Dear Marquette faculty and staff,
I am reaching out today in the midst of what I know has been a week like no other. Like you, I am quickly becoming fully engaged in Microsoft Teams and spending time in remote meetings working with our colleagues to think through this challenge.
Through all of it, I am struck by a common concern voiced throughout all our conversations — how can we best care for our students, our staff and our faculty. I would expect nothing less than for us to keep moving forward as we keep our focus on the people who make up our Marquette community.
You may have heard the announcement yesterday that Gov. Tony Evers issued an Emergency Order closing various businesses and nonprofits in the state to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. I want to assure you that we have been in touch with government officials and the steps Marquette has already taken to move to a remote-learning and working environment put us into compliance with this order.
As you read in the email to campus yesterday, the majority of campus buildings have closed until further notice. Certain sections of Raynor Memorial Libraries are the exception. We continue to operate our residence halls for students who have no other living options, as well as the Marquette Child Care Center. Both are exempt from the Emergency Order. Staff and faculty who find they need items from their offices will be able to access buildings using their Marquette ID.
I want to thank you for sharing your ideas, concerns and prayers and offering your expertise. All this input is helping to inform our work.
These are truly unchartered waters, and we are all learning together as we navigate our new normal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your leaders, including chairs, vice presidents, the provost and president, are in constant communication to quickly address these changing circumstances.
In all cases, we are carefully considering the multiple interconnected consequences for our entire campus community to discern next steps. Every decision being made is for the health, safety and well-being of our campus community and to fulfill our responsibility to model social distancing best practices that help “flatten the curve” and slow the spread.
While we may not have all the answers as soon as you may be looking for them, we promise you that we will share all information as soon as it is available.
As the situation evolves, we will likely have to make additional changes, but through it all we will lead by living out our Catholic, Jesuit mission and adhering to our Guiding Values. I encourage you to visit our new “Faith” tab found on the coronavirus website, which includes prayers for this time of anxiety and uncertainty.
Thank you for all that you have done in the past week, for your engagement with our students and your willingness to help us navigate this situation. I look forward to when we can be together again on campus, and I pledge to work with you in mind as we make the needed decisions to move us forward.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kimo Ah Yun
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs