Texas professor offers extra credit if the entire class wears a mask
The instructor is offering students 15% extra credit, almost the same credit amount as an exam or final.
The syllabus appears inconsistent with official university policy, which indicates that masks and vaccines are optional.
A Texas A&M University- Texarkana fall course syllabus, obtained by Campus Reform, shows an instructor is offering students 15% extra credit if the entire class wears a surgical facemask for the whole lecture period.
“If the entire face to face class – everyone – properly wears a surgical grade mask during the entire class session (over the nose and mouth, not taking it off to talk) there [will] be a 15% extra credit boost (1 percentage point per week). If 19 out of 20 students do it? There will be no extra credit,” the American Film History syllabus reads.
[RELATED: Students face mask mandates until this fall.]
The course, taught by professor Drew Morton, consists of two exams, worth 20% of the student’s grade, weekly short responses, worth 30%, and a research paper, also worth 30%.
The extra credit for masking up is worth only 5% less than a final or midterm.
[RELATED: Pro-mask protests, petitions continue after Nevada drops statewide mandate]
Morton’s syllabus appears inconsistent with official university policy, which indicates that masks and vaccines are optional. However, students are “strongly encouraged” to get vaccinated and wear masks “while in public indoor settings.”
Campus Reform reached out to the University of Texas A&M- Texarkana and Professor Drew Morton for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
