MUNCIE, Ind. — Effective July 1, Ball State University began requiring everyone on campus to wear face masks or shields covering their mouths and noses while inside university buildings.
Faculty are applauding the decision, which follows in the footsteps of Indiana and Purdue universities, where masks were mandated beginning June 1 and May 26, respectively.
"Everything points to masks helping tremendously," said Karen Kessler, a BSU professor of theater. "If this experiment of being open is going to work, we have to do everything we can to keep people safe … I don’t want to have to police my classrooms, so a mandatory order helps with that."
One BSU faculty member views mask wearing as a symbol of love, and another calls it a small price to pay for returning to campus.
It remains to be seen how much support masks will receive among students, 16,000 or so of whom are expected to be taking classes in person when school re-opens next month.
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