| Dear Red Wolves:
We just finished a spring semester like none other and we face a fall semester unlike anything we have faced in the past. I recently announced that A-State will return to on-campus operations in Fall 2020, including face-to-face classes. We arrived at this decision following discussions with our faculty, staff, students, and state/local health officials. It is clear, however, that the COVID-19 crisis will require us to make important operational modifications. I created seven task forces to complete our Return to Learn plan. I asked them to consider all possible alternatives before developing plans that provide the best chance of limiting the spread of the virus while continuing our fundamental mission to teach, learn, discover, and serve. I also asked them to embrace the value of shared governance. While we may not all agree with the plan, at least our voices were all represented in the process.
I am pleased to share our A-State Return to Learn guidelines. Please remember that we know much more about COVID-19 today than we did in March, and we will know even more about the virus come August. The Arkansas Department of Health may establish new guidelines for higher education that may supersede our plans. For now, though, we are investing significant resources into preparing our buildings for the fall. We have also created plans for how to respond when (not if) employees and students test positive for COVID-19.
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| At the heart of the Return to Learn plan is individual responsibility. To protect all of our employees and students who return to campus this fall, we MUST follow our Return to Learn rules. It is a matter of being considerate of others and respecting them. For example, we will be providing students and employees with cloth face masks, and requiring that masks be used in public places where physical distancing is not possible. I don’t enjoy wearing a mask, but I will continue wearing my mask to protect others (in case I am sick and don’t know it). We pride ourselves on being a research university, and the data supporting the use face of coverings to limit the spread of disease is very clear. We are also providing our instructors with clear face shields that they can use in lieu of a mask when they are teaching.
In addition to requiring face coverings, we will also commit to following physical distancing practices in public spaces. We will be promoting the importance of personal hygiene in limiting the spread of viruses and we have developed enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols. We will also be providing students and employees wipes to disinfect their shared desks, keyboards, and classroom equipment before each use.
In the plan, you will notice that our faculty and academic affairs teams have asked all of our Fall 2020 instructors to prepare for a variety of options, including (1) the design of HyFlex courses (where some of the course work is done online), (2) the possibility of a virtual post-Thanksgiving option, and (3) preparation to shift all-online teaching if the COVID situation degrades significantly.
Dozens of faculty and staff members collaborated to create these plans. Many of the subcommittees met weekly for the past month drafting their report. The fact that they completed their work a week earlier than I had asked (especially in this virtual environment) is a testament of their dedication to creating a safe and effective teaching, research, and service environment. Thank you to each and every one of you.
And now, at least until the coronavirus is no longer novel . . .
MASK UP! WOLVES UP!
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