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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MSC Southeast COVID-19 strategies focus on safety, keeping campuses open for students 

Winona and Red Wing, MN (November 24, 2020) -- As Fall Semester is wrapping up at Minnesota State College Southeast, confirmed cases of COVID-19 remain relatively low. Weekly case reports are updated every Wednesday on the college's website at www.southeastmn.one/covid19.

"Fortunately, the college community has had a low incidence of confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date. The on-campus safety protocols that include social distancing, masks, daily online self-assessment, hand hygiene, and sanitation have been working," said Interim President Larry Lundblad.

Minnesota State College Southeast has the advantage of being a small, commuter college. Even before the pandemic, about 40% of instruction was online. This has helped keep the number of people on campus low, reducing the risk of transmission. In addition, MSC Southeast doesn't have the complexities of students living in campus housing or sharing all of their meals together in dining halls.

Vice President of Student Affairs Josiah Litant said open communications have been helpful. "People have been really good about communicating with college administration about transmission concerns, exposure, or COVID-19 symptoms, so we've been able to mitigate transmission to a large extent across both of our campuses."

New strategies announced

On November 17, the college announced additional strategies to help prevent spread of COVID-19.

On a program-by-program basis, instructors are determining if they can shift some projects off campus and/or move in-person classes online after Thanksgiving break.

"Students who are studying online will continue to do so. We aim for on-campus students to be able to complete their hands-on courses in the safest way possible that still ensures that they are able to learn the material effectively," Josiah Litant said.

Managers have been encouraged to further stagger employee schedules to increase the number of people working remotely. These staff members are still available by phone, email, and Zoom. 

The number of tables in common areas is being reduced and chairs are limited to one per table. "Since we can't wear masks while eating and drinking, we are urging everyone to eat alone, then enjoy social time wearing masks and keeping distanced," Josiah explained.

Count on Me

The college has adopted the "Count on Me" campaign to "Mask Up, Back Up, Wash Up, Check Up, and Check In" -- originally created by Winona State University and now being shared across southeast Minnesota.

Above all, MSC Southeast remains committed to helping students completing the semester safely and successfully.

"While we will continue to monitor our numbers, and we're aware that health department guidelines may change, we feel fairly confident that the strategies we have put in place will allow us to operate safely in the current environment," Josiah Litant said. "It's important to keep our doors open, not only for on-campus instruction, but for student access to services like the food pantries, computers, and printing." 

About Minnesota State College Southeast

Minnesota State College Southeast is a two-year technical and community college that prepares students for a lifetime of learning by providing education for employment, skill enhancement, retraining, and transfer, to meet the needs of students and the community. The Winona campus opened in 1949, merging with the Red Wing campus in 1992 and updating its name to Minnesota State College Southeast in 2016 with the change of mission to offer both technical training and the associate of arts degree. Minnesota State College Southeast is a member of Minnesota State. For more information, visit www.southeastmn.one.