President’s Office
Dear members of the Michigan Tech community,
The health, safety, and security of our campus is of utmost importance and a tenet on which we pride ourselves as an institution. Therefore, Michigan Tech is taking the following preventative actions to mitigate the impacts associated with the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus on our campus and in our community. Please keep in mind this is a fluid situation and circumstances can change rapidly. The most up-to-date information is available at mtu.edu/covid-19.
- We are suspending all face-to-face instruction, effective Monday, March 16, 2020. Dining services and residential housing will remain open and operational. Additional details are provided below.
- We have instituted tighter travel restrictions, which are outlined in greater detail below
- As a precaution, the University is encouraging at-risk employees to contact Human Resources to discuss potential accommodations for working remotely.
- Organizers should reconsider hosting any large group gatherings of 25 people or more scheduled between March 16, 2020 and April 17, 2020. See below for more details.
Classes
We are suspending face-to-face instruction for all classes and moving to virtual instruction, effective Monday, March 16, 2020 and through at least Friday, April 17, 2020. All instructors will contact their students no later than Wednesday, March 18, 2020, to provide further information about course delivery.
While completing classes virtually, students may return to campus or stay at their permanent place of residence. On campus, appropriate social distancing and enhanced preventative public health and hygiene measures will be expected. Our priority, as always, is our community’s health and safety.
We urge all students to make the choice that is best for their own personal situation. However, high-risk populations are encouraged not to return to campus.
Travel
Effective immediately, any student or employee who has completed travel to either a Level 2 or Level 3 country OR believe they may have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus will not be allowed to return to campus for a 14-day period. The 14-day period shall commence on the last date of travel from the Level 2 or Level 3 country or from the last date of potential exposure. The current list of Level 2 or Level 3 countries may be found on the CDC Information for Travel page.
Employees and students who have traveled to a Level 2 or Level 3 country or have reason to believe they have been exposed should immediately contact the University via email at covid-19@mtu.edu. This will assist Michigan Tech and state health officials in taking measures to help prevent the spread of the virus and maintain the health and safety of the University community.
All international university sponsored travel scheduled to depart between now and April 17, 2020 is effectively canceled. We also urge all University employees to reconsider any University-sponsored domestic travel scheduled between now and April 17, 2020. Information regarding these updated travel policies will be available later today on the mtu.edu/covid-19 website.
Events
Organizers are asked to reevaluate all face-to-face, on-campus group gatherings of 25 people or more planned during the months of March and April and to strongly weigh the options of canceling, postponing, or virtualizing their event. No new events will be scheduled on campus through April 17, 2020. Pursuant to CDC guidelines, we encourage all high-risk populations to avoid large group gatherings whenever possible.
Opportunities for Faculty and Staff to Work Remotely
The University is finalizing plans that provide faculty and staff opportunities to work remotely, where appropriate, during this time. Managers are expected to be flexible in allowing high-risk employees who are able to work from home to do so. More information about working remotely, employee-leave management, and associated workplace issues will be available later today on the mtu.edu/covid-19 website.
As the situation develops, we will continue to update our policies, procedures, and protocols to mitigate the effects of the virus on the MTU community. To get more information and view all updates from Michigan Tech, visit mtu.edu/covid-19. If you have additional questions, you may email covid-19@mtu.edu.
We must all stay vigilant to help protect each other and our community from the potential effects of this virus. Michigan Tech’s COVID-19 response team has reviewed and is modifying as needed our plans for preventing the contraction and/or spread of the virus.
We encourage all employees and students to self-monitor for any symptoms indicative of the COVID-19 virus, which, pursuant to the current CDC guidelines, include fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath. If you exhibit any of these symptoms, we encourage you to seek medical treatment and limit your contact with other individuals until cleared by a medical professional. Also, it is equally important to practice good hygiene, which includes handwashing and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer products to help mitigate the spread of the virus.
I will keep you apprised as new developments occur.
Sincerely,
Rick Koubek
President