Sul Ross State University officials continue to discuss measures to reopen campuses for fall of 2020. The university recently announced that classes for summer will be delivered through remote instruction including the continued use of video conferencing and online instruction. University officials intend to work throughout the summer with faculty and staff to develop and implement plans to return to face-to-face instruction in the fall.
“Our goal is to reopen for the fall semester, but we recognize that we must continue to monitor the situation and will keep safety as our top priority,” said President Bill Kibler. “Like all higher education institutions, we remain very aware that normal operations will look different going forward.”
The Texas Governor’s Executive Order expired on May 1, but some travel restrictions remain in place in local communities where campuses are located. Considering both state and local orders, the University will take additional precautions and reopen in phases with enhanced safety protocols. The University will provide more details to the campus community about reopening in additional communications.
“The situation is fluid and requires flexibility so we are working hard to develop various scenarios that we can utilize as information becomes available,” Kibler stated. “We remain cautious but hopeful that we can bring our people back to campus soon.”
The University provided the following updates in response to COVID-19:
- Brewster County (Alpine Campus) announced yesterday that the first positive COVID-19 case was confirmed in South Brewster County. The notice indicated that the case was a result from the mobile testing over the weekend. The individual has been in self-quarantine over the past week.
- All Sul Ross State University campuses remain closed to the public until further notice. Employees are encouraged to continue working remotely and/or through flexible schedules to practice social distancing.
- The university directive for employees to self-quarantine if they traveled or received visitors from outside of the Tri-County area (Brewster, Jeff Davis, and Presidio) is now expired. Employees should monitor their health conditions and stay home if they feel sick.
- The Governor’s Executive Order removes any requirement to wear face masks in public places. Sul Ross employees and students are not required to wear masks while on campus but are strongly encouraged to do so when in public spaces. All individuals should continue to practice social distancing and wash hands frequently.
- The University will not accept new residents in university housing for the first summer session and will assess conditions for the summer II residency opportunities. Current residents will be permitted to remain in university housing with residential living approval.
- On-Campus Residents wishing to check out of university housing must schedule appointments with housing staff to maintain social distancing protocols. Staff may be reached at reslife@sulross.edu to schedule check outs.