University Letter

UND's faculty and staff newsletter

Mask guidance provided

On Thursday, Grand Forks Country raised its COVID-19 status to the orange level, which means there is a high level of risk for significant transmission of the virus and a high risk of exposure because of widespread community infections. According to tracking data from the Grand Forks County Health Officer, there was a 135 percent increase in new COVID cases during the past week.

For the University of North Dakota, we strongly recommend indoor masking in public settings – even for those who have been vaccinated. The University continues to emphasize that getting vaccinated is the best way to protect the campus and the community, particularly with the growing spread of the Delta variant of COVID. UND’s leadership continues to monitor the COVID pandemic with our county, state, and federal public health partners regarding campus mask requirements.

While UND’s requirements have not changed, this is a reminder that we are granting faculty members the authority to require masks in their classrooms. Staff members and supervisors also have similar flexibility to ensure the safety of their workspaces. Every person on campus should carry a mask in the event that a colleague requests that you wear a mask and to honor the classroom expectations for the upcoming fall semester.