Recent Program Features

• Please complete the online Return to Learn Preparedness Training as soon as possible. The training reviews the best ways to protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 virus.
• Detailed information about the 3M disinfectant spray that was included in the supplies delivered to all departments is now available on the Return to Learn website. Please note that the spray was diluted before being distributed and is safe to use. To be most effective, the spray should be left on surfaces for five minutes before being wiped up.
• Please remember to use the required self-screening toolbefore coming to campus each day. The assessment does not need to be completed if you are working remotely or will not be on campus.
• If you have not yet received your two branded cloth face masks, please stop by the Registrar’s Office on the first floor of Wigley Administrative Building to pick them up.
• Faculty and staff are encouraged to help welcome new students to the University at the virtual New Student Rally on Friday Aug. 21 at 10:30 a.m. The rally will be live streamed on the Minnesota State University, Mankato Facebook page at Facebook.com/mnstatemankato.
• All faculty and staff are encouraged to submit any questions about Return to Learn here. We will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible.
• All employees are encouraged to regularly check the Return to Learn Website to keep up with important updated information regarding safety measures, employee return to work expectations, Fall 2020 Semester schedule changes, FlexSync resources and COVID-19 Notification Procedures.
• Please check your MavCard to make sure it hasn’t expired—a valid MavCard is required to enter locked buildings. To renew an expired card, visit the MavCard website or stop in to the office next to the Campus Hub in the Centennial Student Union.

Good afternoon,

As we reach the end of the first week of classes, I wanted to write and thank everyone for all they are doing. We knew this would be difficult. I have heard more than one person say this was one of the most trying weeks of their professional careers.

I couldn’t be prouder of our campus community. So many of you have risen above the frustration to solve problems for our students this week. Thank you.

I want you to know we have just posted a campus data dashboard where you will find our most updated information on the number of active cases on campus, the percentage of our 96 quarantine beds that are occupied and other pertinent county data. You will find it on our campus dashboard page here.

Our current campus safety level is “yellow.” It is important to note that while we have not met all of the indicators for “yellow” status, the Minnesota Department of Health advised all campuses in the state to open up with that status level. The data points and status on that page will be updated weekly based on the information we receive from the Minnesota Department of Health and local public health officials. It is the same information we share weekly with the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities System Office.

It is certain we will face more challenges in the coming weeks. It is important that we work closely and in partnership with one another at the University, as well as the City and the Public Schools as we strive to address the pandemic challenges. We need to maintain our focus on following safety rules. We all need to avoid situations where others are not being safe. And importantly, doing work this difficult means we must be kind to one another.

In closing, I want to share something that inspired me this week. Our Minnesota State University, Mankato Concert Choir, directed by Dr. Aaron Humble of the Department of Music and Entertainment Industries, recorded this socially-distanced, masked version of our school hymn on Thursday. It is a great reminder of why we are doing this work. We are all working hard so that our students can inspire us like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Sq9I2kO7U

I hope everyone has a safe and restful weekend.

Kind regards,

Richard Davenport
President

Good afternoon,

Thank you all for helping us get the year started on a positive note. Our continued goal is help students move through fall semester and complete their studies, and most importantly – to stay healthy.

I hope you have had a chance to review our weekly COVID-19 dashboard. You may have noticed some changes from last week’s dashboard. The updated information reflects a few changes in the data the System Office and Minnesota Department of Health have asked us to report, and I wanted to put those numbers in context.

• A new data point that the System Office asked us to begin tracking on our dashboard is the current active student cases with self-reported campus contact. That total is 56 this week. Those are cases where a person tested positive and reported to contact tracers that they had recently been on campus prior to testing positive. I think you can see why those are the cases that are most concerning for our campus community.
• We are also sharing the total number of students with active, self-reported cases. The current number of self-reported, active cases among all of our students is 128, or less than one percent of our total unduplicated student headcount. This number includes those who reported to us they tested positive. Some of those cases have been confirmed with the Minnesota Department of Health and others have not. That number could change and we will update it frequently. It is an increase from 31 last week.
• We are also reporting our on-campus quarantine and isolation data. This number on the dashboard indicates how many of our dedicated quarantine/isolation beds on campus are occupied: 13 of 97 available beds. The second number, 27, is the total number of students on campus in quarantine and isolation. That includes students in dedicated beds plus those that are able to quarantine within their existing housing location.

The increase in these numbers is concerning, and I encourage everyone on to continue following the rules we have in place under our current Yellow COVID-19 safety status level. I would also again ask that everyone continue to avoid situations where others are not being safe.

If you have questions about the dashboard numbers or about anything else, please contact Interim Provost Matt Cecil at provost@mnsu.edu. I look forward to keeping you updated with brief reports from time to time.

In closing, thank you for working so hard during this second week of classes. I could not be prouder of the way our campus community has all pulled together. Thank you.

Richard Davenport

President