Dear Colleagues,
Each summer, a wide variety of events and programs take place at UMD
and across all University of Minnesota campuses and facilities
statewide. Each of them provides important opportunities to live out the
University's outreach mission, and in many cases, they provide
engagement that supports our work. Therefore, the University is
reluctant to cancel all summer activities at this early date, knowing
that the timeline for the COVID-19 pandemic remains unknown and the
situation is likely to evolve day by day.
However, we are at a point in time where we need to make difficult
decisions about upcoming events. I am writing to share that effective
immediately, all UMD and systemwide non-curricular summer events and
programs for May and June are cancelled (unless they can be offered
online). Programs that start the last week in June and continue into
July are considered June events and therefore are also cancelled (unless
they can be offered online as well). I hope that by communicating this
decision now I am providing you some level of the certainty you need to
plan effectively for early summer, including working with University and
outside partners and vendors.
University leaders will continue to rely on Governor Tim Walz and
public health experts at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to guide our
analysis. Access to University public venues such as Kirby Student
Center, Sports and Health Center, Glensheen, and the Tweed Museum of Art
will remain closed for now and may reopen following MDH and CDC
guidance regarding public gatherings. We will evaluate our decision for
non-curricular July events around mid-May to provide more time for
public health information and the course of the pandemic to evolve.
Cancelling events is another difficult decision, and I understand the
disappointment many people will feel with the cancellation of more
activities that are important to us all. Striking a balance between
safety and continuity amidst uncertainty is not easy, but we have
concern for the well-being of our faculty, staff, students, and partners
top of mind.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best wishes and please take care of yourselves and your loved ones.
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
