*** This pledge will be made public on the day of the sickout: September 15, 2020. If you have any questions, or if students and faculty at your Iowa university, college or school want to participate in the Sickout, send us an email at iowasickout@gmail.com and we'll add your school to the list and the pledge. ***

We are students, faculty members, instructors, and TAs at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. We are deeply disturbed by the rampant spread of COVID-19 on our campuses and across the state of Iowa.

Since the start of fall semester, the state of Iowa has emerged as a global COVID-19 hotspot, due in large part to the reopening of universities. Despite substantial outbreaks on our campuses and in our surrounding communities, the state universities in Iowa continue to flout public health guidelines by inviting students, faculty and staff to congregate in person indoors in large numbers.

As students and teachers, we know that in-person classes are not safe during this pandemic. But instead of protecting us from illness, the administrators of our schools have resorted to finger-pointing, blaming students and local businesses for their own failures of leadership.

By signing this pledge, we commit to call in sick from attending or teaching class on Tuesday, September 15, 2020. By calling in sick, we demand that the University of Iowa and Iowa State University protect the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff, as well as every resident of the state of Iowa, by moving to 100% online instruction, effective immediately.