October 28, 2021
Support each other as we work through COVID-19 issues
Dear K-State Community:
While we are returning to many of our traditional in-person activities this fall, we continue to operate under the shadow of COVID-19. We encourage everyone to follow safe practices to promote personal and community health.
As the pandemic persists, we must all dig deep into our reservoir of caring for each other. This has been a long haul and we've been heartened by the response of our students, faculty and staff as we've instituted mask requirements for indoor spaces in our facilities and other safety steps. We continue to monitor CDC rankings for transmission levels with our counties and hope to see improvement.
Last week we announced that vaccination against COVID-19 will be a requirement for continued employment after Dec. 8 due to an executive order for federal contractors. The executive order is broad and does allow for religious and medical exemptions. Those who wish to apply for exemptions should complete and submit the appropriate forms by Nov. 15. Exemption requests will be reviewed by Nov. 19. Please refer to the vaccine section of our COVID-19 website for more details and answers to frequently asked questions. This includes timelines for various vaccine options in order to be fully vaccinated.
This requirement will affect our community in many ways. We continue to encourage vaccination, which has been shown to be the most effective tool in blunting a persistent and dangerous virus. At the same time, we understand that some are personally opposed to being vaccinated and face difficult decisions. This is a time for showing even more grace and compassion for everyone as individuals work through the consequences of the federal requirement.
Let's continue in the spirit of cooperation and support for all in our community. These are times that require the best in all of us.
Sincerely,
Richard B. Myers
President