Message to FSU Community: Update on online instruction and moving forward

Oct 30, 2020 1:30 PM

Dear Frostburg State University Community Members, 

Last night, I made the decision to move FSU to online instruction until next Wednesday. Today I want to provide an update of what we know and how we are moving forward. We will continue monitoring -- among other things -- newly self-reported COVID-19 cases and results from any Brady Health Center tests performed in the last few days. 

It was a larger-than-expected increase in these self-reported cases and Brady visits that was a leading factor in our actions. Earlier indicators, including preliminary results from last 14-day period of results with our most recent FSU-administered testing shows a positivity rate of 5.64%. Between Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon, the number of active cases monitored by Brady increased by 12 (as of this morning we had 32 active cases). This increase was one of several of the COVID indicators that we monitor, another significant indicator being the rate of growth in our local community's positive cases.  

Our COVID-19 team met late Thursday to review all the current data and measures. It was the consensus of the team that out of an abundance of caution, we should begin taking steps to further reduce in-person contact on campus. To that end, we decided to pause in-class instruction and suspend access to athletic and exercise facilities through at least next Wednesday, Nov. 4. The team is now meeting daily and monitoring our data indicators. We are working closely with the Allegany County Health Department and the University System of Maryland. If we see a need to take further actions, we will. Any actions will be shared with the campus and local community, including via our COVID-19 web site. 

It is important — as we have reiterated throughout the semester — that you take individual precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. You must continue wearing a face mask in all interactions with others, remaining socially distanced (6 feet) from any other person and frequent hand-washing. Daily use of the online check-in through the FSU COVID Check-In Portal is required of anyone on campus. These actions are proven to reduce the spread of the virus.  

Also, our next Virtual Coffee for students, hosted by SGA, is scheduled for this coming Monday from 4 to 5 p.m. I will provide the most up-to-date information we have at that time and, as always, other campus administrators will be on the call to answer your questions. Here’s the link to join that meeting (reminders will also be sent to students).  

An additional update will come later today. Thank you. 

President Nowaczyk