August 18, 2020
K-State leaders urge personal responsibility
Submitted by Richard Myers, Charles Taber and Thomas Lane
Dear K-State Community:
The return to in-person classes and our campuses is an exciting time. There's nothing quite like the beginning of a new semester, full of promise and hope. We have worked hard over the summer months to welcome you back to K-State in a safe and responsible manner.
After our first day of classes, we're pleased to report that most students adhered to our requirements for face coverings and physical distancing in our classrooms. Thank you for this. As we monitor the behaviors in our communities, however, we've already seen many examples of those who will not follow these simple practices to protect everyone.
Right now, as never before in any of our lifetimes, we need everyone to follow the same playbook. Our plans to reopen our campuses were built on our belief that K-Staters share a unique concern for each other. This means we must all do what it takes to protect our fellow Wildcats. If 90% of us follow the rules and 10% do not, we will not be successful in our efforts.
Just yesterday we saw an example of a major university that reopened, only to shut down after one week due to emerging COVID-19 outbreaks. This can happen to us if we fail to follow the simple rules of wearing face coverings and maintaining physical distancing. We ask that you follow these practices in the classroom, when walking outside on campus and off campus. The COVID-19 virus does not stop at the classroom door or the campus boundary. This is an uncomfortable truth in the time we live in.
We ask each of you to personally reflect on the role you play as a member of the K-State family. Lives literally depend on it. Please help us be a university that successfully reopened, and stayed open.
Sincerely,
Richard B. Myers, President
Charles Taber, Provost and Executive Vice President
Thomas Lane, Vice President for Student Life