Aug. 14 letter from President Armacost: Countdown to UND’s reopening
We’re about a week away from reopening the University of North Dakota for the 2020 fall semester. After five months of online education, it will be exciting to see students, faculty and staff back on campus. It will also be interesting to hear what everyone thinks about how UND has changed since they’ve been gone. I think you’ll notice and like the difference.
However, as you know, this will not be the typical beginning to the semester. As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we recognize the concerns about keeping everyone at UND – as well as the surrounding greater Grand Forks community – safe and healthy. This is our No. 1 priority.
It’s important before you come back to campus to be tested for the coronavirus. We strongly encourage students, faculty, staff and their families to take advantage of testing sites set up around the state and on campus. Testing is one of the best tools we have to help prevent the spread of the virus. I also want to remind everyone that wearing a mask is required on campus while interacting with others and attending UND-sponsored events.
I wish there was a way to share with you all the experiences, meetings and conversations I’ve had over the past several months as we’ve planned and prepared to reopen UND for the fall semester. This has been an intensive process based on careful, thoughtful and thorough planning. We have sought input from faculty, staff, students and community leaders on a daily basis.
Our work has been based on five guiding principles that aid us in making the appropriate decisions for everyone’s benefit. They are:
- First and foremost, consider the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff;
- Ensure that our educational and scholarly experiences remain focused on excellence;
- Sustain a sense of community founded on principles of respect and empathy;
- Promote collaboration on campus, while recognizing key differences among our units;
- Respond sensibly to changing conditions of the pandemic.
We have built as much flexibility as possible into our reopening plan to deal with changing conditions. For example, the University can rapidly transition to online teaching if needed. In addition, those uncomfortable with attending or teaching classes have the option to do them online.
As students and faculty begin classes, perhaps the most noticeable difference will be the health and hygiene measures put in place to keep physical distancing and maintain cleanliness on high-touch surfaces. Our goal is not only to make UND a COVID-resistant campus, but also a COVID-resilient campus.
Given the level of disruption the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to everyone’s lives, my sense is that we all yearn for a return to sense of normalcy. Please be patient—it is vital to remember that the current context will be different, yet it won’t be forever. To get to where we want to be, it will require all of us working together, cooperating and engaging in best practices on campus and in the community to defeat this pandemic.
We should be encouraged by examples from this summer, when our campus came back to life with the presence of aviation students and student-athletes. Physical distancing, face coverings, and hygiene suppressed infections, and isolation and quarantine prevented additional spread. We know these methods work, but we also know the emotional impact of having to keep a distance. It is critical for the University, professors, staff members, coaches, and friends to continue to provide great support to each other.
I have trust in UND’s students, faculty and staff, as well as the citizens of Grand Forks, to take ownership of the vital task of protecting one another. Through our words and actions, we are demonstrating that we take this responsibility very seriously. With all the tools we’re providing, my hope is that we choose to take up the task of caring for one another. More than ever, UND needs leaders in action to conquer the challenges ahead.
Andy Armacost
President
University of North Dakota
