March 19, 2020
Dear Kappa Sig Parents, Active Members, and Alums,
The escalating COVID-19 pandemic situation has brought many new challenges for all of us. We know that parents are especially concerned and we appreciate your patience as we work to set policies to protect the health of your sons. In response to these unprecedented circumstances, the Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation (the House Corporation) is taking the following actions:
First, as you probably already know, the University of Texas has canceled on-campus classes through the end of the spring semester and is officially closed until further notice. Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt, in conjunction with Mayor Adler, has issued an order prohibiting any public or private gathering of more than 10 people in any single space at the same time.
Given those facts and the application of those decisions to rooming houses (City of Austin’s classification) we’ve made the difficult decision to close our common areas (both the great room on the first floor of the Warren Residence Hall and the Lodge). However, the residence hall will otherwise remain open as a living facility for all Tau actives who have made it their home this spring semester.
As the University has extended its spring break for an additional week (through Sunday, March 29), we will use that time to clean the entire facility more extensively than is possible when residents are present. Therefore, it would be helpful for as many residents as possible to spend their extended break at their parents’ homes or somewhere other than the residence hall to help us facilitate a top-to-bottom sanitation effort. However, for those who need to return before March 29, the cleaning crew will work around them.
Since the more stringent guidelines have only recently been announced, we will work to the best of our ability to monitor anyone who thinks they might have been exposed to the Coronavirus. We ask any active who has traveled internationally during spring break to make us aware of their foreign travels before returning to Warren Residence Hall or the Lodge.
If anyone thinks he might have been exposed, we will enforce protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, should the need arise.
We are working on a plan on how best to safely serve meals to our residents when on-line classes begin on Monday, March 30. The TKSEF board, Chapter officers, and House Director Ernie Taliaferro are reviewing information from the University, the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, city, county, state and federal governments, and, of course, the CDC.
Sincerely,
The Directors of the Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation
