Summer Travel Policy

The Senior Leadership Team approved the Summer 2021 Travel Policy at its meeting on March 17. Only essential travel will be allowed for trips supported by UNW funding. Definitions of essential and non-essential travel are provided in the travel policy. Summer travel includes the period of time from May 16 to July 31. 

Faculty and staff planning to lead groups should follow steps toward approval of essential travel as outlined in the policy.

Individuals who plan to engage in essential travel funded by UNW, but who are not leading UNW groups or traveling as part of a UNW group, should 

• Refer to #3 in the Summer 2021 Travel Policy:
  Faculty and academic staff who have questions about whether or not a proposed trip meets the qualifications for essential travel for the semester in review, or have questions regarding non-essential travel, should meet with Pamela Solvie (Director of Global Initiatives). Staff who have questions about whether or not a proposed trip meets the qualifications for essential travel for the semester in review, or have questions regarding non-essential travel, should meet with Marla Dennison (Associate Vice President of Risk Management).  
• Check CDC and MDH Guidelines regarding domestic and international travel.
• Consider mitigation guidelines outlined in the Summer 2021 Travel Policy to ensure safety.

Spring Commencement Update

I am pleased to share that we are planning to hold in-person commencement ceremonies for our graduates this spring. A big thank you to Andy Simpson, Sarah Arthur, and the entire Commencement Planning Team for their work preparing for this event to honor our graduates.

Here are some important details to note about this event:

• Ceremonies will be held on May 14 and 15.
• We will be holding a total of four ceremonies due to social distancing requirements and capacity restrictions.
• Each participating graduate will receive three guest tickets.
• Unfortunately, due to space constraints, faculty and staff will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person this spring. You are encouraged, however, to support the class of 2021 via the commencement livestream. We are also planning to include an outdoor reception following each ceremony that you will be invited to attend. 

For more information, please see the Commencement Planning webpage.

Updates to Spring Protocols

Returning to Work on Campus

Governor Walz has continued to make careful adjustments to the Stay Safe MN plan and related guidance. Of particular note is the recent change that shifts the expectation of working from home as a requirement to a strong recommendation. This change goes into effect on April 15. 

Along with my SLT colleagues, I am pleased that we will soon be able to allow employees who have been working from home but desire to return to campus to do so. Human Resources will be working on additional communication and related details in the weeks leading up to the 15th, so employees and supervisors can begin to plan for this change.

Guest Speakers in Classrooms

As we have moved to Green for a campus alert level, we are able to reintroduce some experiences that have been on hold during the pandemic. Effective immediately, you will be able to begin inviting guest speakers and visitors into your classrooms once again. Please make sure that any guest or visitor completes a health screening questionnaire prior to coming on campus. 

Off-Campus Events and Trips

In addition to allowing guest speakers back into classrooms, beginning Monday, March 22, students will be able to start participating in off-campus events and trips that are connected to UNW groups, clubs, and academic experiences (such as field trips). If you are interested in taking a group of students off-campus, please contact Anna Mukaria, Director of COVID Operations, so she can work with you to ensure proper COVID mitigation protocols are in place. 

Equality Act

In recent weeks, increasing attention has been given to the Equality Act and the experiences of LGBTQ students at Christian institutions of higher education. Two related articles were published just this week in Inside Higher Ed and the Washington Post (UNW login required). If you are not familiar with the Equality Act, the Washington Post article summarizes its relevance and threat to faith-based institutions: 

The Equality Act would amend the Civil Rights Act to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It would include, among other areas, employment, education, housing and public accommodations — a category it would also broaden. What makes it more sweeping than past anti-discrimination measures is it explicitly overrides the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which prohibits the federal government from “substantially burdening” individuals’ exercise of religion unless it is for a “compelling government interest.”

In relation to the Inside Higher Ed article linked above, I encourage you to read the response by Mark Yarhouse, Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College. In response to the Equality Act, you should also be aware of efforts by the CCCU and other members of Congress to introduce the Fairness for All Act, which would protect both religious freedom and LGBTQ civil rights.