Nov. 15, 2020
Update for faculty, staff, students
On-campus operations and on-campus course delivery will resume Monday, November 16.
Mayville State University will resume full on-campus operations and on-campus course delivery on Monday, Nov. 16. All faculty and staff who have recently been working remotely will return to work on campus. We will continue with this plan until the Thanksgiving break.
Current COVID-19 activity on campus
The results of the Nov. 6 mass testing event held at Mayville State have been received and the number of positive cases and close contacts among students attending classes on campus, as well as employees, has come down considerably. See the dashboard, which is updated daily, at www.mayvillestate.edu/fall2020restart. The latest data shows that the positivity rate on campus is much lower than in the community and across the state, which would indicate that Mayville State’s mitigation efforts, including mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing, and cleaning and sanitizing, are effective. Thank you to all who continue to work very hard to keep our campus a safe place in which to study, live, and work while we remain true to our mission as “The School of Personal Service.”
Comets Choose option begins Monday, November 30
In support of heightened mitigation requirements for the state of North Dakota announced by Governor Burgum Friday evening, individual Mayville State students will be given the flexibility to determine whether they wish to attend classes in person on campus or to participate online for the remainder of the fall semester. This new option, Comets Choose, will begin Monday, Nov. 30. We recognize the seriousness of the current COVID-19 situation in the state and in our communities, and the decision to offer flexibility for students supports the mitigation efforts of the greater community by reducing the population density in classrooms. Further, we recognize that some students will travel a distance for the Thanksgiving break. This will provide them the flexibility to stay in place in their home communities through the Christmas break, if preferred by the student. This also reduces the potential opportunity to bring the virus back to Traill County during the current particularly difficult time of the pandemic.
Throughout the final weeks of the fall semester, faculty will continue to accommodate the needs of students, providing on-campus classes and meetings by request, and as arranged, for students enrolled in their on-campus classes. Residence halls will remain open and dining services will continue to provide meals. It is the student’s choice as to whether they wish to remain on campus and make use of these services. There will be no refunds of residence hall or dining services fees if a student chooses to be away from the campus for the remainder of the semester.
All campus offices will remain fully operational, providing services as needed. Supervisors should work with employees to determine proper coverage of their departments and offices.
Comet Athletics will move forward with practices and competitions as planned.
Mass testing event planned for November 21
Mayville State will host a mass COVID-19 testing event Saturday, Nov. 21 from 10 a.m. until noon in the Wellness Center gymnasium. All students, faculty, and staff are strongly encouraged to test, especially those who plan to leave town over the Thanksgiving break. Additional details regarding the testing event will be sent out next week.
Those who choose to travel away from the Mayville State campus during the Thanksgiving break are strongly encouraged to test prior to leaving and upon returning to campus. Additional details regarding local testing options following Thanksgiving break will be shared when the details have been finalized.
Full return for spring semester
We will return to on-campus course delivery and full on-campus operations for all students, faculty, and staff by the start of the spring semester on Jan. 11, 2021.
Stay safe.
Remember to wear your mask, social distance, wash your hands often, get tested for COVID-19, monitor for symptoms, and stay home if you are not feeling well. These practices are extremely important in helping to control the spread of the coronavirus.
Use the information available at www.mayvillestate.edu/fall2020restart as a resource.
Be kind. Show your gratitude to those who are helping to keep our campus safe and serve the needs of the campus community. Be safe, and be healthy.
Sincerely,
Brian Van Horn, President
Mayville State University