Dear Members of the Doane Community,
First and foremost, I hope you are all doing well and staying healthy. This has been a challenging 2.5 months. We have all faced adversity of some kind as we navigate this challenging time and I admire the resiliency you have shown to continue moving forward as best you can.
With our spring term and semester now behind us, it is time to provide direction on the university’s plans for operations this fall. After weeks of careful thought, analysis, and planning, and in consultation with the university’s Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce that Doane University will welcome new and returning students onto our campuses this fall.
The health, wellness, and safety of our Doane Community remains our top priority and it is our belief that we will be able to welcome our students, faculty, and staff to learning environments this fall that are safe and protect the wellness of those on campus. Doane will continue to operate in accordance with all local, state, and federal government guidelines and restrictions.
While we are unsure at this moment what our campuses will look like this fall, I am confident that together as a community, we will take the proper precautions and provide the resources necessary to welcome everyone back safely. Our leadership team is using the months ahead to continue to develop a robust plan to ensure to the greatest extent possible the health and safety of all members of the Doane community.
A Fall Planning Task Force, composed of a number of working groups, will be developing plans to open our campuses. Among that task force includes a committee of faculty, staff, and Board members with a background in healthcare and/or public health, who are identifying our critical needs and the resources we will need to have in place to operate in-person safely. Input and guidance from public health officials is being carefully examined.
According to the CDC, certain individuals are at a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. For those in our community who are in a high risk group for severe illness from COVID-19 (older adults and individuals with serious underlying medical conditions), steps will be taken to make reasonable accommodations.
It can be expected that our campuses will have social distancing guidelines enforced, an adequate amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) made available to students, faculty, and staff, and each of our campus buildings will undergo enhanced cleaning, particularly the most frequently used public spaces. It is our hope that comprehensive testing and contact tracing will also be possible on our campuses as it becomes available in an additional effort to ensure everyone’s health and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
As our plans develop this spring and summer for our operations this fall, you can expect to hear more details from Doane University leadership in the weeks and months ahead. Please keep an eye out for these messages as there will be a great deal of critical information shared.
As a friendly reminder, please continue to monitor our webpage of information and updates in response to COVID-19 at web.doane.edu/covid-19. I look forward to welcoming everyone back to our campuses this fall and I wish you and your loved ones continued good health.
Best,
Dr. Jacque Carter
President, Doane University