The following message was sent by UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., to the UNMC community on the evening of April 24.
To the entire UNMC community,
First and foremost, I want to personally thank you, our students, faculty and staff, for the incredible resiliency you have all shown as our campus operations, and indeed our lives, have been disrupted by the spread of COVID-19. I also wish to thank the countless family members and other members of our community who have worked with us during the university transitions that have occurred during the course of this pandemic.
In these unprecedented times, I am continually impressed and inspired at how the UNMC community has risen to new challenges, particularly those presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. This resiliency and strength to adapt and advance in the midst of a global pandemic embody the UNMC spirit that we hold in such high regard on our campus.
University of Nebraska President Ted Carter, following careful deliberation and collaboration with the Chancellors, has recently announced that we will have plans in place to safely resume in-person teaching and learning on each University of Nebraska System campus for the fall 2020 semester.
This decision, guided by safety, science and health professionals, is not one made lightly. We must continuously balance the health and safety of our learners, faculty, staff and the communities that we serve with the value of more traditional face-to-face learning, social interaction and the enriching nature of the totality of the campus experience.
With this in mind, the leadership at the university system and at the individual campus level continues to work alongside healthcare professionals at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and our designated public health officials to make the proper decisions; not only for the good of the UNMC family, but also the greater Omaha community and other communities across the state that our employees call home.
As President Carter stated, we will always be informed by the science, and we will act decisively if a change of course is warranted to safeguard our campuses or our community’s well-being. Planning is underway for all scenarios, including resuming instruction on-campus, continuing in our current mode of remote teaching and learning, and multiple types of hybrid or blended educational programs in between.
Know that we are not anticipating a return to “the former normal” status; we are anticipating a strong approach to what will become “the next normal.” This may involve changes to our on-campus operations, such as:
- Dramatically increasing campus-wide flexibility to meet the needs of our learners while maintaining the pace and quality of their academic journey.
- Only partially filling some of our academic, recreational, performance and residential venues to allow for proper distancing between students.
- Providing a wide spectrum of personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer and other supplies consistent with established best practices.
- Increasing our use of online and remote learning to reduce density in our classrooms, or spreading our classes across more days, times and venues.
- Permitting or requiring remote work for some employees, possibly in rotating fashion.
- Providing additional accommodations for members of our University community who may be vulnerable because of age, underlying health conditions or other factors, or those who do not feel safe coming to campus.
- Using mobile technology to enhance learner, faculty and staff screening and, when appropriate, providing access to regular testing for COVID-19 so that we can quickly identify and isolate anyone who may develop symptoms and/or COVID-19.
We understand that many of you will have questions as to how UNMC’s campuses will adapt to this new normal and reopen classroom doors. For that reason, we have Frequently Asked Questions listed below this message for your convenience. (The University of Nebraska has also posted FAQs on its website.) I am sure that there will be many more questions as the pages fall from the calendar. We will do our very best to continue to share updates as they develop. Any students, faculty or staff who have concerns that are not yet addressed should send them to unmcincidentcommand@unmc.edu.
I greatly look forward to seeing you all once again on our UNMC campuses as we create and embrace this “next normal” together.
In the UNMC spirit,
Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.
Chancellor
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Frequently asked questions
You may have seen the recent message from President Carter about systemwide plans for the University of Nebraska for the fall semester. We have produced the following added FAQs to address questions you may have specific to UNMC.
Will classes be held on campus?
Yes. We are planning on-campus classes whenever possible, but we will continue to use public health mitigation strategies that make safety paramount. These mitigation strategies will be driven by robust analysis of all data available at the time as recommended by our world-class subject matter experts here at UNMC. As such, classes may look different than they have in the past as we continue to promote social distancing and enhanced infection control measures.
Will online classes continue to be offered?
Yes. UNMC has always offered a wide variety of fully and blended online coursework and rapidly transitioned many more courses to blended and remote during the spring semester. As such, we will encourage our faculty to continue offering blended and remote courses, or to use a blended approach of classroom and remote learning where possible. However, there are many classes that will optimally be delivered with on campus presence.
Will clinical education resume?
Yes, our goal is to resume clinical education and rotations for our students. Our colleges and programs will work closely with our clinical partners to make every effort to ensure clinical placements for all our trainees who require it for their education. We recognize however, that not all of our health care partners’ facilities may be ready for all of their locations and services to accept students. We will only send our students to sites where we believe that the educational goals of the experience can be achieved and carried out safely. This includes each student having full access to necessary personal protective equipment (PPE). We will work to provide as much flexibility as possible with regard to these rotations and to keep all of our learners on their academic journey.
Will laboratory-based instruction and research continue?
Yes, we plan to continue courses with lab-based instructional activities. The “new normal” may change some of our day-to-day activities such as increased handwashing, physical distancing, more diligent cleaning of common surfaces, and possible ongoing use of masks. Laboratory-based research will resume with continued use of social distancing and masks in the short term, as well as handwashing and cleaning of common surfaces.
Are there plans if there is a re-emergence of COVID-19 in the fall or winter?
Yes. We recognize that there may be multiple waves of the pandemic. As such, we are and will be using a risk-based model that identifies public health mitigation strategies for the campus based on the severity of the outbreak at the time. These could modify our educational and research plans. We are better prepared now than we ever have been to meet the needs of our campus if stricter mitigation measures are required in the future.
If my family has been economically impacted by COVID-19, and I may no longer be able to afford to continue my studies, is there anything that can I do?
Yes, we recognize that the economic uncertainty is very real for many families. Current and prospective students should contact our Office of Financial Aid (www.unmc.edu/financialaid). Undergraduate students who are Nebraskans may visit https://nebraska.edu/nebraska-promise to learn more about our Nebraska Promise. At UNMC, we want you to know we are here to help.
Will university housing be open to students?
Yes. We will continue to offer student apartments through the Business Services Department at www.unmc.edu/housing.
Will the Center for Healthy Living (CFHL) fitness center be open?
Yes, we do plan to operate the CFHL. The fitness center operations will depend on the current pandemic conditions in our community. When CFHL is open, social distancing and enhanced sanitation efforts will be mandated to ensure the safety of users. Use of fitness facilities on other campuses will be dictated by the circumstances on each campus.
Will McGoogan Health Sciences Library be open?
Yes, the McGoogan Library will be opened with social distancing and enhanced sanitation efforts mandated to ensure the safety of users. Use of library facilities on other campuses will be dictated by the circumstances on each campus.
Will faculty, staff, and students with health concerns be permitted to work off campus?
Yes, we will work with students, faculty, and staff who are concerned due to existing health conditions that may pose enhanced risk due to COVID-19. We have successfully demonstrated we can “work from home” and that students can receive instruction from home. However, some education and jobs require presence on campus and/or clinical training sites.
Will UNMC continue plans for remote instruction in the summer of 2020?
Yes, we have collectively made the decision to remain in remote operations mode for Summer courses. This means online and remote learning courses will progress as planned, and classes will be delivered synchronously over Zoom and other modalities. Some small group activities, simulation and instructional laboratory activities, as well as clinical rotations will resume or continue in the near future. These will be done with full attention to safety through a combination of testing, effective use of PPEs, social distancing and daily self-screening. Furthermore, study abroad experiences have been put on hold through the summer, and internships throughout the summer are proceeding in close collaboration with our partner institutions, focusing on ‘remote’ or ‘from home’ modalities through the summer.
Will campus facilities be open to the public?
Yes, we anticipate that campus events and special lectures will resume in a step by step fashion, respecting the best public health safety recommendations. Each of our gathering venues will follow public health guidance throughout the fall semester. We will continue to work closely with our partners in state and local public health to make sure we are meeting the needs of not just our campus, but our community.