Moments ago, Governor Walz announced a Stay at Home Executive Order for all Minnesota residents. The Stay At Home Executive Order directs Minnesotans to limit movements outside of their homes beyond essential needs from March 27 at 11:59 pm to April 10 at 5:00 pm.

As part of the Executive Order, the governor has declared State colleges and universities as essential, which means the colleges and universities of Minnesota State are exempt from this order. Instruction will resume, as scheduled, on either March 30 or April 6 as previously announced.

All classes will be delivered using alternative modes, and campuses will remain closed to the public. Faculty may access campus for things like retrieving items from offices, performing maintenance on equipment used for labs, or to broadcast an online course. While on campus, faculty must practice the social distancing guidelines of the CDC. Students may also access the campus, if needed, for services not accessible at home.

The Chancellor will maintain campus-based essential services needed to support our students. A limited number of employees will be on campus to maintain infrastructure and provide services for students living in dorms.

We understand the great effort needed to meet the challenges of this time. Each of our faculty has sacrificed to meet the needs of their students. Praise which I can offer does not do justice to the tremendous effort you have all made – but thank you, for everything.

We also want to take this opportunity to commend the bravery and hard work of all of Minnesota’s nurses, healthcare providers, police, first responders, and other public safety employees that are risking their lives each day to provide the necessary care for our residents. We take great pride in the important work our campuses do to prepare a large number of students in these vital areas. There is no doubt your contributions as faculty have prepared our State to take swift and effective action.

We understand things are changing rapidly. We will share information as it changes. Our website www.ifo.org/covid19-info will contain updated information about COVID-19 and your work as a State university faculty member.

As you take steps to protect your health and that of others, keep in mind that we are fighting a virus, not members of our communities. Discrimination, stereotypes, xenophobia, and racism remain as harmful to our campus and local communities as before the emergence of COVID-19.

As a reminder, you can further protect yourself and others by:

Washing your hands often with soap and water; covering your cough and sneeze; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Practicing self-care by eating a healthy diet and taking time to rest
Frequently cleaning all commonly touched surfaces
Avoiding large gatherings
Staying home if you are sick

If you feel you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, The Minnesota Department of Health recommends:

Stay at home for at least 7 days, and for 3 days with no fever and improvement of respiratory symptoms – whichever is longer.
Use the CDC website on how to Care For Yourself at Home with COVID-19.
If your household contacts were exposed to you while you had symptoms, they should try to stay home as much as possible for 14 days.
They should closely monitor their health, and if symptoms occur, they must isolate themselves. More guidance on this can be found here: MDH COVID-19 Basics
Use the CDC website for How to Minimize Spread.

In solidarity,

Brent Jeffers