Campus Communications

Dear Campus Community,

As Spring Break comes to a close and we return to campus, there are a few new safety protocols to bring to your attention.

The number of COVID cases continue to decline in Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties. These counties, and almost all counties in Minnesota, have declined to CDC’s Low COVID-19 Community Level.

Starting Tuesday, March 15, masking will no longer be required on campus. Please note, and as shared in Chancellor Malhotra’s memo (March 1), as colleges and universities make the shift away from masking, this is “an institution-wide determination and individual faculty or staff cannot deviate from the institution’s overall approach”.

Therefore, students, faculty and staff will not be required to wear a mask anywhere on campus. However, anyone can choose to wear a mask at any time on campus for their own personal safety, and should be supported for that decision. 

Let’s continue to protect the pack. Some other safety protocol updates and reminders:

• Testing/Proof of Vaccination. As highlighted in last week’s campus communication, starting Monday, March 14, there will no longer be a proof of vaccination or testing requirement for students living in residence halls or other activities designated by the college or university. The testing requirements for student athletes will remain in place. Students participating in internships and/or clinical experiences may be required to test or vaccinate if the clinical/internship site requires them.
  
  For the time being, MMB HR/LR policy #1446 COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination and Testing for employees (including student employees), contractors, and vendors remains in place.
  
  
• Test Kits/Event. COVID-19 testing kits will continue to be available for the campus community for free and while supplies last. Starting Monday, March 14 they will located at information desks in the Administrative Services building, the Miller Center, and Atwood. 
  
  St. Cloud State will be offering a COVID-19 testing event to all employees and students on March 15, from 1-3:30 p.m. This testing will be held in Atwood in the Cascade room — please note the change in location from previous testing events. 
  
  The National Guard Armory in St. Cloud continues to offer free saliva testing Monday-Friday, with the current hours of 11 a.m.-6 p.m. No appointment is needed, and walk-ins are welcome. Check the MDH community testing locations website for information.
  
  
• Case Reporting. Weekly case reporting of student and employee cases will continue at least through the remainder of the spring semester.
  
  
• Travel. For domestic travel, approval of college/university sponsored domestic travel requests by students, faculty, or staff will revert to the existing campus process. For international travel for employees, campus presidents can continue to approve international travel to countries under a level 1 or level 2 travel advisory from the US Department of State. Travel to level 3 or level 4 countries will continue to require prior approval from the system office (System Procedure 5.19.3).

While the decreasing number of cases is a promising new development, we continue to encourage all members of our campus community to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and stay up to date with boosters. If you are not feeling well, get tested and stay home when sick. We will continue to monitor campus and county conditions and communicate the safety status of campus to our community. 

We are truly thankful for everyone’s hard work and commitment to keep our campus safe as we respond to the conditions of the pandemic. Despite the challenges, and because of everyone’s efforts, we managed to stay open, hold campus traditions, serve our students and help them meet their educational goals.  Thank you and, Go Huskies!

Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Jen Matzke
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Steve South
Dr. Katrina Rodriguez
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

 

[March 13, 2022]

Dear Campus Community,

We have two updates to share with you. First, the CDC recently published new COVID safety guidance, based on “COVID-19 Community Levels”. These community levels (ranked at low, medium and high) are measures of three metrics by county. This information is available on the CDC website.

Second, Chancellor Malhotra has provided us with new guidance in his memo we received late yesterday afternoon (3/1/22). Per his guidance here is a summary of key points:

• Face Masking. Since we are still in the CDC’s “high” category we are not going to immediately lift the requirement for face coverings. We will monitor the situation next week and send a communication out to Campus at the end of next week.
• Vaccination/Testing. Starting Monday, March 14, there will no longer be a proof of vaccination or testing requirement for students living in residence halls or other activities designated by the college or university. The testing requirements for student athletes will remain in place. Testing requirements for those students who participate in internships and/or clinical experiences in which the clinical/internship site requires that those students either be vaccinated or test will also remain in place.
• Employee Attestation. For the time being, MMB HR/LR policy #1446 COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination and Testing for employees (including student employees), contractors, and vendors remains in place.
• Case Reporting. We will continue to report weekly on student and employee cases through the existing reporting process at least through the remainder of the spring semester.
• Travel. For domestic travel, approval of college/university sponsored domestic travel requests by students, faculty, or staff will revert to the existing campus process. For international travel for employees, campus presidents can continue to approve international travel to countries under a level 1 or level 2 travel advisory from the US Department of State. Travel to level 3 or level 4 countries will continue to require prior approval from the system office (System Procedure 5.19.3).

In closing, case counts on campus, in the community, and in the state continue to decline. St. Cloud State University will continue to monitor case counts and the COVID-19 Community Level in our area. Vaccination remains the most effective way to protect against severe illness from COVID-19, and St. Cloud State University encourages all members of the campus community to get vaccinated--and to get a booster shot if you have had your initial vaccination. Our primary goal is to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff as students strive to meet their educational goals.

Next Steps. We anticipate that the COVID-19 Community Level status in Stearns County will follow the pattern of declining cases that we have seen in other Minnesota counties and will move to lower levels. We will be back in touch at the end of next week with a decision about the date to lift the mask mandate and the details associated with implementing a new masking protocol and other updates to share.

The Chancellor’s memo in its entirety can be found here: Minnesota State Memo to Leadership Council (PDF)

Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Steve South
Dr. Katrina Rodriguez
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

Dear Campus Community,

St. Cloud State University continues to monitor the declining COVID-19 case rates on campus and across the state. We will continue to follow Minnesota State system office directives on masking and safety protocols on campus. The system office is also monitoring the COVID situation in Minnesota, and is in frequent consultation with the Minnesota Department of Health in evaluating campus health and safety guidelines.

Masking Guidelines

The current guidelines from the system office call for masking requirements on campus when transmission rates in that campus’s county are High or Substantial. In order for transmission rates to fall to a moderate level—which is the next level below Substantial — new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days must be lower than 50, and the percentage of positive PCR tests during the past 7 days must be below 8%. If Stearns County (St. Cloud campus) or Hennepin County (Plymouth campus) fall into the Moderate transmission category or below, and remain in that category for at least 14 days, then the mask requirement can be lifted for the campus located in that county. We will continue to monitor transmission rates.

There is news today that the CDC is likely revising masking guidance. If the CDC does make changes, the Minnesota State system office will then review that guidance, and may issue changes to the masking guidelines for campuses. If such a change occurs, St. Cloud State will adopt and communicate any new system office guidelines to campus.

If a mask requirement is lifted on campus, anyone who still wishes to wear a mask voluntarily will be encouraged to do so.

Upcoming Testing Event and Options

St. Cloud State will be offering a COVID-19 testing event to all employees and students 1-3:30 p.m. March 15 as we return from spring break. This testing will be held in Atwood in the Cascade room — please note the change in location from previous testing events.

The National Guard Armory in St. Cloud continues to offer free saliva testing Monday-Friday, with the current hours of 11 a.m.-6 p.m. No appointment is needed, and walk-ins are welcome. Check the MDH community testing locations website for information about other testing locations or any change in hours at the St. Cloud Armory site due to a holiday. The Armory is located at 1710 Veterans Dr., which is on Metro Bus Route 4. As a reminder, St. Cloud State students can use Metro Bus for free by showing their campus card on boarding.

Testing and Spring Break

As we prepare for spring break week, please note that students who are normally required to test weekly because they are residential students and/or participating in designated extracurricular activities (including experiential learning/practicum activities) will not be required to test over spring break (March 7-11) if they will not be on campus during that time period. Regularly scheduled testing will resume for these students once they return to campus after the break. Students planning to remain on campus during spring break week will be required to test per the regular schedule. If a student experiences symptoms of COVID-19, tests are available at the SCSU Medical Clinic during normal operating hours. Call to schedule a test, and visit the Clinic’s Coronavirus/COVID-19 Information page for more information.

St. Cloud State continues to strongly encourage all students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated, and to get a booster shot once you're eligible for one. Vaccination is one of the best methods to protect against serious illness from COVID-19, and reduces the risk of infection.

Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Steve South
Dr. Katrina Rodriguez
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

Dear Campus Community,

We're excited to welcome all Huskies back to campus for the start of the Spring 2022 semester! We want to remind students of the safety measures we have in place to help keep campus safe in light of the continuing challenge of COVID-19. We have the tools to help protect our pack from the coronavirus, and we're asking everyone on campus to do their part to help keep Huskies safe.   

We strongly encourage you to get tested for COVID-19 prior to returning to campus. This will help us to ensure that we can take the appropriate measures to assist students with asymptomatic cases from inadvertently coming on campus with COVID-19 and to protect everyone on campus in the event that a returning student may have a case of COVID-19 from exposure to the virus.   

For those students who can't get a COVID test prior to returning to campus, please test as soon as possible when returning to campus. We are offering a free, walk-in testing event on Tuesday, Jan. 11, open to all students, faculty, and staff from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. in the Husky Den area in the Garvey Commons. There are also multiple options for testing in the community. Residents of Minnesota, can order an at-home COVID-19 test to be delivered to you.  

To order an at-home COVID-19 test, or to see a searchable list of community testing options across Minnesota, visit the MDH website: COVID-19 Testing - Minnesota Dept. of Health (state.mn.us). 

The National Guard Armory in St. Cloud offers free saliva testing  Monday-Friday, with the current hours of 11 a.m.-6 p.m. No appointment is needed, and walk-ins are welcome. Check the MDH community testing locations website for information about any change in hours at the St. Cloud Armory site due to a holiday. The Armory is located at 1710 Veterans Dr., which is on Metro Bus Route 4. As a reminder, St. Cloud State students can use Metro Bus for free by showing their campus card on boarding. 

If a student experiences symptoms of COVID-19, you can get tested at the SCSU Medical Clinic during their normal hours. Call to schedule a test, and visit their Coronavirus/COVID-19 Information page for more information. 

We will continue to have a mask mandate in place while indoors and on campus until further notice. For the best protection against the Omicron variant, it is recommended that people wear a high-filtration mask such as an N95, KN95, or KF94 respirator for better effectiveness in protecting against Omicron. Surgical masks also offer better protection than just a standard cloth mask against Omicron. Wearing two cloth masks together can provide added protection.   

At a minimum, everyone on campus is required to wear a CDC-recommended face mask while the mask mandate is in place. Find more information on CDC mask recommendations at the CDC's Your Guide to Masks page.  

For the first week of classes, student clubs and organizations can choose to limit in-person meetings and facilitate remote meeting options at their discretion or as circumstances dictate. Students not feeling well should not come to class or to campus if living off-campus. Staying home and contacting the SCSU Medical Clinic (320) 308- 3193 for health advice is recommended.   

As we transition back to campus, in-person events will still require submission of a safety plan. We now have assistance available for students and student organizations that are planning events on campus. We have hired a student worker who is trained to assist with completing safety plans. Due to limited hours of coverage, please email or leave a voicemail, and our student worker will set up a time to talk on the phone to assist with completing and submitting an event safety plan. Email eventsafety@stcloudstate.edu, or call 320-308-2246 and leave a voicemail with a name, telephone number, and a day and time to call back. 

We strongly encourage all students to get vaccinated, and to get a booster shot once you're eligible for one  Vaccination is one of the best methods to protect against serious illness from COVID-19, and reduces the risk of infection. St. Cloud State will be hosting a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic open to everyone from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Atwood Memorial Center lower level on Jan. 28. We're partnering with CentraCare, Stearns, Sherburne and Benton counties to offer COVID-19 vaccination and booster shots. Pfizer vaccines will be administered for both a primary series vaccine and boosters.   
 
For residential students and students who are in certain extracurricular groups, students who have not attested to being fully vaccinated are required to test regularly for COVID-19. Student Life and Development has reached out to those students required to test (if they are unvaccinated) about that process. If contacted about regular testing, please follow the process to comply with that testing.   

It's important to remember that while Omicron is a concern, we have a masking mandate in place, vaccines widely available, and that we are in a very different and safer place than we were even a year ago with the COVID situation. We are continuing to actively monitor the situation, regularly consulting with the Minnesota Department of Health, and are ready to pivot with additional mitigation measures should it become necessary. Our goal at St. Cloud State University is to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff while helping you realize your educational goals. With your help to protect the Husky pack, we can reach that goal together.   

We wish all of you a great spring semester. Go Huskies! 

Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Steve South
Dr. Katrina Rodriguez
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

 [January 7, 2022]

Dear Campus Community,

Because of the increasing prevalence of the Omicron variant of COVID in Minnesota and across the country, we wanted to reach out to you with an update on the status of campus operations and the Spring Semester. St. Cloud State University will be continuing with spring semester as planned including classes with the originally scheduled delivery method, as we continue to enforce COVID safety protocols that we have developed based on the updated guidance from  the CDC, Minnesota Department of Health, and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

To summarize our actions, we will continue to:

• Require masking indoors on campus while Stearns/Hennepin Counties are in a state of High or Substantial transmission.  Encourage everyone to upgrade their masks if needed.
• Require that faculty, staff, and students not come to campus/class if they are feeling ill or have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Require that employees and student workers who are not fully vaccinated test at least weekly for COVID-19, as long as this requirement continues for State of Minnesota/Minnesota State College and University employees.
• Offer testing opportunities on campus and provide resources to assist faculty, staff, and students in getting vaccinated or getting a booster shot.
• Encourage faculty, staff, and students to get vaccinated--and to get a booster shot if vaccinated, as vaccination is one of the best ways to help protect yourself and others from infection and serious illness.  
• Follow our campus cleaning plan to help protect against the Coronavirus, including using cleaning products that protect surfaces against the virus for up to 72 hours.
• Recommended that students, faculty and staff stay at least 3, and ideally 6 feet apart in common areas and whenever possible.
• Participate in weekly MDH consultation webinars with Minnesota Institutes of Higher Education for COVID-19 updates and guidance.  
• Participate in weekly system office conference calls for COVID-19 updates and guidance.  
• Host town halls to keep the campus community updated on the COVID situation.

St. Cloud State University continues to experience low positivity rates in the on-campus testing we are conducting of unvaccinated employees and student workers. We continue to closely monitor case numbers, and are ready to pivot to respond to any changes if necessary. 
 
We would also like to share some following important updates/reminders about COVID vaccination and testing. 

We’re asking everyone in the Husky Pack to get tested during the week of January 3-7 before returning to campus, or upon return to campus.  We will be holding a walk-in saliva-testing event in the Husky Den from 1pm to 4pm on January 11 open to faculty, staff and students.  

Specifically, MDH recommends the following people get tested for COVID:

• Anyone who has any symptoms.
• Anyone who has had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
• Anyone traveling or returning from travel.
• Anyone who has attended a high-risk event.
• Anyone who is not fully vaccinated and works in close contact with a lot of people.
• Anyone who is not fully vaccinated and participates in in-person childcare, school, extracurricular activities, or sporting activities.
• People with immunocompromising conditions, even if fully vaccinated.
• Anyone who has been asked or referred to get tested by their health care provider or state, tribal, local, or territorial health department

For testing in the community options include ordering a take home test or find a testing site via this link:
COVID-19 Testing - Minnesota Dept. of Health (state.mn.us)

Campus vaccination clinics:
In addition to testing before returning to campus, consider getting vaccinated or a booster.  SCSU, in conjunction with local public health and CentraCare, will be hosting a COVID vaccine clinic on January 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  We will have Pfizer vaccine in stock and you will be able to get both a primary series vaccine and boosters. Look for a sign-up link coming soon via email. Walk-in appointments are also accepted at the event, in the lower level of Atwood during the same day as the Power in Diversity Conference.

Other vaccination options:
To get vaccinated prior to this free vaccination event check out this link from MDH: About COVID-19 Vaccine - Minnesota Dept. of Health (state.mn.us) and click on where to get vaccinated.

SCSU Medical Clinic continues to have Moderna vaccine available for students who call the clinic to make an appointment for these weekly vaccine clinics.

St. Cloud State University’s goal is to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff while our students are able to realize their educational goals.  With your help of getting vaccinated or a booster shot, staying home if you're feeling ill, and testing if you meet the MDH testing recommendations, we can provide a safe and regular schedule of operations and activities for our students. 

We will continue to monitor the situation and continue to provide you with updates. We wish all of you a happy and healthy new year. Go Huskies!

Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Tressa Ries
Steve South
Dr. Katrina Rodriguez
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

 

Dear Campus Community, 

The Bring Huskies Home Team continues to monitor COVID-19 conditions and the escalating rate of infections of the Delta variant. Our goal is to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff while our students as they continue to progress towards their educational goals. Data provided by the CDC and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is showing that our county has a  substantial transmission rate of COVID-19. MDH is recommending that indoor masking should be required for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status. 

Beginning Thursday, August 5, all individuals on campus will be required to wear a mask indoors regardless of vaccination status. This includes St. Cloud State at Plymouth. Masking will continue until further notice. 

What if I’m already vaccinated? Why do I need to mask up?  
Thank you for getting vaccinated. Research tells us that the COVID-19 vaccination is effective for significantly slowing the spread and most mutations of the virus. Even when exposed to the Delta variant, fully vaccinated people are less likely to become infected, and if a vaccinated person gets infected, the illness will likely be mild. The vaccine also greatly reduces the chance of hospitalization and death.  

With the Delta variant, however, fully vaccinated people may be able to pass the virus to others. People who are not vaccinated are at a higher risk of getting COVID, getting sick, and being hospitalized  As we mask up during times of high or substantial transmission in our area, we are protecting others around us, including those who are immunocompromised and those who are unvaccinated. We will continue to help the members of our community to receive more information and access to COVID-19 vaccines.  

How are the decisions related to masking made? 
The Bring Huskies Home Team monitors the county level transmission rates daily as they are often updated and fluctuate. As we review the data, the occurrence of 14 consecutive days* of transmission rate (either increasing or decreasing) will trigger masking protocol (either on or off). On a weekly basis, our campus masking status will be communicated with Star Alert notifications, and messages via emails, digital signs, campus signs and the University website. Please continue to carry a mask with you at all times.

* This information has been revised since the August 5, 2021 posting of this campus update.

This all seems so familiar. Will this year be just like last year? 
Our current situation is not the same as the start of the pandemic and before the administration of vaccinations. There will be no significant change in Fall 2021 operations. This includes no changes to space capacity limits and physical distancing. We are asking everyone to stay a Husky apart (approx. 3 feet) in common areas. There are no planned changes to classroom seating, or course modality (e.g., in person, hybrid, or online) and events. Our strategy is focused on ensuring safety and following CDC and MDH guidance, while operating in an academic year that is very different than the one we faced last year. 

The Bring Huskies Home Team thanks you for your patience, resilience and resolve to protect ourselves and each other. In doing our part we will increase the likelihood of providing a safe campus community and a full Husky experience for our students. As we continue to monitor data and guidelines, the campus community will be alerted of changing conditions.  

Thank you for all that you do, and Go Huskies! 

Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Tressa Ries
Dr. Katrina Rodriguez
Steve South
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

 

[August 4, 2021]

Campus Safety Status 5/24

Dear Campus Community,

We hope you are enjoying the start of the summer! The Bring Huskies Home team would like to update everyone on the recent changes to some important campus safety conditions and requirements. We appreciate your patience as we review guidelines and determine safety protocols for our campus community.  

Wearing Masks

Masking will not be required for those who are fully vaccinated while on campus, with the exception of posted facilities such as the Medical Clinic effective May 28. The definition of fully vaccinated is two weeks following the second Pfizer or Moderna dose or two weeks after the single Johnson & Johnson dose.   

We know that wearing masks is an effective way to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 and therefore it is strongly encouraged that those who are not fully vaccinated wear a mask indoors. The Governor’s Order, the CDC, and other public health experts continue to highlight the associated risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19, and we ask our campus community to continue to do their part to protect the pack.   

While the mandate has ended, anyone who chooses to wear a mask should be supported for their decision to mask up. There are many reasons for an individual to choose to wear a mask.  Masks are likely to be a part of our routine for some time as we manage the stages of the pandemic and make choices to protect ourselves and others against the virus and contagions like the flu or common cold.  

Space Capacity Limits and Physical Distancing  

Space capacity limits and physical distancing requirements ended on May 28 based on the Governor’s recent announcements and MDH guidelines. This will include residence halls, recreation facilities, classrooms, meeting rooms, research laboratories and all other spaces. We will provide an update to the campus community on changing capacity and physical distancing requirements and ask that we all continue to be mindful of how to keep ourselves and others safe while on campus.

Campus Signs

This week we are transitioning campus to the new safety protocols with a refreshed set of signs and posters. Signs reflecting new safety protocols will be replacing current/outdated signs across campus as we move into the month of June.  

COVID-19 Dashboard  

The system office will require weekly reporting for the COVID-19 Dashboard into the summer. However, beginning with the reports due the week of May 31, St. Cloud State will not be required to report on On-campus Dedicated Isolation and Quarantine Capacity and Utilization. Please continue to monitor emails and the Bring Huskies Home website for updates on the status of the dashboard reporting requirements. 

The color-coding of campus safety/scenario levels is no longer required and has been removed from the Bring Huskies Home website. In addition to these edits, the Bring Huskies Home website is under revision with a focus on fall planning with updates on The Full Husky Experience, Fall 2021.  

Self Assessment Tool  

As of May 23, the Self-Assessment tool is no longer required for students, faculty, staff and visitors to access campus facilities. Signs will be in place with reminders to stay home when symptomatic or feeling ill.   

Town Halls Continue 

We will continue with hosting Town Halls this summer to keep our campus community updated on changing conditions and plans for the fall. A follow-up reminder and Zoom link will be shared for the next meeting scheduled at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 2. 

Please continue to take public health precautions to protect yourself and the pack. While the increasing vaccination rates and the slowing pace of COVID-19 infections in the region are promising, the pandemic continues. Please continue to be cautious and practice handwashing, physical distancing (as appropriate), and stay home if you are feeling ill. We strongly encourage all members of our campus community to get vaccinated as it is the best way to minimize the risk of contracting the virus.  
  
Thank you for all that you do to protect the pack and Go Huskies!

Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Clare Rahm
Tressa Ries
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

 

 

[May 24, 2021]

Dear Campus Community,

Beginning May 23, completing the Self-Assessment tool will not be required for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to access campus facilities. Signs will be available with reminders to stay home when symptomatic or feeling ill. We ask that university employees remove signs and QR codes promoting or linking to the Self-Assessment tool in immediate work areas/offices.

In addition, we have received guidance from the Minnesota State System Office to remove Color-Coded Campus Safety Levels from our university website immediately. We thank you for following our safety status updates and helping to protect the pack.

As safety protocols and recommendations are evolving, please continue to monitor your email and the campus website for updates from The Bring Huskies Home (BHH) team. We are processing incoming guidelines and will be messaging the campus community and updating the BHH website beginning next week.

Go Huskies!

Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Jen Matzke
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Clare Rahm
Tressa Ries
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

Dear Campus Community,

St. Cloud State University is continuously monitoring COVID-19 conditions on campus and in the region. We are adjusting our campus safety level from Scenario 3 – Orange, to Scenario 2 – Yellow.

The transition to Scenario 2 is based on the following criteria:

• Infection rates have stabilized over the last 14 days in both Stearns and Benton counties. The rates are at levels experienced over the summer when we were last at Yellow.
• Cases among students coming to or residing on campus are remaining lower than we have experienced since the start of the academic year.
• We continue to have very few, if any, individuals in designated isolation.
• Routine testing continues to be readily available both on campus and in the community.
• County case rates remain at less than 30 cases per 10,000 as reported in Data for K-12 Schools: 14-day COVID-19 Case Rate by County

What does this mean for campus operations?

The Bring Huskies Home Team is working across offices and divisions to address the following:

• Reinitiating events and activities that bring larger groups of students together
• Reinforcing healthy Husky behavior expectations
• Continued partial capacity in classrooms to allow for safe physical distancing
• Focused communication and precautions for high-risk individuals

Our shift in the campus safety scenario is an encouraging milestone. To continue with this positive momentum we ask that all of our Huskies continue to follow our Protect the Pack safety protocols. More information on available testing, vaccinations, and spring break safety guidelines will follow with campus communications, updates, and the President’s Town Hall. Please monitor emails and the Bring Huskies Home Website for more information.

Thank you for all that you do to protect the pack. Go Huskies!

Dear Campus Community,

We are pleased to begin Spring Semester with a renewed sense of optimism for 2021!  Governor Walz adjusted the COVID dial, with businesses, restaurants, and other establishments and functions preparing to reopen at a reduced capacity (beginning Monday, Jan. 11). The number of COVID-19 cases are on the decline and local health care providers are working to address cases. While these are all positive signs, we are moving forward with caution as we begin the Spring 2021 semester.

Beginning Jan. 11, we will adjust our campus safety level from Scenario 4-Deep Orange to Scenario 3-Orange.  Scenario 3-Orange is a safety level that requires continued vigilance and follow through with COVID-19 safety protocols to: wear a mask, maintain 6 feet of physical distancing, wash your hands, and stay home when sick. Please continue to complete the daily self-assessment.

Members of our campus community may have traveled or visited loved ones over Winter Break. We ask that employees and students ‘lay low’ for the next two weeks by reducing the amount of contact with others. Activities such as attending in-person classes, small group meetings with social distancing, and participating in individual physical activities are appropriate. We will continue to encourage virtual events in lieu of social gatherings. Students can find information on campus events by visiting Huskies Connect.

In consultation with MDH and Minnesota State, we will continue to lay low for the first two weeks of Spring Semester through Sunday, Jan. 24.

Highlighted below are some ‘lay low’ operations effective through Jan. 24. We will continue to update the campus community with future changes:

• Meetings, including all student organization/club meetings, will be scaled back in terms of attendance, frequency of meetings, and moved to virtual wherever possible. 
• Residential Life will continue restrictions in residence halls. 
• In-person extracurricular events and activities, including intramurals and club sports, of any size will be postponed or canceled.
• Individual physical activities in Campus Recreation facilities including the Fitness Center, Field House, Husky Dome and Halenbeck Pool are open with reduced capacity and additional physical distancing requirements. 
• Atwood will continue to be open until 10 p.m. The bowling alley and billiard room have reopened with limited capacity. 
• Consistent with the NCAA return to play guidance, Intercollegiate Athletic teams have returned to practice and competition while following testing protocols. Competitions will be held without spectators. 

Operations not impacted:

• In-Person classes will be held as scheduled.  Masks are still required to be worn throughout the course meeting and while in or moving through campus buildings. 
• The Library is open with computer labs and meeting rooms for studying. Students should adhere to posted room capacities, wear a mask while studying in groups, and follow requirements for using computer labs. 
• Student support offices are open for normal business hours.

To protect the pack, we recommend COVID testing for students and employees returning to campus after travel and holiday gatherings. On-campus testing events are scheduled on Jan. 12 and Jan. 21.  Off-campus testing is also available at River’s Edge Convention Center and other area locations. 

We thank you for helping us to Protect the Pack.

Go Huskies!

Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Clare Rahm
Tressa Ries
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

 

Campus Safety Status 11/20

Dear Campus Community,

This week illustrates the ever-changing conditions presented by COVID-19. It began with a call to action for Minnesotans to mitigate an accelerated rate of community spread of COVID cases in our state and across the country. On Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, we emailed our campus community announcing a heightened level of campus safety — moving from the safety level of Scenario 2-Yellow to Scenario 3-Orange. We asked students and staff to hunker down and not travel for Thanksgiving and made arrangements for our on-campus students to stay in their residence hall over the Thanksgiving break. 

We held a campus wide testing event to Know B4 You Go or Gather, coming together as a community to distribute and oversee the administration of more than 600 saliva tests. This was an amazing effort that was quickly planned and implemented as a result of our communication and coordination with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

Later that evening, we heard from Gov. Tim Walz as he introduced Executive Order 20-99 — a strategy to “dial-back” on social gatherings, and restrict services in bars and restaurants, and fitness facilities and gyms for four weeks.  

At this time, St. Cloud State University’s operations are aligned with statewide efforts to dial back on certain activities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Our campus will remain open, and draw on MDH guidelines that were introduced to institutions of higher education on  Nov. 18, 2020. Colleges and universities will be operating at the newly introduced Scenario 4 safety level for the “dial back” period of the executive order.

In accordance with Executive Order 20-99, and in consultation with MDH and Minnesota State, we will lay low for the four week period beginning Friday, Nov. 20 at 11:59 p.m. through Friday, Dec. 18 at 11:59 p.m. 

Highlighted below are some changes to campus operations effective Friday, Nov. 20  at 11:59 p.m. We will continue to update the campus community with future changes:

• Meetings, including all student organization/club meetings, will be scaled back in terms of attendance, frequency of meetings, and moved to virtual wherever possible. 
• Residential Life staff will be informing students residing on campus of changes in safety protocols in residence halls. 
• In-person extracurricular events and activities of any size will be postponed or canceled.
• Atwood will close nightly at 10 p.m. The bowling alley and billiard room will be closed. 
• Campus Recreation programs will be paused, including group exercise classes, intramurals, club sports, open recreation as the Fitness Center, Field House, Husky Dome, and Halenbeck Pool will be closed to the public, students, staff, and faculty.  
• Third party rentals in Atwood, Halenbeck Hall and the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center will be canceled.
• Consistent with the NCHC and WCHA return to play policies, Men’s and Women’s Hockey are continuing their testing protocols in preparation for competition in the coming weeks. Huskies Athletics will take a brief pause in its NCAA Division II sports to assess the updated MDH guidelines and adjust as appropriate based upon playing season and on-going Northern Sun conference discussions.

Operations not impacted

• The Library will remain open with computer labs and meeting rooms for studying. Students should adhere to posted room capacities, wear a mask while studying in groups, and follow requirements for using computer labs. 
• Student support offices will remain open during their normal business hours.

Academic Instruction

• Students should monitor email, D2L, and faculty messages for information on any changes to courses with face-to-face activities. Students with questions should reach out to faculty, or seek further assistance through department chairs and/or a student relations director.  
• If students travel home for the holiday and all their classes are online, we strongly suggest that they stay and complete the semester from home. 
• Students returning to campus after Thanksgiving, should lay low and seek testing 5-7 days after their arriving back on campus. Testing is available at River’s Edge Convention Center and other area locations. 

As we mitigate the spread of COVID-19, please continue to monitor your email for updates. The Bring Huskies Home website is being revised with immediate and archived access to campus alerts and other important information. 

We thank you for your patience and continued support as we all work together to protect the pack.

Go Huskies!

The Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Clare Rahm
Tressa Ries
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

On October 16th a campus wide email by the Bring Huskies Home team notified the university community of increasing COVID-19 cases in surrounding counties. We made the decision to move to our campus safety level from Scenario 1- Green to Scenario 2- Yellow. 

Throughout this semester our campus community has done an incredible job adjusting to serving our students and keeping our campus community safe. Our campus operations and classrooms continue to be safe places to work and learn. The spread of the virus has been community based, with a disproportionately higher rate a spread by individuals who are 18-35, and is usually associated with not adhering to social distancing and masking guidelines when people are gathering in their homes or in the community. 

Unfortunately, the rate of infection continues to increase in the last 7 days. Our hospitals and medical providers are particularly hard hit with this recent surge. Area schools are addressing capacity concerns and the rate of infection with shifts in remote and distance learning formats.  

Given the alarming increase in the number of community COVID cases, we are now moving our campus safety level to Scenario 3 – Orange. 

Moving to the Orange level will bring the following changes to our campus operations as follows: 

• Campus offices will remain open. We will continue to provide important services to our students, such as housing, dining, registration, and advising activities. Should an office need additional support, supervisors should work with their staff and in collaboration with Human Resources to address safety and consistency in office operations. 
   
• We will continue to distribute COVID-19 saliva tests to employees and students. Today’s high turnout at the Know B4 You Go or Gatherevent demonstrates that our community is monitoring personal health and helping to protect the pack. Test kits will be available for pick up at the following locations during scheduled hours of operation and until Friday 11/20: Atwood Information Desk, Husky Tech (Miller Center), and Administrative Services Information Desk. We are working with health officials to coordinate future testing.  
   
• Faculty will determine on a course by course basis, if any changes will be made to the face to face component of their courses for the final weeks of the Fall semester. Provost Gregory will be providing faculty with more guidance – please monitor your email for this message.  
• Residence halls will remain open. Many of our students rely on their on-campus housing as their primary residence and some prefer to remain on campus in order to access support and services. Therefore, residential services and dining will remain open and will strictly follow COVID safety protocols.  
   

We will follow up with more details once we understand any of the additional changes that the governor intends to make. 

Please continue to reach out to our students to let them know we are here to help them. Help each other as we weather what seems to be one of many COVID storms. Please continue to monitor the Bring Huskies Home website for the latest news and information – efforts are underway to streamline and refresh information.  

Thank you for all you do on behalf of SCSU and our students.

 

[November 18, 2020]

Thanksgiving Guidelines for Students

Traveling home over Thanksgiving means you might bring COVID-19 home with you.  You can bring COVID-19 home from an exposure you had before you left or while traveling.

Traveling  

• Please get tested before you go! A St. Cloud State University campus testing event will be held on Wednesday (11/18) - more information will follow. If you are negative continue to lay low until you go. If you are positive, you will need to isolate. 
• Lay low before you go!  Minimize your contact with others for 14 days before you travel, avoid large crowds, gatherings, or bars.  Wear face masks whenever you are outside of your room and distance as much as you can.
• If you are using public transportation, wear a face mask, distance as much as possible and wash hands frequently (or use hand sanitizer).

Arrival

• Lay low once you arrive, because you may have been exposed during travel.
• Mask and social distancing as much as possible while you are home. 
• In general, avoid visiting people who are elderly or have health conditions. If you do visit, you should wear a mask and stay 6 or more feet away as much as possible and wash your hands.  Consider getting tested 6 days prior to the visit.
• Consider testing 5-7 days after arrival, especially if your travel included being around many people (airports, bus rides, larger car pools).
• If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 get tested right away and isolate while the test is pending. If you have a close exposure to a known case of COVID-19, you should be tested 5-7 days after exposure and quarantine for 14 days after the exposure.

Coming back to campus

• If you can go home and stay home and have the option to finish classes online do it! [SCSU Specific information to discuss with professors.]
• If you return to campus after Thanksgiving, remember to lay low again when you get back.  This too will help slow down transmission on your campus and in your community.

Other Resources:

• Don’t ignore symptoms! Symptoms can be subtle. For a list of symptoms associated with COVID-19
• CDC Resources on Celebrating Thanksgiving During COVID-19
• CDC Resources on what to do if you are sick or caring for someone that is sick

 

[November 13, 2020]

Dear Huskies,

This week’s COVID-19 Dashboard results show that the number of positive cases among  SCSU students and employees are holding steady. However, this does not refelct the COVID-19 conditions in area communities and neighboring states.

As you review the dashboard – please note that our campus safety level is updated from green to yellow. This is not a change related to an increasing rate of COVID-19 cases in our campus community. This is a precautionary measure in response to increasing cases in area communities.  

Why the change campus safety level?
Each color in the levels of campus safety involves careful consideration for things like the rate of transmission on campus, indicators that can impact this rate, and our response.  There are two indicators that are leading us to be cautious and to change our campus safety level.

First, infections continue to increase in nearby counties. Second, the number of cases in area elementary and secondary schools are increasing. In both instances, cases have increased in the last 14 days. We are carefully monitoring our campus conditions and our area communities with the assistance of public health officials. This virus spreads quickly and ignores boundaries such as counties and states, our schools, facilities that house and care for the vulnerable and our homes.  If the cases of the virus increase around us, we must be more careful on and off campus …and as a pack.

What does this mean for campus?
Campus actions in response to a change in safety status may include adjustments to campus operations, course delivery modes, engagement and access to facilities.  As we are monitoring area community conditions, campus operations, classes, and activities will be conducted as planned. All classes and events will continue as scheduled.

We ask that everyone carry on with our current safety expectations and planning requirements. Please follow through with safety protocols and habits at events and during everyday activities on and off campus.

What does this mean for each Husky?
Huskies should continue to protect themselves and the pack with an even higher degree of diligence. This includes completing the daily self-assessment, wearing a mask, staying two huskies apart, washing hands frequently and staying home when feeling ill. Social gatherings should be in small groups. We ask that Huskies Lay Low. More importantly, please make these habits part of your daily routine, on and off campus.

If you test positive for COVID-19, or come into close contact with the virus, or may even have been on campus while contagious, we strongly suggest that you disclose this information on our newly available Self Report Tool. This will help with determining and mitigating risk.

In closing, we want to emphasize again, that this decision is not based on our campus community. We continue to do a great job minimizing our cases. Thanks to everyone for protecting the pack.

Go Huskies!

Bring Huskies Home Team

 

[October 16, 2020]

Dear Huskies,

We would like to update you on some evolving campus conditions related to COVID-19.

As you might have reviewed the SCSU COVID-19 Dashboard, the reporting period ending on Wednesday, September 16^th showed seven student cases with a positive COVID-19 test result reported to the university by public health officials or the student. By the close of this week, however, we are detecting an increase of cases that is concerning.

Listed below are key events and actions that we would like to share with the campus community to keep everyone informed of COVID-19 conditions and ongoing measures to mitigate the risk of exposure:

• By the close of September 16^th, campus staff and medical personnel became aware of several students presenting COVID-19 symptoms. These students were observed as feeling ill and reported their condition to campus personnel.
• SCSU Emergency Management personnel immediately alerted public health officials and continue to be in close consultation with Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
• MDH assigned an epidemiologist (specializing in higher education institutions) to our campus to work closely with SCSU Medical Clinic personnel to conduct the contact tracing investigations and to provide input on mitigation strategies.
• Contact tracing investigations immediately began to determine who may have been in close contact with individuals with COVID-19.
• Students who were identified as having been in close contact at the point of infection and during the period when individuals are likely to be contagious were alerted of their potential exposure and given appropriate guidance. This includes students living on and off campus.
• Symptomatic students were isolated beginning late evening of September 16^th with testing underway.
• The Huskies Support Chain was activated for students in isolation, providing coordinated academic and social support based on each students’ circumstances and needs.
• As an added precaution, Athletics has suspended team activities.
• Students continue to be monitored and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are being tracked.

The results of contact tracing are revealing some important pieces of information. First, off-campus social gatherings appear to be the point at which students came into close contact with a person infected with COVID-19. Second, classroom settings, where masks are worn and social distancing is practiced, are not considered a high-risk area for infection.

We are closely monitoring the condition of our campus safety. We ask that students and employees continue with an increased level of diligence to wear a mask, wash hands frequently, practice physical distancing, stay home when feeling ill, and avoid gatherings with more than 10 people -- our Huskies should lay low. Continue to complete the self-assessment before coming to campus or daily if you reside on campus.

At this moment, our level of campus safety remains at green. We will, however, alert the campus community with any changes in status.
 

Thank you for continuing to do what you can to Protect the Pack.
 

We will be back in touch next week.

Bring Huskies Home Team

 

[September 19, 2020]

Husky Nation,  

We are pleased to share that Minnesota State published a COVID-19 Dashboard. In addition, St. Cloud State's Bring Huskies Home website is updated with dashboard highlights, campus safety information and other resources. This information will be updated on a weekly basis. View our campus data via Bring Huskies Home or link directly to information provided by the Minnesota State COVID-19 Dashboard.

Important links/information:

• Bring Huskies Home Campus Safety and Dashboard
• Minnesota State COVID-19 Dashboard
• Overview & Resources about the Minnesota State COVID-19 Dashboard
  
   

Thank you for staying informed and doing your part to protect the pack.

Go Huskies!

 

[September 11, 2020]

Huskies,

The SCSU Medical Clinic is excited to welcome you as you return to campus; in person or remotely. Although this year will be different from what we all hoped for, we will do our best to find ways to engage while maintaining necessary safety measures to keep COVID-19 at bay. Here are some things you need to know...
 

The top 5 things to Protect the Pack:

1. Wear a facial covering
2. Wash your hands
3. Cover your cough
4. Maintain physical distancing (6 feet or 2 meters)
5. Stay home if you’re sick 

Unpacking?
 

Watch this quick video from our
Protect The Pack: Roommate Edition
for important conversation starters with roommates.

What is the Husky Lay Low?
 

The Medical Clinic at St. Cloud State is encouraging you to “lay low” and avoid large social gatherings, especially for the next two weeks.

“Lay low” means to avoid large social gatherings where physical distancing or masks are not being utilized. 

The first two weeks of the semester will be a critical period because people will be returning from many different areas. As COVID-19 symptoms generally develop within 14 days, this initial “lay low” period is essential. Please minimize your in-person social activities as much as possible.

Huskies Connect is your source for virtual and in-person campus events. We follow COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

Although we will do everything we can to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread, we have to assume at some point there will be positive cases of COVID-19 on our campus. In addition, there will be people without obvious symptoms who could spread COVID-19. Therefore it is crucial for everyone to be masking, physical distancing, and handwashing. Together, we can make this work.
 

Not feeling well?

If you are not feeling well, please stay home, and do the following:

• Call the SCSU Medical Clinic for guidance on managing your symptoms, for directions on getting tested, and possible isolation. Call: 320-308-3191
• Determine what to share and with whom after discussing your symptoms with a healthcare professional. 

Important Contact Information

Medical Clinic
In-person and Telehealth appointments available
Monday-Friday 8:00AM-4:30PM.
Call: 320-308-3191 or secure message: myhealthservices.stcloudstate.edu

After-hours/weekends, CentraCare:
Call: 320-200-3200 or CentraCare e-Clinic
 
SCSU COVID-19 Information Line
Available to answer your non-health questions related to COVID-19 at St. Cloud State
Call: 320-308-1588 or email: studentaffairs@stcloudstate.edu

CONNECT WITH US!
We’re here for you.

Facebook @HealthyHuskiesSCSU
Instagram @HealthyHuskiesSCSU

 

[August 20, 2020]