This resolution establishes an ad-hoc committee to plan for COVID-19 and its variants at Penn State University. It was introduced in response to new CDC reports showing the Delta variant is highly transmissible, including among vaccinated individuals. The committee will create plans to minimize negative student impacts from preventative measures, while preserving effectiveness. It will also advocate for students and promote well-being alongside existing university resources.

1. THE UNIVERSITY PARK UNDERGRADUATE ASSOCIATION
The Pennsylvania State University
16th Assembly
2021 - 2022 Session
Resolution #06-16
August 19, 2021
Be it decided by the Assembly of Student Representatives,
having been brought to the floor by the Committee on Facilities,
a
RESOLUTION
Establishing an Ad-Hoc Committee on Continued Policy and Planning for
COVID-19 and Its Variants
Nature of the Situation:
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On July 30, 2021, the CDC issued an Early Release of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
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Report (MMWR) where a case study was conducted in Provincetown, MA. In this case study, it
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was found that, during a pride-related event, 496 COVID-19 cases were identified with 346 of
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said cases (74%) occurring in fully vaccinated patients. A total of 120 patients in a random
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sample of 133 (90%) were found to have the Delta variant of COVID-19. Overall, 274 (79%) of
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vaccinated patients were symptomatic, and among five patients who were hospitalized, four were
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fully vaccinated. The viral load (the ‘amount’ of the virus within the patients’ systems) was also
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found to be similar between 127 vaccinated patients and 84 unvaccinated patients, which could
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point to an equal transmission rate between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals infected or
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carrying the Delta variant of COVID-19.1
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Following this report, the CDC released new guidance as a second Early Release of the MMWR
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(a delivery method that would otherwise suggest urgency) stating that, the spread of the Delta
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variant, community transmission, health system capacity, vaccination coverage, capacity for
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early detection of spikes in cases, and population of at-risk individuals should be taken into
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account when deciding whether or not to wear/require masks in indoor spaces. Further, this
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report states that from June 19 – July 23, 2021, COVID-19 cases increased approximately 300%
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nationally due to the highly transmissible Delta variant, which is believed to be more than twice
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as transmissible as the ancestral strains of COVID-19. It is also in this report, it is stated that the
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1 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7031e2.htm?s_cid=mm7031e2_w

2. CDC considers the capacity to monitor COVID-19 incidence in institutions of higher education
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particularly useful due to their high risk of exposure.2
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On August 3, President Eric Barron hosted a town hall meeting to communicate and answer
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questions about Penn State’s plan for mitigating the risks associated with COVID-19 and its
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variants. A statement was released the same day stating that the vaccine survey, which President
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Barron has stated in various statements will be a driving force in deciding the University’s
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COVID-19 policy, had a 56% overall response rate from employees and a 42% overall response
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rate from students following an extension to the deadline. The results of these surveys indicated
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89% vaccination and 77% vaccination respectively, however, the Office of Planning,
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Assessment, and Institutional Research, which conducted the survey, cautioned that there is
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potential for response bias in the survey results as vaccinated individuals may be more likely to
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respond to the survey, which could lead to a lower actual vaccination rate then what the survey
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would indicate.3
These rates can be compared to the Centre County full-vaccination rate
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(determined by where the second dose was administered) of 47,957.6 individuals per 100,000
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(47.9%) and the state vaccination rate of 52.6% as per the PA Department of Health.4
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While the exact effectiveness of the vaccine at decreasing the morbidity and mortality of the
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Delta variant is still somewhat unclear, the CDC’s report indicates that there is sufficient
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evidence to bring doubt to the effectiveness of the vaccine against the transmission of the variant.
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And even if this doubt is unfounded, the CDC has repeatedly noticed that vaccination rates are
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decreasing despite availability2
while only around half of people within Pennsylvania and Centre
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County are believed to be vaccinated. This lack of vaccine effectiveness against the delta variant
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and/or prevalence may lead to the restoration of preventative measures such as social distancing,
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distance learning, and dorm closures. These profound effects on the campus experience and well-
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being of the students of PSU deeply affect the student body, oftentimes in a negative way. As
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student representatives, we must be prepared to take decisive action to make and enact plans to
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best mitigate the impact of both the COVID-19 virus and the negative direct and direct effects it
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has on the student body and our campus. The creation of an ad-hoc committee dedicated to this
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purpose will allow for the streamlining and proactive implementation of policies designed to
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protect students regardless of what social distancing measures become necessary to and prevent
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the further spread of the virus.
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Recommended Course of Action:
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The University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA), on behalf of the University Park
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undergraduate student body, hereby establishes the Ad-Hoc Committee on Continued Policy and
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Planning for COVID-19 and Its Variants (the COVID Committee.)
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Upon establishment of the COVID Committee, a chair shall be elected by a simple majority of
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non-vacant Representative Seats of the Assembly. Regular meetings shall then be organized and
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scheduled by the chair with the collaboration of its members assigned by the President and the
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Assembly. The chair shall coordinate and assign committee members to initiatives and
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2 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7030e2.htm?s_cid=mm7030e2_w
3 https://virusinfo.psu.edu/penn-state-announces-new-covid-19-testing-protocols-for-fall-semester/
4 https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Vaccine/Pages/Dashboard.aspx

3. committee activities in collaboration with said members in order to maximize the efficiency and
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responsiveness of the committee.
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The COVID Committee shall be tasked with the creation of plans in order to minimize the
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negative impacts of any precautions may be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 may have
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on the student body, while still preserving the effectiveness of said precautions. The COVID
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Committee may have the ability to vote on such plans and bring them, either individually or as a
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docket, to be voted on in the Assembly.
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The Department of Public Relations is hereby charged with disseminating any information or
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communications marked for public release by the COVID Committee.
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Further, The UPUA, on behalf of the University Park undergraduate student body, commits itself
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to advocating for students impacted by COVID-19 preventative measures at the University Park
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campus while also promoting mental and physical wellbeing of students alongside other
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University Park resources. The UPUA will continue to work with all university offices tasked
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with COVID-19 policy, while also providing the necessary advice, insight, and recommendations
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to ensure student well-being is minimally harmed as a result of the university’s policy regarding
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COVID-19.
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Respectfully submitted,
Jason S. Nelson Jr.
LionPride Representative
Vice Chair of Facilities
Sam Ajah
At-Large Representative
Vice Chair of Governmental Affairs
Nora O’Toole
At-Large Representative
Cara Fliegel
At-Large Representative
Chair of Facilities
Jeanelle Loiseau
Black Caucus Representative
Committee Vote: 7/2/0
Assembly Vote: Y/N/A
Speaker of the Assembly ________________________________________________
President of the Student Body ________________________________________________
The University Park Undergraduate Association