As the State of Louisiana moves through Phase One of its reopening plan, Louisiana Tech University is continuing its work to provide unparalleled educational opportunities for the people of our region, state, and nation.
COVID-19 has changed things for many of us, and higher education is no different.
In accordance with our state’s plan, Louisiana Tech has been bringing a limited number of essential employees back onto campus, and we plan to have students, faculty, and staff all back on campus beginning in the Fall 2020 quarter.
We continue to have two commitments as we move through – and out of – this crisis:
Caring for the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff
Ensuring our students continue to make progress toward their academic goals
Our staffing priority during Phase One has been to return employees whose roles are essential to safety and preparing campus for the Fall 2020 Quarter as well as those who cannot effectively perform their roles from home and are critical to ongoing operations. Teleworking remains mandatory for those whose work can be effectively completed at home and for those who are considered high-risk or who live with high-risk family members.
During Phase One, we are observing the following best practices to continue to focus on safety and health for all our students, faculty, and staff:
Physical distancing – individuals should stay at least six feet apart and be mindful of enclosed spaces.
Hand washing – individuals should wash their hands often.
Face covering – people should wear masks or face coverings on campus in public and when physical distancing is not possible.
Cleaning – the University will increase cleaning and disinfection frequently touched surfaces.
Common areas – the University will keep common areas closed.
Monitor health – employees should ensure they do not have fever or COVID-19 symptoms before reporting to work.
All current phases of the Louisiana Tech plan are available online. This plan will likely change as we adapt to the changing situation with the virus, state mandates, and federal requirements.
For our summer classes, those scheduled for the first half and complete term will be delivered online, and we will make a decision on the second half of the summer term as we move through the summer.
We look forward to sharing the next phases of our own plan for returning to campus as we adapt to the requirements Gov. John Bel Edwards has set forth. I am so appreciative of the patience and perseverance of our Tech Family this spring, and I speak for everyone when I say we are ready to have our students back on campus – they are the reason we exist.
Dr. Les Guice | President of Louisiana Tech University.
