course and include a clear statement about the classroom mask requirement in their syllabus. Masks must still be worn in the health center in accordance with state requirements for health care facilities.
The President’s Executive Council (PEC) made this decision after considering input from SMU’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Medical guidance and a sharp reduction in COVID-19 cases on and off campus, including no new cases, isolations or quarantines reported at SMU since May 5, contributed to this decision.
As SMU continues to make the transition toward regular campus operations this fall, it is important to recognize that some people in our community may not be vaccinated and/or may choose to wear a mask for their own protection and that of others. Please continue to show respect for individual decisions and responses to the health concerns of the pandemic.
For an updated timeline of the mask requirements and other modifications in campus safety protocols, click here.