Canisius’s In-Class Mask Mandate to End March 28

The in-class mask mandate at Canisius College will no longer be in effect after spring break, according to an email from Canisius President John Hurley sent Thursday morning.

According to the new guidance, professors will still have the option to require masking in their own classrooms at their discretion, and students may continue to choose to wear masks if they feel more comfortable doing so. Masks will also still be required on public transportation — including the Canisius shuttle — as well as in the Student Health Center and Counseling Center. Extracurricular events on campus will also be mask optional starting March 28; however, speakers who visit the school for events can require masks in the audience.

Additionally, mandatory testing requirements for unvaccinated students are also being dropped, and the testing center in the Delevan Commons is being discontinued. For students who test positive for COVID or are showing symptoms, the guidance remains the same — masks must be worn for five days after the CDC-mandated isolation period ends.

The new guidance comes as COVID cases throughout the country decrease and mask mandates at schools continue to be reviewed nationwide. Locally, SUNY Buffalo’s mask mandate has not been in effect since March 5. Canisius’s decision is yet another example of life slowly approaching normal after the pandemic.