Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued Executive Order No. 84 on Aug. 16, affirming individualized decisions regarding mask-wearing in public places of learning during the COVID pandemic.
As a result of Governor Lee’s Executive Order 84, the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) added the following recommendation:
“Colleges should encourage faculty, students, and staff to wear masks in indoor settings where social distancing is not possible. Institutions should not have a mask mandate or requirement.
If a student, faculty, or staff member declines to wear a mask, the institution should not take disciplinary action.
Individual faculty members are not permitted to require that masks be worn during instructional activities or to treat the failure to wear a mask as a basis for removing a student from class.
The System Office recognizes that many people on both sides of this issue have deeply held feelings and beliefs, and we recognize the polarizing nature of decisions regarding masks. Institutions should encourage everyone to avoid confrontation and to try to lower the temperature as we all try to navigate the current phase of the COVID pandemic.”
Motlow State Community College encourages faculty, students and staff to wear masks in indoor settings where social distancing is not possible.
