RU Pandemic Update - April 23

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Rockhurst University Companions, 

The Rockhurst University crisis management team continues to meet regularly to monitor conditions and plan for our return to campus, whenever that may be. We continue to hold all in our community in our hearts and in our prayers and look forward to the time when we can be together again. Please take a moment to review the following information and reminders. 

Cyber Alert 

Incidents of cybercrime related to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to rise. Be alert to all incoming emails that contain attachments or links. Some can even appear at first glance to be legitimate emails from Rockhurst. If you have any doubt about the message, report it to the Help Desk as a potential phishing email. In addition, be alert to ads in your social media feeds, especially those for personal protective equipment, such as masks. Cyber criminals are taking advantage of people’s fears regarding the pandemic to try to obtain personal financial information. 

Computer services also reminds everyone should be careful about including confidential information in email correspondence with employees, students and outside contacts. Please refer to the Rockhurst University Electronic Data Policy.  

EAP Webinars 

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP), available to Rockhurst University faculty and staff through New Directions, offers a number of COVID-19 related coping strategies, such as tip sheets and webinars. Webinar titled include managing stress and anxiety, working from home with children, disaster-proofing your finances and caring for elders during the pandemic. They are available through the New Directions resource center at https://ndbh.personaladvantage.com/portal/subject/10120394. You will be asked to enter a code, which will be sent to your email. 

Commencement 

Commencement has been rescheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Municipal Auditorium, with Baccalaureate Mass at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. For more information, visit https://www.rockhurst.edu/commencement. 

Illness Reporting 

  • Students, faculty and staff members are asked to report to the University when you are under investigation for having COVID-19, you are presumed positive with a case of COVID-19, or you have a laboratory confirmed case of COVID-19 (see definitions below). 
  • Person under investigation: Any person who is under investigation for having the virus that causes COVID-19, or who was under investigation but tested negative for the virus. 
  • Presumptive positive case of COVID-19: Anyone who has tested positive for the virus, but testing was conducted at the local or state level. Currently, presumptive positive cases must have a sample undergo confirmatory testing at the CDC. 
  • Laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19: Anyone who has tested positive for the virus at the CDC laboratory. 
  • Please report your status by sending an email to IllnessReport@Rockhurst.Edu. The University will contact you by phone to learn some additional details about your situation and arrange for follow-up. The intent of this information sharing is twofold: 
  • First, it is our desire to care for our fellow companions during this challenging time. 
  • Second, the University has a desire to take reasonable steps to notify individuals from the Rockhurst community who may have been exposed – and also do a deeper cleaning of any spaces that you may have occupied while infected. 

Our follow-up process with those who might make a report to us has been reviewed, approved, and applauded by the Kansas City Department of Health. Only a limited number of RU staff members will have access to the information that is shared with us on a need-to-know basis – the proper and respectful use of your personal information is important to us. 

Pandemic Information 

  • You can find previous messages, an FAQ and other pandemic-related resources at our coronavirus web page. 

Mission Moment 

Prayer for Calmness 

As he sat by the river, 
the eyes of his understanding began to be opened; 
not that he saw any vision, 
but he understood and learnt many things, 
both spiritual matters and matters of faith and of scholarship, 
and this with so great an enlightenment 
that everything seemed new to him. 

- Ignatius of Loyola, The Autobiography 

  • The Kansas City Jesuit community is now livestreaming Mass at 5:15 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Virtual congregants are asked to attend “live” if at all possible, and videos will only be available until midnight each day. 

 

Matthew D. Quick, Ph.D.                                   Randy Hopkins 

Vice President & Dean of Students                 Chief of Security 

Crisis Management Co-Chair                            Crisis Management Co-Chair