As fall semester approaches, we must commit to working together to protect the health and well-being of every community member.

As we approach the start of the fall semester we are reminded that many in our Rhody community continue to struggle as a result of COVID-19, especially with health and economic impacts associated with the continued spread of the virus. Unfortunately, the United States is still experiencing a rise in COVID-19 cases and many states have higher infection rates today than they did this past spring semester. This means that each of us in the URI community must continue to be vigilant in adhering to the state guidelines and Rhode Island Department of Health requirements in effect in Rhode Island, if we want to return to our campuses this fall.

The University of Rhode Island’s Cornerstone Values remind us that:

We accept personal responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

We seek to create and maintain an environment conducive to personal health and wellness.

These values have never been more important. More than ever before, our community’s health and well-being relies on each of us embracing these values. Each of us must consider the health and well-being of those around us and follow the requirements this fall. If we do, then URI will have every opportunity to maintain in-person classes, campus activities, and small group gatherings until Thanksgiving break.  

The University is doing everything possible to ensure our return to campuses this fall and to support your health and well-being. We’ve shared many of these preparations during the summer and will continue to provide updates as we continue to prepare for the fall. 

An overview of these preparations and investments include:

• Installing more than $1.2 million of technology in most classrooms to support technology enriched learning, both in-person and virtual.
• Adding 490 commuter spaces to campus with the redesignation of 270 spaces in the Keaney lot (Lot 26) to commuter spaces and the creation of 220 commuter parking spaces along Flagg Road and West Alumni Avenue. Also, the redesign and layout of Lot 21 on Flagg Road and the redesignation of 60 visitor spaces have created an additional 72 faculty and staff spaces. Rhody Transportation shuttles will continue to operate with increased sanitation and physical distancing rules in place.
• Procuring personal protective equipment to support increased Health Services activity and COVID-19 testing capacity.
• Supporting more than 1,120 faculty taking part in advanced pedagogical and technology enrichment training this summer.
• Preparing more than 500 faculty starter kits to support a healthy classroom environment, including wipes, masks, etc.
• Coordinating with the Towns of South Kingstown and Narragansett to support the health and well-being of our host communities.
• Redesigning and reducing classroom and gathering space capacities to promote social distancing. 
• Adding signs, safety measures and plexi-glass where appropriate so students, faculty and staff are aware of safety protocols. 

This week URI will launch #Rhodytogether, a public health campaign to promote adherence to our health and safety guidelines. While we wish this was not necessary, we all know it is imperative to reinforce healthy behaviors during this global pandemic. 

As a reminder, all URI community members will be required to:

• Wear a mask at all times when on a URI campus. The only exceptions are when you are in your residence hall room with the door closed, in a private office alone, or if you have a health accommodation that has been shared with Health Services (students) or Human Resources (faculty/staff). 
• Complete the daily health screening prior to coming to campus or leaving your residence hall room. URI Health Services is working with the University community to support our health and well-being. This current screening form will be incorporated into a smartphone app that will be available prior to the fall semester. 
• Stay six feet apart from everyone when possible.
• Adhere to the social gathering group size limits of fifteen (15) or fewer, as of 8/6/20.
• Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer that is readily available across campus.
• Avoid touching your face.

Adhering to these requirements will change our daily interactions and experiences, but they will also help sustain the health and vitality of the experiences that define the special attributes of the URI community. While URI has always been a place to come together to learn, live, and socialize, we will need to change how we do this for the fall. By adhering to the guidance of health professionals, we can stop the spread of this virus and keep our in-person interactions going until Thanksgiving. 

However, if any of us decide to ignore this guidance and not follow the health requirements in place, then URI will likely experience an outbreak that will quickly lead to a necessary switch to fully online learning.

We are ready to welcome you back this fall and look forward to taking on the challenges this virus has presented. We know every member of the Rhody community is counting on us to support our educational and outreach missions. Each of us must do our part to ensure we are successful this fall. 

We hope you are healthy, safe, and getting excited for the start of the school year. We wish you the very best for the next few weeks of summer and will continue to communicate regularly via email and updates to the URI COVID-19 website.