Recent Program Features

Greetings to our students and employees,  

I am writing to share a COVID-19 update and our university efforts to ensure the health and well-being of our campus community.

As we approach late fall, and dropping temperatures have begun to bring more gatherings indoors, the state and our surrounding counties have experienced increases in active COVID-19 cases. Similarly, we have seen an upward trend in this week’s active cases among members of our own campus community.

We continue to monitor the pandemic and work with local and state officials, as well as the Minnesota State system office to determine any additional changes if they become necessary. We also continue our practice of analyzing the data and gathering additional information to identify the risk of exposure, potential clusters of cases, and to reduce the likelihood of on-campus transmission. 

To keep our campus healthy, we will continue to enforce existing protocols, including face coverings in all indoor spaces. We plan to continue the mask requirement until our county drops to the CDC’s “Moderate” or “Low” transmissions for 14 consecutive days. We will continue to require proof of vaccine or weekly testing of all employees and students living in residence halls or participating in select campus activities.  

In addition, we are immediately taking the following steps: 

1. We are expanding our weekly testing options to include exposure testing for all students and employees. This free service is available every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1-4 p.m. in Carkoski Commons through the remainder of the fall semester. The required surveillance testing for employees and student employees will continue to be offered on Tuesdays. You should visit a medical facility if you are seeking symptomatic testing.    
2. We are extending our partnership with Blue Earth County to continue providing campus Vaccination Clinics. You can register for a vaccination at https://mankato.mnsu.edu/coronavirus/safety-measures/vaccinations/
3. New exterior door signage was placed this week as a reminder of the masking expectation on our campus.  
4. Students, faculty, and staff who have been fully vaccinated for more than six months are now eligible to receive a booster. I urge everyone to get vaccinated. 

There is no change in the delivery of our classes or employee workplace expectations. Despite the recent increase in active cases, I continue to be impressed by the many ways our community has stepped up to meet the unique challenge the pandemic has provided. I’m proud to report that as of this message, 92% of our employees and 65% of our students are fully vaccinated—and these numbers continue to rise.

Thank you, Mavericks, for doing your part to protect the herd.

Edward S. Inch, Ph.D.

President

Dear Mavericks,

I wish to thank all of you for your continued efforts to make our campus safe and active as we near the end of the semester. As you are likely aware, cases of COVID-19 are rising throughout Minnesota and within our region. However, our campus positivity rate remains lower than the community rate, and we are not seeing evidence of campus-based transmission.

Nonetheless, last week Chancellor Malhotra convened a phone call with all system presidents to discuss post-Thanksgiving campus operations. We were encouraged to review our COVID mitigation and management protocols and consider making additional adjustments to de-densify campus foot traffic for the remainder of the semester. This message will outline our approach to classes for the remainder of the semester, as well as expanded on-campus vaccine and testing options.

We will maintain our established class and finals schedule when we return from Thanksgiving break. In particular, any in-person activities can occur as planned, though instructors are asked to consider additional mitigation efforts such as increased social distancing, hybrid or smaller group options when appropriate, and reducing/eliminating activity that would require removal of face coverings. Faculty may elect to move in-person instruction to remote instruction if they feel student learning will not be compromised. Any changes to course delivery mode should be communicated to students as soon as possible.

As we head into the holiday season, it’s important that we continue to be diligent about wearing masks, respiratory etiquette and staying home when feeling unwell. It is also important to test regularly and provide vaccines to those still in need. I am pleased to announce that we’ve been able to add a series of COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics during the last week of classes. Below are specifics and links you can use to sign up.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics: In partnership with Hy-Vee and Blue Earth County, the University is providing four Vaccine Clinics for all students, faculty, staff, and family members ages 5 and up; booster shots will be available at three of those clinics for those who are 18 and older. If you wish to receive the booster, you must be at least six months out from your second Pfizer or Moderna dose or at least 2 months out from the Johnson & Johnson dose. All clinics will be hosted in Carkoski Commons.

• Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, from 1:00-4:00 pm
  • Moderna Vaccine
  • Pfizer Vaccine
• Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, from 9:00 a.m.-Noon
  • Moderna Vaccine
  • Pfizer Vaccine
• Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, from 9:00 a.m.-Noon
  • Moderna Vaccine
  • Pfizer Vaccine
• Friday, Dec. 3, 2021 (1st & 2nd dose clinic only, no boosters), from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 pm
  • All three Vaccines

Weekly Testing. Weekly testing will continue through the semester break every Tuesday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in Carkoski Commons.  Employees without a Proof of Vaccine on file will need to test weekly to remain eligible to work on campus. 

Please direct any questions or report any positive COVID-19 cases to the Healthcare Hotline 507-389-2030.

Be sure to read tomorrow’s Ideas in Action newsletter for important information about commencement and university operations during winter break.

Again, thanks for all your efforts and best wishes to you for a safe holiday weekend. 

Sincerely,

Edward S. Inch

President

The sun is setting across the remnants of our first snow of the season outside my office window as I write this to you. It is truly hard to believe we have arrived in December yet again. While the journey has been different this fall, the impact of your support and giving has never been greater. Let me share with you some of the great ways you have made a difference this past year.

Your support for scholarships has made the difference for so many or our Minnesota State University, Mankato students. Fall 2021 marked the third year of the Student Affairs Retention Scholarship and with your support we awarded three $1,000 scholarships to students who are becoming a pilot, studying psychology while fighting a rare kidney disease, and preparing to be a computer engineer as a first-generation immigrant from Nigeria. These three students are tremendous examples of the promise and challenges that many of our students are facing. 

At a recent luncheon for our Presidential Scholars ($5,000 scholarship a year) I had the opportunity to join President Inch at a table with three upper-class students preparing for the end of their semester and for two of them, the beginning of life after college.  The first December graduate will be starting her career at Federated Insurance in Owatonna, where she will be focused on debugging software.  Our second December graduate will be working as an emergency department nurse at Mayo Clinic Health System’s Mankato Hospital. Our third Presidential Scholar is a junior with some time on his hands, but not much.  You see he is a mechanical engineering major who is interested in working at a company where he can apply his knowledge to solve their engineering needs and help people.  Of course, this sounds like every engineer I ever met.  He then followed it up by sharing that he continues to drive to Madelia, MN almost every night because the local pizza restaurant is shorthanded, and he thinks it is important to help keep them afloat to serve the locals. The pandemic has created some new challenges for all of us, and it is exciting to see three students responding in their own ways to help others. 

Throughout the fall, I am lucky to have the opportunity to spend time with many of you who stop by to visit at Homecoming, sporting events, or just traveling through.  A recent visit from a long-time supporter and former faculty member from Colorado, and sometimes Alabama, stopped by to meet his scholar and spend some time with me to learn how things are just going.  In the bustle of our daily work, home life, and concern for our own health, it was a welcome respite to share, learn, and laugh about our own challenges. I do not think we solved too many of the world’s problems, but the time together was an important reminder of what this University means to so many of us. 

I choose to work at Minnesota State Mankato because I believe in our mission, the passion of our faculty, and the dedication of our staff to serve students who want to make a difference. My wife, Dr. Jennifer Jones a 1992 Alum, and I choose to give to this University because of the many students who need that little extra bit of support to help keep them on track toward their goals. From our premier Presidential Scholars to our students struggling with the balancing act of school and part-time work, we both know our gift makes a difference.

Thank you for all your support this year and please consider reaching out to me to ask how you can help. My best wishes to you and yours this holiday season.  See you in 2022!        

David P. Jones, Ph.D.

Maverick Community,

Welcome to the start of Spring semester. I hope you all enjoyed a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.

As you’re likely aware, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has become the dominant variant nationally. It is highly transmittable although it appears to cause milder symptoms than prior variants—especially for those who are vaccinated and boosted. 

Fall semester went well and our collective efforts to take precautions and care for one another were effective. The Spring semester will require continued COVID-19 precautions and care for one another.

Spring semester will begin on Monday, Jan. 10, as planned, and all classes will proceed as scheduled. Faculty members are encouraged to reduce unnecessary in-class activities and interactions where possible for the first few weeks of classes. Additionally, all of us should consider adjusting large, in-person meetings or events to hybrid/virtual meetings for the time being.

To keep our campus community safe and healthy:

• Wear a facemask while indoors. Ideally, masks should be medical-grade quality. This requirement will continue until our county drops to the CDC’s “Moderate” or “Low” transmission levels for 14 consecutive days;
• Follow appropriate respiratory etiquette and stay home when feeling unwell;
• Everyone should do their best to test before returning to campus. Exposure testing is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. in Carkoski Commons, or find a testing site near you. Visit a medical facility if you are seeking symptomatic testing;  
• Report any positive COVID-19 cases to the Healthcare Hotline 507-389-2030;
• Follow current MDH isolation and quarantine guidelines and accommodate/support individuals who need to isolate or quarantine;
• Everyone who can should get vaccinated and boosted as soon as they are able to do so.  Unvaccinated people continue to have the worst outcomes from infection;
• Periodic town halls will occur to keep the campus community updated on the COVID-19 situation.

As a reminder, the requirement of proof of vaccine or weekly testing of all employees and students living in residence halls or participating in select campus activities remains in effect. For additional information, please visit our COVID-19 website or contact provost@mnsu.edu.

Sincerely,

Edward S. Inch, Ph.D.

President