Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
Our vision for KCU is to be the most student-focused health sciences university in the nation. Since the onset of the pandemic, KCU’s administration has striven to balance the health and safety of the campus community while at the same time achieve that vision by continuing to deliver the highest quality curriculum, maintain accreditation standards and graduate all students on time.
Good News!
As we began our reawakening of the campuses in July, we conducted baseline COVID-19 testing of all students and student-facing faculty and employees. That testing of over 1300 people resulted in a 1.2% positivity rate. Last week we followed up with our first round of “randomized pool surveillance” (RPS) testing, whereby we randomly selected and tested 20% of that same group.
I am extremely pleased to say that RPS testing yielded a positivity rate 0.5%, well below the rate for the state of Missouri which recently has ranged between 12-17%.*
Please allow me the opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your commitment to follow guidelines and wear a mask, avoid groups of 10 or more, physically distance and frequently wash your hands. Our KCU community continues to make great strides to help mitigate the spread of this disease, but we must remain ever vigilant and stay the course. This is indeed good news!
More Good News!
Many students participated in a recent pulse survey and indicated that the #1 request of the University is to gain greater access to the campuses for the purpose of studying. Due to these recent promising results of RPS testing, I am pleased to announce that this Wednesday, Oct. 7, we will begin to systematically open certain areas of the campuses to students for study. It is only through your efforts, persistence and professionalism that allows us to increase campus access following the same protocols that are currently in place. A schedule and details will follow shortly in an email from Student Services.
We will continue to assess the pandemic situation and positivity rate throughout our state and monitor KCU’s own rate with another round of RPS testing. Adjustments to the reawakening plans may be necessary as we move forward, loosening or tightening campus access based on our own gating criteria.
Again, on behalf of KCU’s administration, I want you to know that we recognize the many sacrifices you make to keep yourself and others safe during this very difficult and stressful time. We are extremely proud of each and every one of you. You are following the guidelines and it shows!
Continue to remember to do the following – because it works:
Avoid parties. Physical distance by six feet or more. Keep gatherings small. Wear a mask. Wash Hands. Protect others!
Best regards,
