TO: The Gustavus Community
FROM: President Bergman
SUBJECT: Gustavus Operations Under Minnesota’s Stay at Home Order
DATE: March 25, 2020
My thoughts are with all of you as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past two weeks, even while things changed from day to day, I saw our community step up exactly the way our vision calls us to do—to come together to act on one of the great challenges of our time.
Today, we are asked to continue our good work by taking the next step in confronting this global health crisis. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced an executive order directing people to stay at home through April 10.
When the order goes into effect at the end of the day on Friday, March 27, all Gustavus buildings except the Jackson Campus Center and residence halls for on-campus students will be closed for the following two weeks. There will be a limited number of employees who will be on campus to provide support for our remaining students
Students:
The students living on campus are asked to stay in their residence halls as much as possible and continue to maintain appropriate social distancing. Dining Service will remain open with limited hours.
Students who are no longer on campus should not return unless special permission is granted by Residential Life. Classes will resume using online delivery beginning on Monday, March 30. Please watch for additional communication from the Dean of Students Office.
Faculty:
Faculty members should continue to prepare for online course delivery, which will begin on Monday, March 30. I ask that you refrain from working on campus unless you have no other option. Additional communication from Provost Kelly will follow via faculty-l.
Staff:
“Stay at Home” means that all employees should work from home, except for those whose roles are required to fulfill the College’s limited on-campus operations. Your supervisor will contact you if you have on-campus responsibilities during this period. Additionally, remaining on-campus employees should only be on campus when their duties require them to be. The Office of Human Resources will send additional information via email.
Everyone:
This is an unprecedented situation for the College and our global community. The “Stay at Home” order is designed to slow community spread and allow the state time to build out hospital capacity, grow our testing capabilities, develop a more robust supply chain for personal protective equipment, and help protect our most vulnerable populations. All of us need to do our part.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your families. Please be safe and know that together we will get through this.
Yours in community,
President Bergman