Dear University community,

Thank you.

On Opening Day, a mere four days ago, I mentioned that this year has been one of the most challenging in this institution’s 150-year history. We faced this week with uncertainty, yet with hope that by working together we would successfully open our campuses.

We did it. You did it. After more than a week of testing, we have certainly identified COVID-19 cases on our campuses, but we have instituted the safety protocols outlined in our Titans Return plan and been able to contain the spread of this relentless intruder.

I believe our Titans Return plan positions us to manage the many challenges posed by COVID-19. Our Emergency Operations Committee is evaluating campus and community data on a daily basis to determine if changes in our operations need to occur. We will not hesitate to move to online instruction if we cannot remain safely open. At this time the protocols we have in place are working and our case counts are low – about 1.7% positive test rate (as of today) among those tested on the Oshkosh campus. You can check our dashboard daily for the latest numbers on the Titans Return website.

Please keep doing what you’re doing. Take this seriously. Protect your health and the health of those around you. There are universities who have managed to open and stay open by rigorously adhering to their safety plans. Working together, I believe UWO will be one of those universities.

Again, thank you for all you are doing to keep yourself and those around you safe.

This post was originally sent via email to UWO students, faculty and staff on September 11, 2020.