KU governance organizations urge Girod to delay start of in-person classes 2 weeks: ‘The risks are too great’

photo by: Conner Mitchell/Journal-World

A family works to move into Lewis Residence Hall on the University of Kansas campus on Monday, Aug. 10, 2020.

Leaders in the four governance organizations at the University of Kansas on Friday night, less than three days before the start of fall classes, sent an urgent request to KU Chancellor Douglas Girod and Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer: Delay the start of physical classes by two weeks.

In an email obtained by the Journal-World, University Senate President Sanjay Mishra, Faculty Senate President Lua Yuille, Staff Senate President Abby Ehling and Student Body Vice President Grant Daily thanked Girod and Bichelmeyer for the countless hours spent transforming KU’s campus for the fall but said they’d reached the difficult conclusion that Monday’s reopening wouldn’t be safe.

“Despite the meticulous and caring labor that we invested, despite thousands of hours of meeting and planning and designing, it is now evident that the course we charted with great hope and good intentions is misguided,” the email said. “It is not possible to keep our community safe. The risks are too great.”

The governance leaders, who lead a system structured to make decisions about the university in tandem with administrators, said KU “cannot in good conscience risk one member of the University of Kansas family — faculty, staff or student.”

“This is the line we refuse to cross. It is our litmus test,” the email said. “And the data shows that we have already failed it.”

KU on Thursday morning confirmed that 89 members of the community, out of 7,800 total tests, had tested positive during the university’s mandatory COVID-19 testing program, which is still ongoing.

With the exception of courses that must meet in person, the four leaders asked Girod to move all classes to remote-only learning to put KU’s entire focus behind expanding plans for a “safe and socially distanced academic term.”

“We realize that there are many community members for whom an open campus is absolutely essential,” they wrote. “The administration must take all action to make this possible — safely.”

The letter concluded with the four leaders pledging to support all efforts to keep the KU community safe, but saying they felt it necessary to voice their strong support for changing directions.

“We do not envy the difficult tasks ahead of you,” the email said. “We unequivocally support maintaining university operations and, specifically, protecting the jobs and well-being of every member of our community … it no longer seems possible to do that while moving forward with starting majority in-person community life and classes this Monday, August 24.”

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Girod and Bichelmeyer responded to the email, or whether they were actively considering the request.


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