On May 28, 2021, the CDC issued Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html).  Key among the recommendations is that fully vaccinated people can “Resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”

To get an understanding of the percentage of our campus that is fully vaccinated, please go to https://forms.gle/t2keXUvbx4TDDg6C7 to share your vaccination status.  When the Google login is presented, you will need to enter your Truman email address to complete the survey.

The site is available now through the close of business on Monday, June 21.

There are only two questions:

1. Are you fully vaccinated for COVID-19?
2. If you answered “no”, do you plan to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before the start of the Fall semester?

Vaccination status is being collected to have knowledge about the campus as a whole.  You will not be contacted about your individual vaccination status, nor will it be shared with anyone.

Truman’s success in taking on the challenges of the pandemic is the result of all of us – faculty, staff, and students – stepping up and doing what it takes to keep one another safe and well.  Sharing your vaccination status is a quick and easy way to continue this commitment to one another.

Thank you in advance for providing this essential information.

Office of the President
200 McClain Hall
100 E. Normal Avenue
Kirksville, MO 63501
(660) 785-4100
www.truman.edu

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Coronavirus Updates and Resources Website>

Starting this fall, all classrooms on campus will operate under their original usage guidelines.

Based on a variety of factors, including a decrease in the number of active cases, an increase in vaccination rates, and updated guidance from the CDC, classrooms will return to their usual capacities beginning Fall 2021.  This will permit all in-person classes that had to adopt a hybrid format to meet COVID protocols to return to an in-person format.  All activities may also be conducted in an in-person format.

There may still be COVID protocols in place to limit exposure to and spread of the virus.  For example, the campus mask policy for the fall semester must still be determined.  Details regarding these protocols should be available by June 30

As has been the case throughout the pandemic, the University will consult the guidance of the CDC along with other medical and public health professionals to determine the proper course of action for the campus.

As more information about the fall semester becomes available, it will be emailed directly to students and employees, and all messages will continue to be posted at truman.edu/coronavirus.

Office of the President
200 McClain Hall
100 E. Normal Avenue
Kirksville, MO 63501
(660) 785-4100
www.truman.edu

Dear Campus Community:

As you are probably aware, the CDC modified its mask guidance on May 13, 2021 and updated it on May 16, 2021:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html.  It is important to note that this new guidance eases masking requirements for fully vaccinated people.

In anticipation of changing guidance that was expected to be released in mid-summer, Truman began developing a process to verify the vaccination status of all members of our campus to inform any changes to our existing COVID protocols, including the mask mandate.  As the new CDC guidance was released much sooner than public health experts expected, our campus process is not yet complete.

Consistent with keeping campus safety as a primary focus, our existing University COVID protocols, including the mask mandate for all buildings on campus, will remain in place until we establish a vaccination verification process.  Masks are not required to be worn outdoors on campus.

We are working to establish the vaccination verification process as soon as possible. Look for updates and specific details in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, we ask for your patience and understanding as we implement this transition.

Human Resources
Truman State University
McClain Hall 101
100 E. Normal Avenue
Kirksville, MO 63501
(660) 785-4031
hrstaff@truman.edu
www.truman.edu

Dear Campus Community:

The Adair County mask mandate will become a mask advisory beginning May 1, 2021.

This is a reminder that Truman State University’s policy on wearing face coverings remains in effect and will continue to be enforced. The policy can be found here: https://hr.truman.edu/files/2020/07/Face-Covering-Policy-07-27-20.pdf.

The University also continues to encourage everyone to practice social distancing, regular hand washing and sanitizing of shared spaces. Employees should not report to work sick.

Emergency sick leave is available for employees to use to seek a diagnosis or testing due to COVID-19 symptoms and in order to quarantine. Emergency sick leave is also available to allow time off to be vaccinated and/or to recover from any ill effects of the vaccination. The form to request this leave can be found here: https://hr.truman.edu/files/2021/04/Emergency-Sick-Leave-Request-2.pdf.

Questions may be referred to the Office of Human Resources at 660-785-4031 or hrstaff@truman.edu.

Human Resources
Truman State University
McClain Hall 101
100 E. Normal Avenue
Kirksville, MO 63501
(660) 785-4031
hrstaff@truman.edu
www.truman.edu

“This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential, proprietary and privileged information. Any unauthorized disclosure or use is prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete this message from your system.”

Dear Truman Community,

We have six active cases on campus, about the same as last week. We look to be in good shape for the end of the semester, but we still encourage students to get vaccinated, perhaps at the “Pop-Up” clinic that will be held in front of Kirk Memorial tomorrow. They will be offering the one-dose J&J vaccine and no appointment is necessary.

https://blogs.truman.edu/news/2021/04/28/last-opportunity-for-on-campus-covid-vaccination-tomorrow/

The good news from the CDC is their updated guidance for those who have been vaccinated. In short, those who have been vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask outdoors, other than at crowded events like concerts and sporting events. Indoors, those who are vaccinated should still wear a mask, but could relax distance expectations in well ventilated areas. Even singing is back as a possibility. While the updated Higher Education Guidance hasn’t come out yet, yesterday’s update makes us hopeful that we can have something like a normal semester in the fall. More information about this new CDC guidance, including a nice chart is here:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html

As the year wraps up, we noticed that our overall totals were about 10% of our campus community tested positive. While we wish it were lower, we were able to have a successful academic year, because so many of us were willing to do what we needed to do to make it work. Thanks for your part in sharing good information with students and others so that we could still have an in-person community this year.

This is our last planned video of the school year, so we hope that you have found them helpful. Thanks for your support this year as we tried to answer your questions and provide context for the news this year. We are still happy to serve as a conduit for questions, and we will see if some version of this group is needed in the fall.

Our final eight-minute summary video is here:

==

Locations for where to get a vaccine are on the student Blackboard COVID portal, and also posted here:

https://www.truman.edu/coronavirus/

Although we aim these e-mails and videos at Truman faculty and staff, please do share this information or the video with students in your classes, with parents, and elsewhere. This information is shared with all students via Blackboard page, sent directly to all Truman faculty and staff, and shared on our public web page:

https://www.truman.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-working-group-videos/

If you have questions or topics you’d like to know more about, please contact us at: ndmoore@truman.edu

-Faculty Senate COVID-19 Working Group
Nancy Daley-Moore, PhD, Health Science
Christine Harker, PhD, English
Scott Alberts, PhD, Statistics

 

Pop-Up Vaccination Clinic

Northeast Missouri Health Council will be providing a “pop-up” COVID-19 vaccination clinic for Truman students, faculty and staff on Thursday, April 29, from 1-4  pm in front of Kirk Memorial on Truman’s campus.  The vaccine will be the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. There is no charge for this vaccine and insurance cards are not required.  This is a walk-up clinic and no appointment is necessary.

The consent form should be completed prior to arriving to receive your vaccine. Please bring the completed form with you to expedite the process. Extra forms will be available on site as well.  All vaccine recipients are required to wait 15 minutes following vaccination for monitoring for side effects.

This is a good opportunity for students to get vaccinated prior to returning home for the semester, protecting both yourselves and family members at home, while also preparing you for classes in the fall!  Faculty and staff, also an opportunity for you prior to summer vacations or work in-person on campus.

Respectfully,

Brenda Higgins, EdD, MSN, APRN-BC
Associate Vice President for Student Health & Wellness
McKinney Building
100 E. Normal Avenue
Kirksville, MO 63501
Phone: 660-785-4562

 

Dear Truman Community,

We have seven active cases right now. Of course, we had none last week, but because many of these cases are related, and because we know that vaccine rates are high on campus and increasing, we’re still fairly hopeful that we won’t see a huge breakout again. Certainly, our chart shows that since the vaccines have been available, the numbers have stayed relatively low.

Our six-and-a-half minute video walks through the numbers, talk about how students might plan for going home as the semester ends, and what else we know.

We still await new guidance from the CDC to help determine what fall on campus might look like, but getting as many of us vaccinated as we can will help us return to normal. We still worry about the new variants and whether we might need boosters in a year or two. Still, recent reports show that the vaccine is even better at reducing transmission than the thought, making herd immunity a real possibility, which could allow a relatively normal fall semester. So, if you haven’t been vaccinated yet, please do consider getting one.

==

Locations for where to get a vaccine are on the student Blackboard COVID portal, and also posted here:

https://www.truman.edu/coronavirus/

Although we aim these e-mails and videos at Truman faculty and staff, please do share this information or the video with students in your classes, with parents, and elsewhere. This information is shared with all students via Blackboard page, sent directly to all Truman faculty and staff, and shared on our public web page:

https://www.truman.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-working-group-videos/

If you have questions or topics you’d like to know more about, please contact us at: ndmoore@truman.edu

-Faculty Senate COVID-19 Working Group
Nancy Daley-Moore, PhD, Health Science
Christine Harker, PhD, English
Scott Alberts, PhD, Statistics

As we approach the last few weeks of the Spring Semester, collectively we have a great deal of which to be proud!  Once again we have taken the appropriate precautions to minimize the impact of COVID on our campus, continued to provide a quality academic experience, and demonstrated a great deal of creativity in the ways we engage in activities to reduce stress and have enjoyable times with friends and colleagues.

We also recognize, that while we can be proud of what we have accomplished, there has also been a great toll on our mental health and overall well-being.  As we get closer to the end of the semester, I want to remind you of the services available to you when needing to cope with a unique series of stressors, connect with a licensed professional for a series of appointments or seek out individual resources available to you.

University Counseling Services

University Counseling Services located in the McKinney Center.

Please contact us by phone to schedule an appointment. If you have questions regarding services, you may call or email our office at the following:

Phone:                                 (660) 785-4014
*after hours crisis:           (660) 665-5621
Email:                                  ucs@cfmcares.com

*In order to be able to best serve students who may need crisis care we define a crisis as an immediate onset of severe psychological symptoms that cannot be mitigated through self-initiated care or support from caring others.  Examples may include: urges to harm yourself, plans to harm someone else, hearing voices that aren’t there, the immediate experience of trauma, etc.  For non-crisis care please call to schedule an appointment during regular office hours.

In addition, Truman has recently made available additional online support through a partnership with My SSP.

My Student Support Program (My SSP)

As we approach the last few weeks of the semester, whether you are graduating, taking on an internship, returning home for the summer, or staying Kirksville but not taking classes, it is natural to experience a great deal of change, adjustment and stress. You don’t have to navigate this all on your own. My SSP is here to help; to support you when you need it, from wherever you are.

Call. Chat. Anytime. Anywhere. Free. Confidential.

My SSP connects students with free, confidential emotional health and well-being support conveniently available 24/7 via the My SSP app, telephone and online.

What is My SSP?

• Real-time chat support 24/7
  Chat with an experienced counselor at your convenience.
• Telephone support 24/7
  Speak to an experienced counselor with a simple phone call.
• Short-term support from a dedicated counselor
  Connect with the same counselor over multiple sessions via telephone or video appointments.
• Health assessments
  Complete an anonymous assessment to get feedback on your emotional health.
• Browse health & wellbeing content
  Access articles, podcasts, infographics, and videos addressing a wide variety of wellbeing topics on the My SSP app and website.
• Access virtual fitness sessions
  Sign up for FREE virtual fitness sessions available through LIFT.
• Support in your language
  My SSP content and support are available 24/7 in Mandarin, Cantonese (simplified Chinese text), Spanish, French, and English. For other language preferences, you may request to be set up with a counselor who speaks that language (by appointment, depending on availability).

Your use of My SSP – including chats, calls, and conversations, is free and confidential – meaning your professors, family, friends, etc., will not know unless you tell them.

My SSP resources and professional counselors can help you address common concerns such as:

• Relationship issues
• Feelings of isolation, loneliness or sadness
• General stress and worry
• Adapting to a new campus culture, learning style or city
• Frustration or uncertainty related to studies or post-grad plans
• Creating balance between personal and academic priorities

Want to learn more?

• View a demo video
• Visit the My SSP website
• Download the My SSP app from App Store or Google Play

Best of luck to you as you finish strong in these next few weeks.  Please reach out for help as needed.

Sincerely,

Janna Stoskopf
Vice President
Student Affairs
3100 Student Union Building
100 E. Normal Avenue
Kirksville, MO 63501
Phone: (660) 785-4111

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Coronavirus Updates and Resources Website>

 

 

 

Dear Truman Community,

We have no active cases right now. Zero is the only good number of cases to have.

We ask that you continue washing hands, wearing masks, and keeping distance, to help keep it low through the end of the semester.

Vaccines are now open to everyone and easy to get at multiple locations in town.

As we said last week, having a “new normal” in the fall depends on a high level of vaccination among our campus community.

Early evidence shows good turnout for vaccines among our students, staff, and faculty, but please do continue encouraging your students and colleagues to get the vaccine. So good, in fact, that we are not planning any more vaccine clinics on campus, but instead working to help those interested to get to the local distribution sites.

A reminder that you should not ask students (or anyone) about their vaccination status, in class (or elsewhere).

Vaccine status is health data, and as a campus, we value each other’s privacy.

You certainly can share vaccine locations, or can help anyone who needs help registering or completing the paperwork.

The county health board has voted to lift the mask mandate for the county as of May 1st.

Some of us had suggested they wait until May 15th, to allow space for the travel that occurs in and out of campus over finals and commencement, but they went with the earlier date. We do still recommend that you wear your mask while off-campus, even without the mandate, and to be mindful of crowds and close contact as fewer people are wearing masks in public.

Of course, our campus is keeping our mandate in place, so please do continue our excellent record on campus.

Our nine-and-a-half minute video walks through these items, as well as a discussion about the national “pause” in administration of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
https://zoom.us/rec/share/cte27FGll7zkexSQ23-I3d9z83wgx4zXoKl0w8vMjrGy4eMJ1C8r-G1RceiAO-MB.GOUmvA6KMGIow6G5

==
Locations for where to get a vaccine are on the student Blackboard COVID portal, and also posted here:
https://www.truman.edu/coronavirus/

Although we aim these e-mails and videos at Truman faculty and staff, please do share this information or the video with students in your classes, with parents, and elsewhere. This information is shared with all students via Blackboard page, sent directly to all Truman faculty and staff, and shared on our public web page:
https://www.truman.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-working-group-videos/

If you have questions or topics you’d like to know more about, please contact us at: ndmoore@truman.edu

-Faculty Senate COVID-19 Working Group
Nancy Daley-Moore, PhD, Health Science
Christine Harker, PhD, English
Scott Alberts, PhD, Statistics

Dear Truman Community,

We have 5 active COVID cases at Truman this week, a low number that continues to be encouraging

Please do keep washing hands, wearing masks, and keeping distance, to help keep it low through the end of the semester.

The big news today is our first on-campus vaccine clinic, with more to follow.

There may still be some additional doses available, and you can try stopping by before 2:00 today.

Details of what to bring can be found here: http://newsletter.truman.edu/article.asp?id=28146

A five-minute video summary of what we know:

Our dreams of a “new normal” this fall rely on a high level of vaccination among our campus community.

We hope that everyone will consider getting the vaccine as soon as they can, and we’re glad that we’ll have continued expansion of vaccine opportunities on campus and in the local community.

Watch for information about more clinics coming soon, including some on campus, all of whom will soon be fully eligible to receive the vaccine. Those will be e-mailed but also be posted here: https://www.truman.edu/coronavirus/

==

Although we aim these e-mails and videos at Truman faculty and staff, please do share this information or the video with students in your classes, with parents, and elsewhere. This information is shared with all students via Blackboard page, sent directly to all Truman faculty and staff, and shared on our public web page:

https://www.truman.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-working-group-videos/

If you have questions or topics you’d like to know more about, please contact us at: ndmoore@truman.edu

-Faculty Senate COVID-19 Working Group
Nancy Daley-Moore, PhD, Health Science
Christine Harker, PhD, English
Scott Alberts, PhD, Statistics