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Earlier this summer, we created the Pandemic Medical Advisory Team – comprising nine of the region’s top medical doctors and public health officials – to help inform our decisions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the primary tasks of this team is to develop a data-driven decision-making…

I want to share some information and updates with you now that we’ve reviewed some initial results from our testing efforts as our community returns to campus. We have posted initial results from our community COVID-19 saliva testing. The results show the total tests administered and positive…

We are creating the Task Force on Community-Responsive Public Safety. This new task force will be charged with reviewing KU Public Safety policies, practices and procedures; examining best practices and proposals for change; and making recommendations regarding potential improvements to ensure…

An important part of a successful fall semester is helping to keep our KU and Lawrence community safe by minimizing exposures to the COVID-19 virus. One way to do this is to identify those among us who have the infection, even without symptoms, as we all return to campus. We will accomplish this…

I am writing to let you know we have ruled out the possibility of hosting a Commencement ceremony during the fall semester. Instead, we will target spring 2021 to celebrate the 2020 graduates with a Commencement ceremony on Mount Oread.

Yesterday, Provost Bichelmeyer shared with you a new federal policy regarding fall enrollment for F-1 students in the Student and Visitor Exchange Program. I write today to assure you that the University of Kansas joins peer institutions nationwide in strongly condemning this new federal policy.…

Today I write to share two new components of our reopening plan. First, we have published the first iteration of what we are calling the Protect KU plan, which will serve as our roadmap for a thoughtful, science-based return to campus. Additionally, we are creating two new planning teams – which…

Today we are announcing our latest steps to address this unprecedented budget challenge. Our decisions continue to prioritize equity and reflect our commitment to protecting KU’s most vulnerable populations. As a result, we believe these are the appropriate next steps to ensure KU’s health, limit…

Last month, we shared with you a document titled Guidance on Reopening Campus, which detailed our guiding principles for reopening campus in a measured, stepwise fashion. Today we write to share the newest components of our plans for the fall semester on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses.

For the rest of the summer I will host weekly Zoom updates during which I will share the latest news regarding our work to reopen campus for the fall semester. These weekly discussions will be pre-recorded and shared with campus each Wednesday via email and posted on our Chancellor’s Weekly COVID-…