President Mortensen Letter to Campus

This communication was sent campuswide March 12, 2020. 

Dear Weber State Family,

Today, Gov. Herbert is instructing all of the Utah System of Higher Education schools to take the unprecedented step of moving as many of our in-person courses as possible to remote or online delivery.


This afternoon, Weber State University will announce plans to suspend all classes from March 13 through March 17, allowing faculty and staff time to prepare to move our courses to online and remote instruction beginning March 18.

I recognize this is a major disruption to our normal routine, especially under such a tight deadline, but I am also confident that we can work together to meet this challenge. I have the deepest appreciation for the extraordinary dedication of our faculty and staff and the fortitude of our students to make this unprecedented transition possible.

Our public safety team has worked hard to develop plans for such an emergency, and now is the time to implement those plans to help Weber State respond to this current public health concern.

In addition to moving our courses online for the remainder of the spring semester, we are taking additional steps aimed at reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state of Utah.

Based on the recommendations of Weber State University’s COVID-19 Task Force, the university is cancelling all scheduled events from March 13 until March 30. University business meetings will be held on an as-needed basis. We will continue to work closely with state and local health officials to determine when it is safe to resume holding events on campus.

We are also suspending all international and out-of-state university-sponsored travel through April 20.

I realize that these decisions will prompt many additional questions -- some that we have already considered, others that will need to be refined in the coming days. We may also have to make subsequent responses based on changing conditions.

While we are suspending classes through next Tuesday, faculty, staff and hourly workers are asked to report to work as usual, to help assist the university with this undertaking and transition.

Our residence halls and dining services will remain open for all students living on campus.

Please watch for additional communication from the Provost’s office, Human Resources and Student Affairs, with more guidance related to your specific areas of campus.

The weber.edu/coronavirus page will continue to serve as a primary resource for information regarding WSU’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 virus. If you have specific questions or concerns related to these developments, please email covid19@weber.edu.

For more than 131 years, Weber State has been committed to the education and safety of our students. Many times during our history, Weber confronted challenges, including some that threatened our very existence. And in every instance, our faculty, staff, students and supporters rallied to overcome that adversity.

I am certain that each of us, like our predecessors, will help Weber State thrive during this time of challenge. Thank you for your support and patience as we work collaboratively to protect public health and continue our legacy of preserving access to quality learning.

 

Brad

-- 
Brad L. Mortensen, PhD
President, Weber State University
president@weber.edu | Office: 801-626-6001