Important Campus Update From Fr. Curran

Rockhurst Companions,

As we have all witnessed, the situation in our country since the spread of COVID-19 has changed at an unprecedented pace requiring us to continuously re-evaluate what is best for the safety and well-being of our campus community. Many of these decisions are difficult to make but we must move forward, balancing the need for quick action with the time needed for appropriate planning.

It is now clear that the threat of COVID-19 will not abate in the near future. Rather than trying to resume face-to-face classes, we will complete academic coursework remotely (e.g., online) for the remainder of the semester. This will give faculty and students a measure of certainty and help with your personal planning.

The decision to cancel all face-to-face classes means that we will close most student residences for the remainder of the semester. We are developing a staggered schedule for move-out, which will take place this weekend, and we will provide details tomorrow morning, along with a form that all residential students will need to complete.

In an effort to decrease density on campus and in line with the evolving guidance on reducing the numbers of people who are together, we highly recommend that staff members who can work from home do so starting Wednesday. Your supervisor or appropriate President’s Cabinet member will discuss this option with you if they haven’t already done so. We realize that some functions cannot be performed remotely and those staff members will still need to come to campus. We will also provide more details tomorrow regarding expectations for staff members during this time.

To limit access by the general public, the admission office is suspending campus visits and related tours until at least March 28. All campus visitors and vendors will be asked to first stop at security and we will prepare signage stating this. 

We know that this is an extremely stressful time for everyone. Please know that we continue to make all decisions based on the strength of the University’s core values and that, above all, we want you all to remain healthy. We hope that by providing this initial notice today, followed by additional details tomorrow, you will be able to begin making any necessary arrangements for leaving campus. We know that you will have questions and we anticipate answering many of them in tomorrow’s message.

During this very serious time, I urge you to seek out moments of joy, to allow yourself to experience God’s grace, and to look after one another, even if it is from a distance. One of our strengths is that we are part of a solid, caring community and that will see us through this difficult time.

Rev. Thomas B. Curran, S.J.

President