No classes Monday-Tuesday, Jan. 10-11, 2022
Remote classes Wednesday-Friday, Jan. 12-14, 2022
Business Operations Remain Open All Week
Dear Campus Community:
Unfortunately, the number of COVID infections in Marquette and the surrounding counties continues to rise. With that in mind, the COVID team met today to assess and evaluate our protocols. Given that the Omicron is so highly infectious and that cloth masks provide little to no prevention, it was determined that our masking protocols need to change. We also felt strongly that everyone on our campus (employees and students) need to be provided with the type of masks that provide better protection against COVID and especially its variant, Omicron.
Changed masking protocol:
The evidence documents that the best masks for the prevention, or at least decreasing the risk of contracting COVID (Omicron specifically), is to wear an N95, KN95 or KF94 mask. Cloth masks offer little to no prevention. Therefore, starting Monday (Jan. 10) all campus employees are required to wear an N95, KN95 or KF94 mask. As announced in my January 6 email, these masks are already available for employees (2 per person) at the University Police Department, located in the Services Building.
Employees, if you have not yet picked up your masks, please do so by close of business Monday (Jan. 10). If prior to that time you do not have a multilayered mask and are using a cloth mask, you are asked to double mask, which provides some increased protection.
Mask availability for students and classes this week:
The University has ordered 12,000 KN95 masks for students; these masks are supposed to arrive this week Wednesday (Jan. 12). That means they will not be widely available to students until later in the week and over the weekend. Given these logistics, the decision has been made to cancel Monday and Tuesday (Jan. 10-11) classes and plan to hold classes remotely the rest of this week (Jan. 12-14) with the exception of labs and clinics. It is believed we have enough KN95 masks for students and faculty to be able to hold their labs and clinics as scheduled. We recognize these types of classes are more difficult to hold in a remote format.
Residence halls and masking:
All students residing in the residence halls are asked to double mask until you obtain your KN95 (or KN94, N95) mask. This means, if you have a cloth mask to wear, you need to add a blue surgical mask under it or use two cloth masks. Surgical masks are being distributed to the residence halls on Monday. Your residence hall directors will communicate with you when the additional surgical masks have been provided to your specific hall.
Business operations as usual:
Northern will NOT be closed for business operations on Monday and Tuesday. All services and operations will be fully functional during this time because of the availability of KN95 masks for employees. Faculty are asked to use Monday and Tuesday as days to adapt your lecture/discussion courses to be held remotely. While it is our hope that we will only have to hold classes remotely through this week, as always, we ask that everyone remain flexible due to the ever-changing landscape COVID brings.
I apologize for bringing you this news at this time. It was hoped we would be able to stay face-to-face. The virus has made us think otherwise as we ramp up our masking safety protocols. I thank you in advance for your understanding. As always, please contact me or the COVID response team at SafeOnCampus@nmu.edu if you have questions or suggestions.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kerri D. Schuiling, Interim President
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