A Message About Fall at HNU

Dear members of the HNU community,

My message to you today comes during a week of important milestones for many of you as you complete your degrees or prepare to begin new ones. Adapting to our new reality has been deeply challenging but our collective commitment to the mission of Holy Names is stronger and more important than ever. As our spring semester comes to an end and our summer semester begins in a new, distance-learning format, I’m writing to update you on the steps that Holy Names University is taking to prepare for fall and to provide the most “Holy Names” experience possible for our community.

Our COVID-19 response team has been hard at work with contingency planning and with preparing our campus for a safe reopening. This will allow us to act quickly and effectively once we are given clearance to do so by our county or state health officials. The ever-changing context of this pandemic requires us to be nimble, responsive, and prepared for a variety of scenarios. Here are updates on key areas of life at HNU:

Academics

HNU is planning for in-person instruction with social distancing precautions in place, while preparing all courses for online delivery should this be necessary. This preparation includes providing additional faculty training to address survey feedback from students and faculty members regarding HNU distance learning during shelter-in-place orders.

Campus Facilities

When it is safe to do so, HNU will respond to easing of stay-at-home restrictions with a careful reopening of our facilities and a phased reentry plan for community members. Our facilities will be disinfected regularly and reconfigured to accommodate for social distancing. Note that all dining facilities will be closed during the summer.

Staffing

As with Academics, HNU is planning for both in-person and remote staffing. This will help us reduce the number of people on campus if we need to, and to move quickly to a remote work environment should another outbreak occur. Individual instructions for returning to campus will come from area Vice Presidents and reasonable accommodations may be made for those unable to return to campus.

Student Life

We are committed to providing a rich and meaningful student experience while prioritizing the well-being and safety of our campus community. If it is deemed safe to open residence halls to the larger resident community in the fall, HNU will do so with clear contingency plans in place. HNU Athletics will follow NCAA guidelines for reopening. Campus programs and events will be held in accordance with any social distancing mandates issued by county or state health officials. Our critical student support services will be available on-campus and off, and we will be creative (and flexible) as we find ways to build and sustain the very special community that is Holy Names University.

In the months ahead, I will continue to provide you all with updates from HNU. I am proud of how our community has worked together to stay safe and to stay connected as we face this pandemic together.

Thank you and take good care.

Sincerely,
Mike Groener
President, Holy Names University