Faculty push not moving Georgia colleges on masks, vaccines

ATLANTA (AP) — Faculty members continue to protest the refusal of Georgia’s public university system to mandate masks and vaccines. But leaders of the 26-university system are making clear those policies aren’t going to change.

Acting Chancellor Teresa MacCartney told regents Thursday that the system will follow the lead of Gov. Brian Kemp and Republican lawmakers who control funding.

Faculty groups at the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Georgia State University are calling for mask and vaccine mandates, as well as letting faculty shift some classes online.

Faculty are planning protests starting Monday and continuing each day next week on at least 15 of the system’s campuses.