FSU Changes Campus-Wide Masking Policy Days After Spring Break

A campus-wide email went out this morning altering FSU’s masking policy for all faculty, staff, students, and visitors. As of 11:00 AM today, March 31st, masking is optional for campus community members in all campus buildings, including classrooms and residence halls. The email was sent out at 10:56 AM, just four minutes before the altered masking policy took effect.

The change comes just four days after students returned from spring break, the first weeklong break students had in two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Changes in masking policy was hinted at for several weeks leading into spring break, but it was promised to the community that the impact of COVID on students would be a key factor in how quickly a new change would go into effect.
• Students were implored to utilize the on campus rapid testing center this week in an earlier campus-wide email.
• COVID testing data is compiled and sent out to the campus each week on Tuesdays, so the COVID implications of spring break travel are still yet to be available to the public.
  • Now, questions about whether emails ahead of time primed students to be less likely to test when coming back to campus in order to fulfill new masking policy.