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Dear UMKC Family,
I’m writing to follow up on last night’s update from the University of Missouri System that announced we will extend our suspension of face-to-face classes through the end of the spring 2020 semester. We are doing this out of an abundance of caution during this rapidly evolving COVID-19 health crisis.
Understandably, this announcement raises many practical considerations and we are working quickly to address them. I want to clarify immediately, for the many students who have contacted me, that the decision to move all classes online starting Monday, March 16, excludes clinical rotations and some unique individual instructional situations in the Conservatory. The deans of those academic units will be communicating with more details on these unique situations and related safety precautions.
For all other labs, faculty will be working quickly to make the necessary adjustments to their teaching plans and hope to have most lab alternatives in place for this coming week. However, in some cases where we need to acquire new software or other alternative resources, be assured that your lab instructors will communicate any changes to schedules.
Our goal is to move as seamlessly as we can to online classes and labs, but the tight timeframe may present some challenges. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. We have a dedicated team of e-Learning and Information Systems staff working closely with faculty to achieve this rapid transition so we can ensure that our students are able to finish out the semester under these very unusual COVID-19 circumstances.
Our goal remains to ensure that we continue our teaching and research even as we put in safeguards to protect our faculty, staff, students and visitors. That said, this ever-changing situation will require ongoing planning and vigilance in coming weeks. If more changes become necessary we will communicate as soon as we have information or plans to share.
Until then, just a reminder that our campus will remain open and operational with appropriate safety rules, including libraries, residence halls and dining halls to ensure students can continue their education from wherever best suits their individual needs. Our recreation center will be closed, along with some gyms and student lounges in residence halls, so we can limit contacts that could potentially spread the virus. And we will be working hard to determine best plans for final exams and commencement. We understand the importance of the commencement ceremony for many of our students and will take that into consideration.
Thank you for your positive attitudes and perseverance. I know I can count on our Roo family to be strong and united as we face these challenges together.
Sincerely,
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C. Mauli Agrawal, Ph.D.
Chancellor
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