Access to an engineering building was restricted to students after repeated university masking violations, according to an email Aerospace Engineering Department Chair David Marshall sent students on Feb. 14.
Marshall announced in the email that access to “department spaces” on the third floor of Engineering IV (building 192) would be limited until further notice. He said students weren’t complying with mask requirements on Friday, Feb. 11 in the building, leading to an “escalated” situation.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first incident of reported face covering violations, nor is [it] the first time that there has been refusal to comply,” Marshall wrote in the email. “All of this [is] not acceptable and has led us to the conclusion that we are currently not able to maintain a safe unsupervised environment for our students.”
Rooms with door codes in Engineering IV will only be open to classes and activities supervised by aerospace faculty members until it is certain that they “will be a safe space for all students.”
Cal Poly lifted its mask mandate in some campus spaces for fully vaccinated people, but masks are still required in classroom and lab settings such as the Engineering IV building.
Marshall reprimanded students for failing to follow proper masking guidelines despite entering the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“How to properly wear a face covering over both your nose and mouth has been a constant requirement, and it should be well ingrained in everyone’s daily routine,” Marshall wrote. “This is a safety measure that is intended to keep you, your peers, and our entire community safe.”
Marshall emphasized that students will have to follow numerous safety procedures as future aerospace engineers.
“I know this will be an inconvenience for many of you,” Marshall wrote, “but I hope you understand that we have a commitment to safety in our department.”