Listen now (17 mins) | Free State Politics episode 9 examines how Maryland’s colleges and universities are struggling to return to normal as they navigate the lingering impact of COVID-19. Students at all University System of Maryland campuses are required to be vaccinated, with a few medical and religious exemptions. And masks are still required in public buildings on campuses. But Kathleen Tracy, professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, says “We have highly vaccinated populations, so that if there are any positive tests, the chance that we’ll actually have to shut down is much smaller, because even if they do get the virus, they will not become severely ill and would not have to have a full two weeks of isolation or quarantine.”