University-Sponsored Trips & Emergency Response Team

Published: March 04, 2020 | Read Time: 4 minutes

On March 4, a campus wide email was sent to all faculty, staff and students informing campus that SUU Administration was closely monitoring the novel coronavirus, and that university-sponsored trips for the foreseeable future are cancelled, on hold, or subject to review by the newly-assembled Emergency Response Team.

Subject: Campus Health Notice: Coronavirus

Colleagues,

Southern Utah University has an Emergency Response Team in place to track the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the risk of this global outbreak to our campus community.

Yesterday the Emergency Response Team, which is made up of a core of campus leaders, met to discuss a number of pressing issues related to how campus will respond to the impacts of the spread of COVID-19. Several decisions have been made based on multiple conversations with upper administration, the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) and recent contact with state and local health departments. We will continue to follow guidelines and recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. State Department and the Utah Department of Health.

1. All international university-sponsored trips will be cancelled 

The nature of the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak is fluid and changing daily. International sites and museums are closing and activities are being canceled, making it increasingly difficult to deliver the intended programs. Based on guidance from the CDC and in an abundance of caution, we are suspending all university-affiliated student programs and travel in international locations until further notice. This includes all programs offered through the Study Abroad Office, the Rural Health Scholars Program, Community Engagement and Community and Academic Enrichment.

International study abroad experiences that are scheduled to take place after the spring semester (April 24) until June and further into the summer are on hold until further notice. DO NOT make any additional purchases if you already have planned international travel.

2. All domestic university-sponsored trips will be restricted

All domestic trips sponsored by SUU for faculty, staff and students will be restricted, particularly in hotspot locations where the virus is more widespread. We encourage you to avoid nonessential domestic travel and seek alternative mechanisms to participate in conferences and professional meetings. The Athletics Department is working with the Big Sky Conference and the NCAA to evaluate team and student-athlete travel plans.

Individuals and groups must register their currently scheduled trip with the Emergency Response Team via this form. Requests for travel domestically will be reviewed and potentially approved by the Emergency Response Team.

3. Approach personal travel with caution

Currently, there are no restrictions on personal travel, either internationally or domestically. However, SUU is considering following the lead of other institutions and possibly imposing a requirement for any SUU student or employee who travels abroad and returns to SUU to place themselves in a self-quarantine (either at home, hotel, or other off-campus location) for a minimum of 14 calendar days. Employees may be required to use vacation or sick time for these 14 days.

This is a fluid situation and this stipulation could be implemented at any moment. We will communicate further if this becomes a campus requirement.

5. Sign-up for the Text Alert System

SUU has a text alert system in place to immediately warn anyone of any campus emergency. If you haven’t signed up for the text alert, we strongly encourage you to do so as soon as possible so you don’t miss critical information in the time of an emergency. We’ve also set up a pop-up as you login to the mySUU Portal asking you to verify your emergency contact information.

In addition, the State of Utah has created a Twitter account to share the latest information - https://twitter.com/UtahCoronavirus

6. SUU’s public hotline

SUU now has a public hotline - 435-865-8488 - or questions regarding the university's COVID-19 response including: international travel, study abroad, work from home, campus visitors, student housing, protecting yourself, counseling, student or employee health, suspected exposure.

When you call, be prepared to leave a short message regarding your question or concern along with the following information:

• Your first and last name
• A phone number with the best time to reach you
• Please indicate whether this question or concern is for you or for someone else associated with the college.

A representative from SUU will collect your information and respond within the next business day with further resources to help answer your question.

We recognize that many of you have friends and families in regions of the world affected by COVID-19. We want each of you to know that in this stressful time, we are committed to your well-being. If you have concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

We will continue to send periodic messages if there are significant changes in the potential threat. We are vigilant about your safety and take all potential concerns seriously.

We know this email will likely generate more questions. Please feel free to respond to emergencyresponse@suu.edu  or 435-865-8488 or so we can do our best to answer any questions you may have. You can also check for campus updates at https://go.suu.edu/coronavirus.

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Tags: Coronavirus

Contact Information:

435-586-5400
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