Message from President Davenport, Nov. 18, 2020

Dear Campus Community:

Next week is already Thanksgiving, which brings with it a few well-deserved days off for everyone. As we inch closer to the break and the planned transition to online course delivery for the remainder of the semester, we need everyone’s help, especially as positive cases continue surging in the region. Here’s how you can help:

Adjust Campus Activities

Faculty teaching FlexSync courses should transition to remote delivery and eliminate in-person meetings effective as soon as students can be notified. This can occur prior to the Thanksgiving break if possible. Students, you should expect to hear from your faculty on how that will happen soon.
Access to student living spaces in on-campus housing will be limited to residents only; exceptions will be made for those students who are moving out and need assistance.
Most in-person events on campus will either be postponed or further reduced in size at this time. Please contact your event sponsor for more information.
In addition to wearing masks indoors, please mask up when outdoors on campus as well. Face coverings protect you and those around you from the virus. Please continue to cover both your mouth and nose whenever you are on campus—inside or out.

Know Before You Go

Free saliva testing will be provided again tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 19, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the CSU Ballroom. This is encouraged for all students and employees who are not currently experiencing symptoms, so you can know your status before returning home or other potential travel. This is only effective if you also lay low and avoid contact with others while awaiting your test results.

There is no need to pre-register to be tested on campus; instead, you will be asked to sign in through your smartphone or a provided iPad when you arrive at the Ballroom.

What you need to know about the saliva test:

You must not eat, drink, chew or smoke anything for at least 30 minutes before taking a saliva test.
A health care professional will tell you how to take the test, but you will do it yourself.
You will spit into a funnel attached to a tube. Producing the required amount of saliva usually takes <10 minutes.
You will get your results in about 48-72 hours; negative results will be delivered via email and/or text, and positive results will be delivered with a phone call.

Anyone who is currently experiencing symptoms or who has been exposed to a positive case of COVID-19 should not come to campus to be tested. Please schedule a test as soon as possible through Student Health Services or one of the local health care facilities; you can also receive a free saliva test through the Minnesota Department of Health at 1940 Adams Street (the former Gander Mountain building) or request a free at-home saliva test kit through the state; the test is delivered to your door at no cost to you, whether you have insurance or not. Information is available at https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/testsites/athome.html.

Protect Yourself and Others

Practice safe personal hygiene by washing your hands frequently and staying six feet away from others. I also want to remind you to complete the daily self-assessment at mnsu.edu/screening. And if you test positive for COVID-19, please call the campus reporting line at 507-389-2030.

Please continue to take care of yourselves—thank you for all you’ve done to get us this far.

Sincerely,

Richard Davenport
President