Recent Program Features

Cali Cantu
Cinco de Mayo: Fiesta Postponed, 2020

This drawing was especially difficult for me to construct because this drawing style is a part of my culture that I have not yet explored.  I am Mexican-American and proud of it. I’ve always strived to find ways to bring in my culture to my work and I knew I had to do this right now with everything the world is going through with this pandemic.  Many events, gatherings, and celebrations that we all look forward to have been affected by COVID-19 and Cinco de Mayo is one of them.  My family and I area finding new ways to celebrate our culture during this time and that is what inspired this piece. This fiesta may be postponed but the fiesta is still happening.

Dear Students:

Your safety is the top value guiding the work we at the University are doing to prepare for your arrival back on campus this fall. Things will certainly be different—but the changes that are being implemented are being done with the health and safety of all our students, faculty, staff and visitors in mind.

Our plan is to surround you with a community of care at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Although we don’t have all the details about exactly how that will happen, here are some of the ways we will do so:

• Providing access to an electronic daily health self-screening checklist for signs and symptoms of COVID-19
• Providing two cloth masks to each of you
• Following social distancing and hygiene guidelines across campus
• Offering FlexSync classes that allow for both in-person and remote learning options
• Reserving space for resident students who need to quarantine and/or isolate

I encourage any of you who have questions about the Return to Learn planning process or what you can expect on campus this fall to submit your questions here. We will get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.

I will continue to send you email updates so you know how the University is preparing for fall and you can find more information about the Return to Learn initiative by visiting www.mnsu.edu/returntolearn.

I look forward to seeing you again in August!

Sincerely,

Richard Davenport,
President

The safety of our faculty, staff and students is the top value guiding the work we are doing to prepare for reopening campus. Things will certainly be different—but the changes that are being implemented are being done with the health and safety of campus community in mind.

Our plan is to create a community of care for everyone at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Although we don’t have all the details about exactly how that will happen, here are some of the ways we will do so:

• Providing access to an electronic daily health self-screening check-list for signs and symptoms of COVID-19
• Providing two cloth masks to all faculty, staff and students
• Adopting a phased transition of employees back to campus
• Working with departments and work units to prepare spaces that follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines related to COVID-19
• Creating signage to support social distancing and hygiene guidelines across campus
• Offering FlexSync classes that allow for both in-person and remote learning this fall

If you have questions about the Return to Learn planning process or what you can expect on campus this fall, please submit your questions here. We will get back to you with an answer as soon as possible. Faculty should speak to their deans if they have situations needing accommodations.

An excerpt from Eichie's reflection piece:

On the evening of May 2, 2020, I took a walk to the closest shop to my residence which is called Kwik Trip to get groceries, on reaching there, I met two of my friends, Richard and Amish who had also to come purchase items from the same shop and I walked quickly towards them. I felt a spur of happiness upon seeing them, I had put out my hand wanting to shake hands with them, accompanied by a subtle hug but Richard declined immediately saying to me “no shaking of hands till they are sanitized” and he put his hand into his pocket and brought out a bottle of hand sanitizer and asked that I open my hands for him to pour me some before he would shake my hands. I obliged him and did as he had asked, we shook hands while laughing about it and afterwards myself and Amish greeted using our elbows. We conversed for about thirteen minutes, standing six feet from each other with our face masks on all the while and afterwards I proceeded to shop at Kwik Trip for groceries and returned home.