March 2, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
This morning, after much deliberation, WSU administration made the decision to suspend all university-sponsored international travel scheduled between now and Aug. 31. This follows the Feb. 28 decision by Minnesota State Chancellor Devinder Malhotra to suspend all Minnesota State-related international travel indefinitely.
We do not take this decision lightly, nor its impact on members of our community. Our goal is to ensure the health and safety of WSU’s students and employees in the face of the high level of uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and the spread of the coronavirus, and we are committed to taking the steps necessary to protect our community.
Specialists at the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization predict that the coronavirus will continue to spread, and even countries that are currently at a State Department Advisory level 1 or 2 are likely to experience some level of outbreak. We will continue to monitor reports, guidance and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. State Department and will update the campus as more is known about potential impacts on our campus community.
If you have questions or concerns about upcoming travel plans, please contact either the Study Abroad Office or your Dean or Vice President.
At this time the risk of becoming sick with COVID-19 in the State of Minnesota remains low. Be sure to continue using prevention best practices (washing hands frequently, staying home if you are ill, etc.) to protect yourself and others.
Sincerely yours,
Scott R. Olson
President
