Update on Fall Scheduling, July 13, 2020
Good morning,
With six weeks until classes begin in the fall, I wanted to update you on the fall planning that is taking place.
While the start of the school year feels like it is just around the corner, it’s important to note that six weeks is a very long time when we are in the midst of a pandemic. The planning we have done to date is focused on remaining flexible and ready to adapt to changing pandemic conditions. Every decision we have made is re-evaluated continuously as new guidance comes to us from the System Office, the Minnesota Department of Health, and the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.
I encourage everyone to take a look at our campus COVID-19 Preparedness Plan recently posted on the Return to Learn web site. Here is a direct link to the document:
That living document is a high-level overview of our safety and other plans and is updated as things change.
There are more specific plans being developed by each of the Return to Learn action teams, which are made up of administrators, faculty, staff, and students. Some of those plans, such as the notification procedures and daily self-screening guidelines, have been posted on the RTL site, here (links to student, employee, and visitor notification procedures on the right hand side of this page):
Other elements of our fall plan are still in the works. I will email you to highlight essential parts as they are approved and posted.
Once again, I want to encourage everyone to be patient. The situation is fluid, and the guidance we base our work on is ever-changing. Dozens of dedicated faculty, staff, students, and administrators are working hard this summer to plan for a wide variety of scenarios. Like you, we are monitoring events closely. I will continue to update everyone at least weekly as we get closer to the start of the fall semester.
If you have specific questions, comments, or ideas, please email me at any time at: provost@mnsu.edu.
Thank you for all you do for our students and our university. Stay safe.
Kind regards,
Matt
