Dear students, faculty, and staff,
I hope this message finds you well in the final days of what has been one of the most challenging, unusual, and exhausting semesters than any of us has ever experienced. As a community, we have met the challenge up to this point, and while I know your exhaustion is real, we are prepared for the future. I’d like to provide a few updates on what that future might look like.
Commencement
Plans continue for our systemwide virtual commencement on Saturday, May 16 at 11 a.m. We are so proud to honor our graduates and their achievements and this year is certainly no exception. I ask that all graduating students respond as soon as possible to emails from MarchingOrder and you can find more information here. This commencement won’t be what you imagined but it will be unique, and it will acknowledge your tremendous accomplishments in ways you can enjoy with your family and friends.
Pandemic-Related Curriculum
As the Provost communicated to students earlier this month, we have expanded our summer course offerings, including new, timely systemwide courses. These pandemic-related courses, which will be taught via alternative formats, include topics such as the environment, literature, economics, health care, politics, technology, and more. Our intention is to make the most of this summer for our entire University community and to lean into our ability to provide information, skills, and context, even in the most unusual of times.
Fall Semester 2020
We have begun to explore options for Fall semester by empaneling systemwide representative working groups that are developing plans for campus operations, finances, academics, and research. They are benchmarking against principles, federal and state-level health and safety guidance, and forward-thinking strategies. They are also working quickly and collaboratively so that we can roll out our “staged sunrise” in a manner that embodies our University’s mission, values, and commitment to excellence.
You may have seen that some of our fellow institutions of higher education have already begun to announce plans for Fall 2020 coursework, whether that’s continuing alternative instruction or returning to in-person classes on campus. While I can appreciate the desire to have clarity on the future for planning purposes, I wish to reiterate several key points.
• We have made no final decision about the Fall semester with regard to work or instruction. We are actively planning for a range of possibilities, including on-campus instruction, alternative instruction, or a combination of both—in addition to remaining open to other options depending on how public health conditions evolve. The key here is preparedness, so that we can move quickly once additional evidence and more certain facts allow for informed decisions.
• We will look to the best, research-supported advice from trusted public health entities, including the Minnesota Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the University’s own medical and public health experts.
• As they have from the beginning of the pandemic, our decisions will prioritize the safety, health, and welfare of our entire community.
As we look ahead, we will anchor into what the University’s first President, William Watts Folwell, described in his inaugural address as the core of higher education: to “inform, inspire, and elevate communities.” President Folwell said that, “It is hope, not memory, which inspires our hearts and dictates our utterances.” I would like all of you to know that I am not only hopeful, but confident in our future, and would like to extend my sincere appreciation for your continued patience as we work to make shared decisions in support of our University family.
In the meantime, please continue to share the ways that you are #UMNproud. You may notice some of your pride points on our COVID-19: Stories, Insights, Expertise website. There you can also learn about our clinical drug trials, research, and the many ways that our students, faculty, and staff are serving and inspiring us all.
Thank you for all that you do, and be healthy, safe, and well.
With warmest wishes,
Joan Gabel