MEDIA ADVISORY – COVID-19 UPDATE: Minnesota State College Southeast extends Spring Break by one week, exploring alternative instruction delivery methods

College implementing steps to protect the health and safety of faculty, staff, and students

Updated 3/12/2020

Minnesota State is closely monitoring the developing situation related to COVID-19 and is committed to taking steps necessary to protect the health and safety of our faculty, our staff, and our students. Minnesota State’s colleges and universities maintain and operate with a degree of substantial autonomy. However, the gravity of this situation, the torrent of information, and the growing health crisis requires we act with a unified voice and action plan. It is critical that we advance our comprehensive preparedness plan as a system, one that meets the needs of all our colleges and universities.

As a member of Minnesota State, Minnesota State College Southeast is implementing the following steps:

Spring Break (March 9-13) will be extended by one week, March 16-20, 2020.

While classes are suspended during this break, administrators, faculty, and staff will report to duty to work through the needed logistics to teach classes using alternative modes of delivery.

Academic leaders and faculty will review and determine the most viable means for course delivery to fulfil course obligations/expectations.

Students will be contacted by MSC Southeast and their instructors for specific details on their course delivery methods before classes resume on March 23.

Our campus buildings will remain open. Student support services and offices will remain open and appropriately staffed, including student worker assignments. MSC Southeast will explore alternative/expanded means to deliver Student Services.

Employees who are well should report to work. If an employee is not well enough to report to work but well enough to work from home, the college will review telework practices and, following Minnesota State system and Minnesota Department of Management and Budget (MMB) policies and procedures, will make every effort to accommodate employees with underlying conditions or other appropriate reasons to allow them to work from home.

Minnesota State has canceled all gatherings and events totaling more than 100 attendees until May 1. This will affect a number of Minnesota State College Southeast-related events, which are planned during this time period. More information will be made available as decisions are made.

All out-of-state business-related travel for students, faculty and staff has been suspended effective Monday, March 16. (International college-related travel was suspended on February 28, 2020.)

Please monitor our website at http://southeastmn.one/COVID19 for updates.