To Our Campus Community:
We are in the home stretch of the semester and want to thank everyone for keeping our campus relatively safe from COVID-19 this semester. Our case counts remain very low, and the care and commitment you have demonstrated have made a difference. As COVID-19 recedes and more and more of us are vaccinated, we see a normal fall semester in our future. We look forward to enjoying classes and campus life in person again.
Stay the course
But first, we need to finish out this academic year — so don’t give up all those safeguards just yet! We will continue to require mask wearing and social distancing indoors and outdoors on campus for at least the remainder of this semester, even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the city of Kansas City issue some small changes to their guidelines. We only have a few weeks left of classes, and we want all of us to finish strong and healthy.
Just a reminder: We still have free drive-up COVID-19 rapid testing on campus at 4825 Troost through May 14. After that date, rapid tests will continue to be available to students, faculty and staff through Student Health and Wellness. Appointments can be made at go.umkc.edu/covidtesting.
Travel
This summer, we will begin to see university-related travel return. Domestic travel may resume as long as participants follow CDC guidelines. Anyone who is planning international travel will need approval from their dean, vice chancellor or vice provost.
In the fall, university travel, domestic and international, will resume with people following all guidelines and restrictions according to the CDC. This includes study-abroad programs.
Summer return to work and Fall 2021 semester
With all the encouraging signs, again, UMKC plans a full return to in-person classes and activities in August, the beginning of the fall semester. As always, we will be ready to pivot if needed or take safety precautions, but if our region keeps up the progress, we won’t have to.
This summer, as we prepare for the new academic year, we look forward to welcoming our faculty and staff back to campus to work together as we did before the pandemic. We want employees to mark their calendars for a July 6, 2021, return to campus. We will ask managers to work with employees to phase-in returns so the campus can be at full strength following the July 4 holiday weekend. Additional guidelines and FAQs will be available in coming weeks to assist managers and employees with the return process.
We were excited to actually see many of you — together, in person — on Monday at the unveiling of our new Roo statue on campus. We look forward to more opportunities to be together on campus again.
In this together,
C. Mauli Agrawal, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Jenny Lundgren, Ph.D.
Provost
