Recent Program Features

Dear Students:

Our extended Spring Break ends this weekend and classes resume online or in alternative delivery format on Monday, March 30. I know this is not how any of you expected this semester to go, and it is certainly not what I expected either! I would much rather see you in person on campus this week instead of interacting with you virtually. Please know that even though many of you are not here with us physically, we care deeply about each of you and want you to be successful this semester and into the future.

Since remote teaching and learning is a change for many of us, this message contains information on the various resources we have put in place to help you succeed.

• Get Started With Online Learning: Download the quick guide to student tech resources for learning online. For an extensive and continually growing list of all student resources, visit the  Keep Learning website.
• Stay Informed: Please check your MavMail account regularly as that is our official way of communicating important information with you. All of our announcements are also posted on the University Coronavirus webpage.
• Student Advising and Course Registration: University Advising is available to answer any questions you have about advising or course registration for summer and fall semester. Learn more here, or contact them at advising@mnsu.edu. Please also update your contact information in E-Services so we are able to connect with you!
• Student Worker Information: State and federal legislation provides for student worker compensation during the COVID-19 situation. Please contact your student worker supervisor or visit the Student Payroll webpage to learn more.
• Refunds: Students seeking refunds for residential life housing, dining services, or parking permits, please be patient with us as we work through these decisions and implementation. Further information will be shared as it becomes available and will be posted on our Coronavirus webpage.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we all work together to figure out how to move ahead in our new reality. Even if we are not together on campus, we are all still part of the #MavFam! Our faculty and staff are all working in unison to help you complete the semester successfully. Please contact your faculty, college dean or the Office of the Provost with any concerns or needs.

I wish you well with the rest of your spring semester—and I look forward to seeing many of you again next fall as well.

Go Mavs!

Richard Davenport
President

Good afternoon,

I am writing today to update the campus community on a decision I have made to allow students to choose Pass-No Credit grading for their Spring 2020 courses. The decision to allow this option for students reflects the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in, moving all of our more than 3,300 courses to online or alternative delivery in such a short time.

Many other universities in our region, including the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin and Iowa State, have offered students P/NC or a similar option.

Beginning in early April, we will allow students an opportunity, ending April 26, to choose a P/NC grading system for any of their classes this semester. We will provide students with information and resources they will need to make an informed decision here: http://www.mnsu.edu/grading. We also encourage students to consult with advisors and instructors so they can make the best decision possible for them.

 We understand this decision will require additional work down the road to assure that students are held harmless for their choices. Until Thursday of last week, we were awaiting guidance from the System Office on this change. When we received word that it would be a local campus decision, Provost Cecil immediately sought input on the ramifications of the change through a survey of department chairs and consultation with FA leadership and others. Almost all of our chairs responded and we will use their feedback as a starting point in our work to address the implications of this change.

We have two goals during this crisis. First, we must keep everyone in our campus community safe. Second, we must assure that our students continue progressing towards their goals. This grading option will help our students stay on track.

If you have any questions about this change, please contact Provost Cecil in the Office of the Provost at provost@mnsu.edu.

I am proud of the way our faculty, staff, and students are dealing with this unprecedented situation. Thank you for everything you do.

Sincerely,

Richard Davenport
President

Dear Minnesota State University, Mankato Employee,

As our state responds to COVID-19, Governor Walz signed Executive Order 20-07 on March 17 to support state agency employees during this unprecedented time. This order provides one of the best paid leaves in the country for employees who cannot work due to certain COVID-19-related circumstances.

Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) rolled out the paid COVID-19 leave policy and request form on March 18 to state agency employees. Generally, all employees who can telework should. Employees who cannot telework may be reassigned or redeployed. For employees who can’t telework or be reassigned or redeployed, Paid COVID-19 Leave is available.

Last week President Trump signed into law a federal government emergency coronavirus relief package. It includes paid sick leave benefits for employees who must take time off because of the spreading virus, as well as expanded Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) benefits for leave for school and childcare closures due to COVID-19. MMB has updated our state policy to comply with the federal law. The revised policy is posted on MMB’s website and is effective April 1.

The April 1, 2020 revised Paid COVID-19 Leave policy includes addition of:

• Paid school care leave for kids under 18, rather than only 12 and under
  • For kids older than 12, this is another use of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, is limited to a total of up to 12 weeks of FMLA at 2/3 pay, and runs concurrently with employees’ existing FMLA leave balance. The remaining 1/3 can be supplemented with accrued vacation or comp time. The total amount of FMLA leave available to any employee eligible for both FMLA and this leave will not exceed 12 workweeks in the fiscal year.  Employees who have already exhausted their FMLA balance for the fiscal year are limited to up to 80 hours of this leave (pro-rated for part-time employees) at 2/3 pay. The remaining 1/3 can be supplemented with accrued vacation or comp time.
  • At this time, we will not impose these caps and limitations on school leave for younger kids or children with disabilities who need care.
• Care leave for individuals other than family members
  • This is limited to 80 hours (pro-rated for part-time employees) at 2/3 pay. The remaining 1/3 can be supplemented with accrued vacation or comp time.
  • At this time, we will not impose these caps and limitations on care for family members.
• We expanded some uses for the employee’s health and caring for others, but generally our prior policy already provided the benefits required by federal law, and more.

Contact your supervisor to discuss your use of Paid COVID-19 Leave. To request Paid COVID-19 Leave, you must submit a Paid COVID-19 Leave Request Form to the Office of Human Resources for approval. You may contact Steve Barrett, Director of Human Resources at 507-389-2015 or hr@mnsu.edu with any questions.

Sincerely,

Richard Davenport
President

Steve Barrett
Director, Human Resources

Good afternoon,

On Friday, April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its position on the general public use of masks and face coverings in response to COVID-19. The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.  

This has led to questions from folks across campus. Attached to this message you will find FAQs on face coverings, directly from different pages on the CDC website.

What does the new CDC direction mean for Minnesota State University, Mankato employees?

In lieu of cloth facemasks, Minnesota State Mankato has a limited number of non-N95 dust-masks for voluntary use by essential employees who remain working on campus.

Supervisors should contact Environmental Health, Safety & Risk Management with a request for the number of masks needed for their employees. Please note, due to the limited quantity available, only one dust mask will be issued per employee. 

Employees should write their name on their mask to ensure they do not accidentally use someone else’s mask and follow these additional guidelines for safe usage:

• Do not leave masks unattended in someone else’s space.
• Do not hang masks from hooks or doorknobs by their elastic straps; this will prematurely degrade and stretch the elastic bands.
• Do not leave masks in direct sunlight. Sunlight will prematurely degrade the elastic bands.
• Refrain from taking the mask home for use out and about. Due to the limited supply available, these masks are for work-use only.

Please remember, the use of face coverings is a voluntary public health effort that is intended to protect others from people who do not know they are ill. A face covering of this nature IS NOT considered personal protective equipment (PPE) and does not protect the wearer from exposure. 

The most important ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 continue to be:

• If you feel ill, stay home and call your medical provider for guidance.
• If, while at work, you start to feel sick, go home and call your medical provider for guidance. 
• While at work, out and about and at home, don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth, and frequently wash your hands.
• While at work and when out and about, maintain a social distance of at least six feet. Other than your spouse, significant other or children, there is no need to come within six feet of each other.

Since there are known delays between exposure and the onset of symptoms, as well as lag time on testing and testing results, it is imperative everyone follows the above guidelines.

Finally, if someone on campus is confirmed to have COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will take the lead and contact the people they deem necessary with guidance. Not everyone on campus will be called, and the MDH will not share specifics of the impacted employee. The MDH must balance the public health needs with protecting the privacy rights of individuals.

Thank you for everything you are doing to stop the spread of COVID-19 and for keeping our students, faculty and staff safe during this time. Please contact me with any questions.

WORK SMART…..WORK SAFE!

Regards,

Chandler J. Holland
Director of Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management

CDC Guidelines for Cloth Face Coverings