Stay on-campus over the Labor Day weekend
September 4, 2020 2:08 PM

Dear Students,

Wednesday afternoon, the Chancellor sent an email to all undergraduate students concerning the Increased Enforcement of COVID-19 Safety Guidelines. In the email, Chancellor Jones directed students to avoid traveling or attending large gatherings over the Labor Day weekend. Many of our positive cases these first two weeks were brought from communities without the level of testing we have.

I am writing to echo his instruction. Do not travel this holiday weekend. The vigilance you show by staying on-campus will result in long-term gains for you and our entire campus community. As an Illini family, the health and safety of each student, faculty, and staff member is vital to our ability to remain on-campus through the duration of the semester.

As you limit your in-person interactions to only the most essential activities, please know that there is still plenty for you to do; here are some ideas:

• Check out these virtual and on-campus activities.
• Also be sure to view Student Affairs’ COVID-19 Support Resources for a listing of facilities and their availability as well as websites for your favorite campus locations to find activities you can participate in.

If you must travel, please limit interactions to only those in your immediate family unit. Once you return to the community, go as soon as possible to a testing site, and take a COVID-19 test. While you wait for your results, be cautious and limit time spent outside of your residence, continue wearing your face covering and social distancing in public areas, and continue washing your hands multiple times per day.

Remember, all students need to take a COVID-19 test and receive a negative result in order to regain access to academic buildings.

To quote the Chancellor, “We’ve given ourselves a real chance to come together and to stay together. But the decision to do so is in your hands.”

Be well, be safe, and please choose to stay on-campus over the Labor Day weekend.

Sincerely,

Dr. Danita M. B. Young
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs