Campus Safety Updates

Dear Campus Community,

Beginning May 23, completing the Self-Assessment tool will not be required for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to access campus facilities. Signs will be available with reminders to stay home when symptomatic or feeling ill. We ask that university employees remove signs and QR codes promoting or linking to the Self-Assessment tool in immediate work areas/offices.

In addition, we have received guidance from the Minnesota State System Office to remove Color-Coded Campus Safety Levels from our university website immediately. We thank you for following our safety status updates and helping to protect the pack.

As safety protocols and recommendations are evolving, please continue to monitor your email and the campus website for updates from The Bring Huskies Home (BHH) team. We are processing incoming guidelines and will be messaging the campus community and updating the BHH website beginning next week.

Go Huskies!

Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Jen Matzke
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Clare Rahm
Tressa Ries
Jenn Furan Super
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

Dear Campus Community,

St. Cloud State University is continuously monitoring COVID-19 conditions on campus and in the region. We are adjusting our campus safety level from Scenario 3 – Orange, to Scenario 2 – Yellow.

The transition to Scenario 2 is based on the following criteria:

• Infection rates have stabilized over the last 14 days in both Stearns and Benton counties. The rates are at levels experienced over the summer when we were last at Yellow.
• Cases among students coming to or residing on campus are remaining lower than we have experienced since the start of the academic year.
• We continue to have very few, if any, individuals in designated isolation.
• Routine testing continues to be readily available both on campus and in the community.
• County case rates remain at less than 30 cases per 10,000 as reported in Data for K-12 Schools: 14-day COVID-19 Case Rate by County

What does this mean for campus operations?

The Bring Huskies Home Team is working across offices and divisions to address the following:

• Reinitiating events and activities that bring larger groups of students together
• Reinforcing healthy Husky behavior expectations
• Continued partial capacity in classrooms to allow for safe physical distancing
• Focused communication and precautions for high-risk individuals

Our shift in the campus safety scenario is an encouraging milestone. To continue with this positive momentum we ask that all of our Huskies continue to follow our Protect the Pack safety protocols. More information on available testing, vaccinations, and spring break safety guidelines will follow with campus communications, updates, and the President’s Town Hall. Please monitor emails and the Bring Huskies Home Website for more information.

Thank you for all that you do to protect the pack. Go Huskies!

Dear Campus Community,

We are pleased to begin Spring Semester with a renewed sense of optimism for 2021!  Governor Walz adjusted the COVID dial, with businesses, restaurants, and other establishments and functions preparing to reopen at a reduced capacity (beginning Monday, Jan. 11). The number of COVID-19 cases are on the decline and local health care providers are working to address cases. While these are all positive signs, we are moving forward with caution as we begin the Spring 2021 semester.

Beginning Jan. 11, we will adjust our campus safety level from Scenario 4-Deep Orange to Scenario 3-Orange.  Scenario 3-Orange is a safety level that requires continued vigilance and follow through with COVID-19 safety protocols to: wear a mask, maintain 6 feet of physical distancing, wash your hands, and stay home when sick. Please continue to complete the daily self-assessment.

Members of our campus community may have traveled or visited loved ones over Winter Break. We ask that employees and students ‘lay low’ for the next two weeks by reducing the amount of contact with others. Activities such as attending in-person classes, small group meetings with social distancing, and participating in individual physical activities are appropriate. We will continue to encourage virtual events in lieu of social gatherings. Students can find information on campus events by visiting Huskies Connect.

In consultation with MDH and Minnesota State, we will continue to lay low for the first two weeks of Spring Semester through Sunday, Jan. 24.

Highlighted below are some ‘lay low’ operations effective through Jan. 24. We will continue to update the campus community with future changes:

• Meetings, including all student organization/club meetings, will be scaled back in terms of attendance, frequency of meetings, and moved to virtual wherever possible. 
• Residential Life will continue restrictions in residence halls. 
• In-person extracurricular events and activities, including intramurals and club sports, of any size will be postponed or canceled.
• Individual physical activities in Campus Recreation facilities including the Fitness Center, Field House, Husky Dome and Halenbeck Pool are open with reduced capacity and additional physical distancing requirements. 
• Atwood will continue to be open until 10 p.m. The bowling alley and billiard room have reopened with limited capacity. 
• Consistent with the NCAA return to play guidance, Intercollegiate Athletic teams have returned to practice and competition while following testing protocols. Competitions will be held without spectators. 

Operations not impacted:

• In-Person classes will be held as scheduled.  Masks are still required to be worn throughout the course meeting and while in or moving through campus buildings. 
• The Library is open with computer labs and meeting rooms for studying. Students should adhere to posted room capacities, wear a mask while studying in groups, and follow requirements for using computer labs. 
• Student support offices are open for normal business hours.

To protect the pack, we recommend COVID testing for students and employees returning to campus after travel and holiday gatherings. On-campus testing events are scheduled on Jan. 12 and Jan. 21.  Off-campus testing is also available at River’s Edge Convention Center and other area locations. 

We thank you for helping us to Protect the Pack.

Go Huskies!

Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Clare Rahm
Tressa Ries
Jenn Furan Super
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

Campus Safety Status 11/20

Dear Campus Community,

This week illustrates the ever-changing conditions presented by COVID-19. It began with a call to action for Minnesotans to mitigate an accelerated rate of community spread of COVID cases in our state and across the country. On Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, we emailed our campus community announcing a heightened level of campus safety — moving from the safety level of Scenario 2-Yellow to Scenario 3-Orange. We asked students and staff to hunker down and not travel for Thanksgiving and made arrangements for our on-campus students to stay in their residence hall over the Thanksgiving break. 

We held a campus wide testing event to Know B4 You Go or Gather, coming together as a community to distribute and oversee the administration of more than 600 saliva tests. This was an amazing effort that was quickly planned and implemented as a result of our communication and coordination with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

Later that evening, we heard from Gov. Tim Walz as he introduced Executive Order 20-99 — a strategy to “dial-back” on social gatherings, and restrict services in bars and restaurants, and fitness facilities and gyms for four weeks.  

At this time, St. Cloud State University’s operations are aligned with statewide efforts to dial back on certain activities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Our campus will remain open, and draw on MDH guidelines that were introduced to institutions of higher education on  Nov. 18, 2020. Colleges and universities will be operating at the newly introduced Scenario 4 safety level for the “dial back” period of the executive order.

In accordance with Executive Order 20-99, and in consultation with MDH and Minnesota State, we will lay low for the four week period beginning Friday, Nov. 20 at 11:59 p.m. through Friday, Dec. 18 at 11:59 p.m. 

Highlighted below are some changes to campus operations effective Friday, Nov. 20  at 11:59 p.m. We will continue to update the campus community with future changes:

• Meetings, including all student organization/club meetings, will be scaled back in terms of attendance, frequency of meetings, and moved to virtual wherever possible. 
• Residential Life staff will be informing students residing on campus of changes in safety protocols in residence halls. 
• In-person extracurricular events and activities of any size will be postponed or canceled.
• Atwood will close nightly at 10 p.m. The bowling alley and billiard room will be closed. 
• Campus Recreation programs will be paused, including group exercise classes, intramurals, club sports, open recreation as the Fitness Center, Field House, Husky Dome, and Halenbeck Pool will be closed to the public, students, staff, and faculty.  
• Third party rentals in Atwood, Halenbeck Hall and the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center will be canceled.
• Consistent with the NCHC and WCHA return to play policies, Men’s and Women’s Hockey are continuing their testing protocols in preparation for competition in the coming weeks. Huskies Athletics will take a brief pause in its NCAA Division II sports to assess the updated MDH guidelines and adjust as appropriate based upon playing season and on-going Northern Sun conference discussions.

Operations not impacted

• The Library will remain open with computer labs and meeting rooms for studying. Students should adhere to posted room capacities, wear a mask while studying in groups, and follow requirements for using computer labs. 
• Student support offices will remain open during their normal business hours.

Academic Instruction

• Students should monitor email, D2L, and faculty messages for information on any changes to courses with face-to-face activities. Students with questions should reach out to faculty, or seek further assistance through department chairs and/or a student relations director.  
• If students travel home for the holiday and all their classes are online, we strongly suggest that they stay and complete the semester from home. 
• Students returning to campus after Thanksgiving, should lay low and seek testing 5-7 days after their arriving back on campus. Testing is available at River’s Edge Convention Center and other area locations. 

As we mitigate the spread of COVID-19, please continue to monitor your email for updates. The Bring Huskies Home website is being revised with immediate and archived access to campus alerts and other important information. 

We thank you for your patience and continued support as we all work together to protect the pack.

Go Huskies!

The Bring Huskies Home Team

Dr. Dan Gregory
Dr. Kathryn Kloby
Dr. Brent Nielsen
Clare Rahm
Tressa Ries
Jenn Furan Super
Dr. Jason Woods
President Robbyn Wacker

On October 16th a campus wide email by the Bring Huskies Home team notified the university community of increasing COVID-19 cases in surrounding counties. We made the decision to move to our campus safety level from Scenario 1- Green to Scenario 2- Yellow. 

Throughout this semester our campus community has done an incredible job adjusting to serving our students and keeping our campus community safe. Our campus operations and classrooms continue to be safe places to work and learn. The spread of the virus has been community based, with a disproportionately higher rate a spread by individuals who are 18-35, and is usually associated with not adhering to social distancing and masking guidelines when people are gathering in their homes or in the community. 

Unfortunately, the rate of infection continues to increase in the last 7 days. Our hospitals and medical providers are particularly hard hit with this recent surge. Area schools are addressing capacity concerns and the rate of infection with shifts in remote and distance learning formats.  

Given the alarming increase in the number of community COVID cases, we are now moving our campus safety level to Scenario 3 – Orange. 

Moving to the Orange level will bring the following changes to our campus operations as follows: 

• Campus offices will remain open. We will continue to provide important services to our students, such as housing, dining, registration, and advising activities. Should an office need additional support, supervisors should work with their staff and in collaboration with Human Resources to address safety and consistency in office operations. 
   
• We will continue to distribute COVID-19 saliva tests to employees and students. Today’s high turnout at the Know B4 You Go or Gatherevent demonstrates that our community is monitoring personal health and helping to protect the pack. Test kits will be available for pick up at the following locations during scheduled hours of operation and until Friday 11/20: Atwood Information Desk, Husky Tech (Miller Center), and Administrative Services Information Desk. We are working with health officials to coordinate future testing.  
   
• Faculty will determine on a course by course basis, if any changes will be made to the face to face component of their courses for the final weeks of the Fall semester. Provost Gregory will be providing faculty with more guidance – please monitor your email for this message.  
• Residence halls will remain open. Many of our students rely on their on-campus housing as their primary residence and some prefer to remain on campus in order to access support and services. Therefore, residential services and dining will remain open and will strictly follow COVID safety protocols.  
   

We will follow up with more details once we understand any of the additional changes that the governor intends to make. 

Please continue to reach out to our students to let them know we are here to help them. Help each other as we weather what seems to be one of many COVID storms. Please continue to monitor the Bring Huskies Home website for the latest news and information – efforts are underway to streamline and refresh information.  

Thank you for all you do on behalf of SCSU and our students.

[November 18, 2020]

Thanksgiving Guidelines for Students

Traveling home over Thanksgiving means you might bring COVID-19 home with you.  You can bring COVID-19 home from an exposure you had before you left or while traveling.

Traveling  

• Please get tested before you go! A St. Cloud State University campus testing event will be held on Wednesday (11/18) - more information will follow. If you are negative continue to lay low until you go. If you are positive, you will need to isolate. 
• Lay low before you go!  Minimize your contact with others for 14 days before you travel, avoid large crowds, gatherings, or bars.  Wear face masks whenever you are outside of your room and distance as much as you can.
• If you are using public transportation, wear a face mask, distance as much as possible and wash hands frequently (or use hand sanitizer).

Arrival

• Lay low once you arrive, because you may have been exposed during travel.
• Mask and social distancing as much as possible while you are home. 
• In general, avoid visiting people who are elderly or have health conditions. If you do visit, you should wear a mask and stay 6 or more feet away as much as possible and wash your hands.  Consider getting tested 6 days prior to the visit.
• Consider testing 5-7 days after arrival, especially if your travel included being around many people (airports, bus rides, larger car pools).
• If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 get tested right away and isolate while the test is pending. If you have a close exposure to a known case of COVID-19, you should be tested 5-7 days after exposure and quarantine for 14 days after the exposure.

Coming back to campus

• If you can go home and stay home and have the option to finish classes online do it! [SCSU Specific information to discuss with professors.]
• If you return to campus after Thanksgiving, remember to lay low again when you get back.  This too will help slow down transmission on your campus and in your community.

Other Resources:

• Don’t ignore symptoms! Symptoms can be subtle. For a list of symptoms associated with COVID-19
• CDC Resources on Celebrating Thanksgiving During COVID-19
• CDC Resources on what to do if you are sick or caring for someone that is sick

[November 13, 2020]

Dear Huskies,

This week’s COVID-19 Dashboard results show that the number of positive cases among  SCSU students and employees are holding steady. However, this does not refelct the COVID-19 conditions in area communities and neighboring states.

As you review the dashboard – please note that our campus safety level is updated from green to yellow. This is not a change related to an increasing rate of COVID-19 cases in our campus community. This is a precautionary measure in response to increasing cases in area communities.  

Why the change campus safety level?
Each color in the levels of campus safety involves careful consideration for things like the rate of transmission on campus, indicators that can impact this rate, and our response.  There are two indicators that are leading us to be cautious and to change our campus safety level.

First, infections continue to increase in nearby counties. Second, the number of cases in area elementary and secondary schools are increasing. In both instances, cases have increased in the last 14 days. We are carefully monitoring our campus conditions and our area communities with the assistance of public health officials. This virus spreads quickly and ignores boundaries such as counties and states, our schools, facilities that house and care for the vulnerable and our homes.  If the cases of the virus increase around us, we must be more careful on and off campus …and as a pack.

What does this mean for campus?
Campus actions in response to a change in safety status may include adjustments to campus operations, course delivery modes, engagement and access to facilities.  As we are monitoring area community conditions, campus operations, classes, and activities will be conducted as planned. All classes and events will continue as scheduled.

We ask that everyone carry on with our current safety expectations and planning requirements. Please follow through with safety protocols and habits at events and during everyday activities on and off campus.

What does this mean for each Husky?
Huskies should continue to protect themselves and the pack with an even higher degree of diligence. This includes completing the daily self-assessment, wearing a mask, staying two huskies apart, washing hands frequently and staying home when feeling ill. Social gatherings should be in small groups. We ask that Huskies Lay Low. More importantly, please make these habits part of your daily routine, on and off campus.

If you test positive for COVID-19, or come into close contact with the virus, or may even have been on campus while contagious, we strongly suggest that you disclose this information on our newly available Self Report Tool. This will help with determining and mitigating risk.

In closing, we want to emphasize again, that this decision is not based on our campus community. We continue to do a great job minimizing our cases. Thanks to everyone for protecting the pack.

Go Huskies!

Bring Huskies Home Team

[October 16, 2020]

Dear Huskies,

We would like to update you on some evolving campus conditions related to COVID-19.

As you might have reviewed the SCSU COVID-19 Dashboard, the reporting period ending on Wednesday, September 16^th showed seven student cases with a positive COVID-19 test result reported to the university by public health officials or the student. By the close of this week, however, we are detecting an increase of cases that is concerning.

Listed below are key events and actions that we would like to share with the campus community to keep everyone informed of COVID-19 conditions and ongoing measures to mitigate the risk of exposure:

• By the close of September 16^th, campus staff and medical personnel became aware of several students presenting COVID-19 symptoms. These students were observed as feeling ill and reported their condition to campus personnel.
• SCSU Emergency Management personnel immediately alerted public health officials and continue to be in close consultation with Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
• MDH assigned an epidemiologist (specializing in higher education institutions) to our campus to work closely with SCSU Medical Clinic personnel to conduct the contact tracing investigations and to provide input on mitigation strategies.
• Contact tracing investigations immediately began to determine who may have been in close contact with individuals with COVID-19.
• Students who were identified as having been in close contact at the point of infection and during the period when individuals are likely to be contagious were alerted of their potential exposure and given appropriate guidance. This includes students living on and off campus.
• Symptomatic students were isolated beginning late evening of September 16^th with testing underway.
• The Huskies Support Chain was activated for students in isolation, providing coordinated academic and social support based on each students’ circumstances and needs.
• As an added precaution, Athletics has suspended team activities.
• Students continue to be monitored and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are being tracked.

The results of contact tracing are revealing some important pieces of information. First, off-campus social gatherings appear to be the point at which students came into close contact with a person infected with COVID-19. Second, classroom settings, where masks are worn and social distancing is practiced, are not considered a high-risk area for infection.

We are closely monitoring the condition of our campus safety. We ask that students and employees continue with an increased level of diligence to wear a mask, wash hands frequently, practice physical distancing, stay home when feeling ill, and avoid gatherings with more than 10 people -- our Huskies should lay low. Continue to complete the self-assessment before coming to campus or daily if you reside on campus.

At this moment, our level of campus safety remains at green. We will, however, alert the campus community with any changes in status.
 

Thank you for continuing to do what you can to Protect the Pack.
 

We will be back in touch next week.

Bring Huskies Home Team

[September 19, 2020]

Husky Nation,  

We are pleased to share that Minnesota State published a COVID-19 Dashboard. In addition, St. Cloud State's Bring Huskies Home website is updated with dashboard highlights, campus safety information and other resources. This information will be updated on a weekly basis. View our campus data via Bring Huskies Home or link directly to information provided by the Minnesota State COVID-19 Dashboard.

Important links/information:

• Bring Huskies Home Campus Safety and Dashboard
• Minnesota State COVID-19 Dashboard
• Overview & Resources about the Minnesota State COVID-19 Dashboard
  
   

Thank you for staying informed and doing your part to protect the pack.

Go Huskies!

[September 11, 2020]

Huskies,

The SCSU Medical Clinic is excited to welcome you as you return to campus; in person or remotely. Although this year will be different from what we all hoped for, we will do our best to find ways to engage while maintaining necessary safety measures to keep COVID-19 at bay. Here are some things you need to know...
 

The top 5 things to Protect the Pack:

1. Wear a facial covering
2. Wash your hands
3. Cover your cough
4. Maintain physical distancing (6 feet or 2 meters)
5. Stay home if you’re sick 

Unpacking?
 

Watch this quick video from our
Protect The Pack: Roommate Edition
for important conversation starters with roommates.

What is the Husky Lay Low?
 

The Medical Clinic at St. Cloud State is encouraging you to “lay low” and avoid large social gatherings, especially for the next two weeks.

“Lay low” means to avoid large social gatherings where physical distancing or masks are not being utilized. 

The first two weeks of the semester will be a critical period because people will be returning from many different areas. As COVID-19 symptoms generally develop within 14 days, this initial “lay low” period is essential. Please minimize your in-person social activities as much as possible.

Huskies Connect is your source for virtual and in-person campus events. We follow COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

Although we will do everything we can to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread, we have to assume at some point there will be positive cases of COVID-19 on our campus. In addition, there will be people without obvious symptoms who could spread COVID-19. Therefore it is crucial for everyone to be masking, physical distancing, and handwashing. Together, we can make this work.
 

Not feeling well?

If you are not feeling well, please stay home, and do the following:

• Call the SCSU Medical Clinic for guidance on managing your symptoms, for directions on getting tested, and possible isolation. Call: 320-308-3191
• Determine what to share and with whom after discussing your symptoms with a healthcare professional. 

Important Contact Information

Medical Clinic
In-person and Telehealth appointments available
Monday-Friday 8:00AM-4:30PM.
Call: 320-308-3191 or secure message: myhealthservices.stcloudstate.edu

After-hours/weekends, CentraCare:
Call: 320-200-3200 or CentraCare e-Clinic
 
SCSU COVID-19 Information Line
Available to answer your non-health questions related to COVID-19 at St. Cloud State
Call: 320-308-1588 or email: sld@stcloudstate.edu

CONNECT WITH US!
We’re here for you.

Facebook @HealthyHuskiesSCSU
Instagram @HealthyHuskiesSCSU

[August 20, 2020]