Latest Updates

Dear DBU Family:

We are happy to report that our active COVID case count is down to 8 and holding.  The numbers continue to trend in a good direction for us at DBU.  As a result, we are updating our COVID policies to reflect the low numbers we are currently experiencing.

Effective Monday, October 4, face masks are optional on campus in all indoor and outdoor settings, except that DBU will allow faculty to decide whether to require students to wear face masks in their classrooms for the duration of a class period. For all other settings, face masks are optional, and faculty, staff, and students may choose to wear or not wear face masks based on their individual preferences or health and safety needs.

Students, please honor your faculty member if they request face masks in their classrooms.  As you can understand, there is a range of perspectives on this matter, and we are seeking to honor those faculty on campus who are more comfortable with face masks in classroom settings. We are doing our very best to continue navigating our way through this pandemic, and I am making a special appeal to you for your understanding, love, care, and consideration as we walk through this incredibly challenging season together.

We ask that you continue to stay safe and help prevent the spread of COVID on our campus.  This is especially important as you prepare to travel off-campus for fall break.  We want everyone to return healthy and energized for the rest of our semester. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Coronavirus Taskforce at ctf@dbu.edu.

Sincerely,

Adam C. Wright and the Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Family:

We are thrilled to have the DBU Family back on campus for the start of the fall semester.  You bring energy, excitement, and interactions we value and have missed.  We are committed to fostering our wonderful learning community throughout the semester and want to support as many opportunities for you to connect with faculty, mentors, and fellow students as possible.  However, as you may be aware, the Delta variant has caused many schools, businesses, and local governments to revisit their COVID protocols.

We continue to actively monitor this situation and feel it is important to take steps now to mitigate and help prevent the spread of COVID.   To provide further insight into our decision-making, we constantly strive to strike a balance between steps that reduce the spread of the Delta variant with efforts to further your educational and social experiences on campus.

Effective on September 7, 2021, we have decided to temporarily require face masks in all classrooms and during Chapel services.  To facilitate the in-class experience, masks are optional for faculty while they are teaching.  We are also encouraging student organizations to hold meetings outside as much as possible and for everyone to socially distance to the extent feasible when not wearing face masks.  Certain campus events may also have similar requirements depending on the nature of the events, and event organizers will communicate those requirements to attendees.

While we believe personal responsibility is essential for successfully navigating this pandemic, we are implementing these campus-wide measures to help protect our experiences this fall.  Currently, we are operating at 100% capacity with a full schedule of in-person classes and student events.  Unlike many other colleges and universities in Texas and around the nation, we remain in-person and want to do everything we can to avoid pivoting to remote offerings.  We continue to see no evidence of transmission in our classrooms and believe our policy updates will help continue this trend.  We need your help to keep this progress going.

I am sure many of you have seen that other colleges and universities have already gone back online after beginning in person classes.  Also, TCU, Baylor, SMU, and a host of others are now requiring masks indoors.  All we are asking is that in the classroom, in chapel, and when social distancing is not possible, that face masks be worn.  I know this is a highly divisive issue so we are doing our very best to strike a balance recognizing that there will still be people upset on either side of this issue.  I am hopeful we will begin to see a significant decrease in cases in Dallas County that will allow us to revisit this matter soon, but for now, we do believe it is in the best interest of where we are today to take these action steps.

Presently, we have a total of 56 active cases among approximately 5,000 faculty, staff, and students.  Of these cases, 50 of them are among residents on campus.  There are only 6 cases among our athletes.  We have approximately 150 students in quarantine right now and the manner in which the Delta variant spreads we can anticipate a spike in cases and in the number of students in quarantine before we see a decline, which is why we are taking these steps now.

If you are vaccinated and have had contact with someone that has tested positive for COVID-19, you are not required to quarantine if you are not experiencing any symptoms. However, if you are unvaccinated, then you will need to quarantine per CDC guidelines.  At DBU, we continue to maintain the position that vaccination is a personal choice and is not mandated, but I did think these figures were glaring enough to share with you.  Of the 50 student residents on campus that are actively positive with COVID-19, around 95% of the students are unvaccinated.

Attached you will find Health and Safety Policies with our temporary mask requirements included. We continue to move forward but also must pay careful consideration to the changing pandemic conditions in our community, Dallas County, and our nation.  

We also want to remind you of the following measures we are taking in response to COVID:

1. Vaccinations. DBU strongly encourages everyone to get vaccinated.  We are making it convenient to receive the vaccine on campus and offering it to all faculty, staff, students, and their family members.  We offer both the Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines, and the FDA has also recently fully approved the Pfizer. Obtaining the vaccine is an effective means to continue learning and working without disruption, and we will not require vaccinated asymptomatic individuals to quarantine if exposed to COVID.  We ask anyone who has not yet been vaccinated that is wanting to be to do so at your earliest opportunity to help protect yourself and help DBU limit the potential for outbreaks on campus. If you have already received the vaccine, we are asking you (faculty, staff, or students) to report your vaccine and help us to continue to make informed decisions regarding our plans for the Fall. To voluntarily report your vaccine, please complete the “Are you vaccinated?” form.  Again, we are not requiring the vaccine but asking you to voluntarily report to allow us to continue planning for the Fall.
2. Fall 2021 Health Check and Acknowledgment of Risk Form. DBU will not require faculty, staff, or students to complete the Daily Health Survey.  However, all faculty, staff, and students must complete the “Fall 2021 Health Check and Acknowledgment of Risk” form once now or at the start of the semester.
3. COVID Care Plan. DBU requires its residential students to have a COVID Care Plan if they need to isolate or quarantine. A sample COVID Care Plan is attached and students are free to use it as a template for creating their own plans.
4. Symptom Reporting.  All faculty, staff, and students should continue to report any COVID-related symptoms using DBU’s Reporting Form.
5. COVID Dashboard.  DBU will provide weekly numbers regarding active COVID cases among campus faculty, staff, and students.
6. Accommodations.  Students seeking disability accommodations may contact the Director of Student Services by calling the Office of Student Affairs at 214-333-5394 or emailing dss@dbu.edu.  You may also visit https://www.dbu.edu/disability-services/ for more information.

Employees seeking disability accommodations should contact Human Resources.  

We are so grateful for the resilience and adaptability you have demonstrated during this pandemic and ask for your continued patience and support.

Sincerely,

Adam C. Wright and the Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Family:

We want to provide a complete overview of everything you need to know for the Fall 2021 semester. This past month the Delta variant of COVID-19 has become increasingly prevalent nationally and in Texas and we must remain vigilant in our fight to keep our community safe. 

We are implementing the following measures to welcome you back for the fall semester, and we are eager to do so.  We plan to return to many of our favorite in-person campus activities this semester.  At the same time, the pandemic is ongoing, and we must take steps to promote the safety and well-being of our community. We implore you to take these steps to help keep you safe and help us limit the potential for outbreaks on campus.

1. Health and Safety Policies. Faculty, staff, and students are subject to DBU’s Health and Safety policies, which set forth our expectations for face masks, quarantining/isolating, and reporting symptoms.  Please see attached policies or visit dbu.edu/coronavirus for the latest updates.
2. Face masks.  Face masks are optional on campus for faculty, staff, students, and visitors.  You may choose to wear a face mask at any time based on your personal health and safety needs, and DBU encourages unvaccinated individuals to continue wearing masks indoors. At the same time, we also understand that certain indoor settings may require different treatment from our general rules.  As a result, and for a temporary basis, DBU will permit faculty to require students to wear face masks in their classrooms for the duration of a class period.  If the situation improves, we may change this exception, but, at this time, faculty can determine whether they will require face masks in their classes.
3. Vaccination. DBU will not require the COVID-19 vaccination for students, faculty and staff for the fall semester but strongly encourages everyone to get vaccinated.  We are making it convenient to receive the vaccine on campus and offering it to all faculty, staff, students, and their family members. Obtaining the vaccine is an effective means to continue learning and working without disruption, and we will not require vaccinated asymptomatic individuals to quarantine if exposed to COVID.  We ask anyone who has not yet been vaccinated to do so at your earliest opportunity to help protect yourself and help DBU limit the potential for outbreaks on campus. If you have already received the vaccine, we are asking you (faculty, staff, or students) to report your vaccine and helps us to continue to make informed decision regarding our plans for the Fall. To voluntarily report your vaccine, please complete the “Are you vaccinated?” form.  Again, we are not requiring the vaccine but asking you to voluntarily report to allow us to continue planning for the fall.
4. Fall 2021 Health Check and Acknowledgement of Risk Form. DBU will not require faculty, staff, or students to complete the Daily Health Survey.  However, all faculty, staff, and students must complete the “Fall 2021 Health Check and Acknowledgement of Risk” form once now or at the start of the semester.
5. COVID Care Plan. DBU requires its residential students to have a COVID Care Plan if they need to isolate or quarantine. A sample COVID Care Plan is attached and students are free to use as a template for creating their own plans.
6. Symptom Reporting.  All faculty, staff, and students should continue to report any COVID-related symptoms using DBU’s Reporting Form.
7. COVID Dashboard.  DBU will provide weekly numbers regarding active COVID cases among campus faculty, staff, and students.
8. Financial Assistance for Students.  DBU is offering an application for emergency funds for students who have been financially impacted by the pandemic. This includes all students who need financial support for tuition, food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care expenses as a result of COVID-19. Students may apply by filling out the Financial Hardship Application on Presence here: https://dbu.presence.io/form/financial-hardship-application.
9. Accommodations.  Students seeking disability accommodations may contact the Director of Student Services by calling the Office of Student Affairs at 214-333-5433 or emailing dss@dbu.edu. You may also visit https:// www.dbu.edu/student-affairs/student-services/disability-services for more information.  Employees seeking disability accommodations should contact Human Resources.

Please keep in mind that our policies are subject to change as the local conditions change.  We appreciate your continued support and patience.

Best,

Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Family:

In light of the latest changes in Dallas County and the Texas Supreme Court’s decision to block the mask mandate in Dallas County, we are reinstating our previous policies for the Fall 2021 semester.  This means face masks will remain optional on campus.

We realize there have been many changes this past week and want to provide clarity regarding what DBU will look like this Fall.  While it is subject to change as we continue to monitor local and state requirements and guidance, please review the attached Health and Safety Policies for faculty and students.  

Additionally, below is an overview of some of what you can expect for the Fall semester: 

1. Face masks: DBU will not require face masks on campus.  Per CDC guidance, DBU recommends face coverings for unvaccinated individuals.
2. Vaccination: DBU will not require the COVID-19 vaccination for students, faculty and staff for the fall semester but strongly encourages everyone to get vaccinated.  We are making it convenient to receive the vaccine on campus and offering it to all faculty, staff, students, and their family members. DBU will not require vaccinated asymptomatic individuals to quarantine, so obtaining the vaccine is the best means to continue learning and working without disruption.  We are asking faculty, staff, and students to report if they are vaccinated.  Reporting whether you have received the vaccine helps us make informed decision regarding our plans to the Fall and any change or updates we will need to make to the Health and Safety Policies. To voluntarily report your vaccine, please complete this form: “Are you vaccinated?”
3. Symptom Monitoring: DBU will not require faculty, staff, or students to complete the Daily Health Survey.  However, all faculty, staff, and students must complete the “Fall 2021 Health Check and Acknowledgement of Risk” once at the start of the semester.
4. Social Distancing: Social distancing is no longer required on campus, though distancing is still recommended for those who are not vaccinated.
5. COVID Dashboard.  DBU will provide weekly numbers regarding active COVID cases among campus faculty, staff, and students.
6. Financial Assistance for Students. DBU is offering an application for emergency funds for students who have been financially impacted by the pandemic. This includes all students who need financial support for tuition, food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care expenses as a result of COVID-19. Students may apply by filling out the Financial Hardship Application on Presence here: https://dbu.presence.io/form/financial-hardship-application. 

Sincerely,

Adam C. Wright and the Coronavirus Taskforce

August 12, 2021 Update

Dear DBU Family:

The start of the Fall 2021 semester is upon us, and we are looking forward to an exciting academic year!  Please watch this short video with a message from me regarding the Fall semester.

As you may know, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins issued an executive order yesterday requiring masks in Dallas County schools and businesses.  This means DBU is required to reinstate its mask mandate for the time that this executive order remains in place.

We will continue to monitor the situation, including state and local orders and guidance, and assess our COVID protocols as the semester progresses to determine whether policies can and need to change.  For now, please review the attached Health and Safety Policies for faculty and students.   Additionally, below is an overview of some of what you can expect for the Fall semester: 

1. Face masks. Effective this Sunday, August 15^th and pursuant to Judge Jenkin’s executive order, all employees, students, or visitors must wear face masks in an area or while performing an activity which will necessarily involve close contact or proximity to other individuals or the public where six feet of separation is not feasible. This means masks will be required in the classroom.  However, masks will not be required while you are eating or drinking, in private offices, outdoors, or in residential rooms or spaces 
2. Vaccination. DBU will not require the COVID-19 vaccination for students, faculty and staff for the fall semester but strongly encourages everyone to get vaccinated.  We are making it convenient to receive the vaccine on campus and offering it to all faculty, staff, students, and their family members. Obtaining the vaccine is an effective means to continue learning and working without disruption, and we will not require vaccinated asymptomatic individuals to quarantine if exposed to COVID. If you have already received the vaccine, we are asking you (faculty, staff, or students) to report your vaccine and helps us to continue to make informed decision regarding our plans for the Fall. To voluntarily report your vaccine, please complete the “Are you vaccinated?” form.  Again, we are not requiring the vaccine but asking you to voluntarily report to allow us to continue planning for the Fall.
3. Symptom Monitoring and Health Check. DBU will not require faculty, staff, or students to complete the Daily Health Survey.  However, all faculty, staff, and students must complete the “Fall 2021 Health Check and Acknowledgement of Risk” form once now or at the start of the semester. 
4. Social Distancing. Social distancing is no longer required on campus, though distancing is still recommended for those who are not vaccinated.
5. COVID Dashboard.  DBU will provide weekly numbers regarding active COVID cases among campus faculty, staff, and students.
6. Financial Assistance for Students.  DBU is offering an application to apply for emergency funds for students who have been financially impacted by the pandemic. This includes all students who need financial support for tuition, food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care expenses because of COVID-19. Students may apply by filling out the Financial Hardship Application on Presence here: https://dbu.presence.io/form/financial-hardship-application. Additionally, students may be eligible for supplemental funds and can apply by filling out the Eligibility Form here: https://dbu.presence.io/form/covid-19-relief-eligibility-application.  Upon submissions, students can expect about a four-week timeline for completion of the process.

Sincerely,

Adam C. Wright and The Coronavirus Taskforce

June 18, 2021 Update

Dear DBU Family:

As COVID case counts decline in Dallas County, restrictions relax for vaccinated individuals, and we continue to hear from you about your desire to return to “normalcy,” we want to announce the latest changes DBU is implementing for the summer.  Beginning July 1, 2021, face coverings are optional at DBU, including in the classroom.  This means wearing a face covering on DBU’s campus is fully optional everywhere starting July 1^st.

As always, we ask you to demonstrate respect for those that choose to wear face coverings, and we want to continue demonstrating care and love for those that prefer face coverings. However, DBU will no longer mandate face coverings in the classroom starting July 1, 2021.

Please contact ctf@dbu.edu with any questions, comments, or concerns.  Please also see the attached Clery notification for the summer.

Best,

Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Family:

Since my May 12, 2021, e-mail to you providing the update on our COVID policies, a lot has changed.  In fact, it was just the day after I issued my e-mail that the Center for Disease Control updated their guidance.  Since that time, you have likely seen additional information in the media about guidance and updates, especially as it relates to mask mandates.  Just yesterday, Texas Gov. Abbott issued an executive order stopping nearly every governmental entity within the state – including school districts and public universities from requiring or mandating masks.  Just today, I received a notification that face coverings are no longer required at Texas A&M University.

We have also had time to assess and review the results from the survey that was submitted to you, and it was overwhelmingly clear among a significant number of faculty, staff, and students of your preference for face coverings to be optional on campus.

I am so pleased that the COVID case count continues to drop in Dallas County and the 14-day COVID case count average continues to fall.

Effective immediately, face coverings will be optional on campus and only required in the classroom until further notice.  A decision will be made about whether face coverings will be optional in the classroom at some point in June, but for now this will be our position on the matter.

Please continue to demonstrate respect and concern for others that choose to wear a face covering.  Regardless of your personal position on face coverings, we want to demonstrate love and care for others that prefer face coverings.

Our health and safety policies are being updated and will soon be uploaded online, but I wanted to get this communication to you as soon as I could, as I know many of you are anxious to not have to wear your face coverings on campus.

Please know that I appreciate the time many of you took to provide comments and feedback through the surveys.  The comments we received were very affirming and allowed for some great insight from our campus community.  We continue to pray God’s protection over DBU and thank you for your consideration as we move forward in faith together as a DBU Family.

Sincerely,

Adam C. Wright
DBU President 

TO:                  All DBU Faculty, Staff, and Students

FROM:            Adam C. Wright

Thank you for the incredible ways you have demonstrated resiliency this past year.  You are to be commended for a host of reasons, but I am most thankful for how many of you have continually reflected Christ-centered servant leadership through your work here at DBU.  This has certainly been a year for the ages!

In conversation this week with one of our local hospital CEOs, he commented that the time has come to put the pandemic in our rear-view mirror and begin to focus on life in a post-pandemic world.  Certainly, this administrator made these comments knowing the pandemic rages on in very alarming ways in certain parts of the world, but in large part, we have been fortunate to have “turned a corner” in the United States, and particularly in Texas, in our battle against this terrible disease.  There is still work to be done, but our focus needs to now shift toward the future as we move forward.

As we head into the summer months at DBU, we are eager to look ahead with hope and excitement for what this next year will bring.  I continue to echo the message that we must be “All In” as we ambitiously reach forward into the future with great expectation.

The COVID Taskforce continues to meet with regularity and assess a voluminous amount of information from different sources as decisions are being made at DBU.  Certainly, the plans outlined in this memo are contingent upon trends continuing in the current direction, and we reserve the right to adjust accordingly should factors be present that warrant adjustments in our approach.  However, after receiving feedback from several sources, including you, we are outlining the updates below as we work toward a fall semester that hopefully looks a lot more normal.

Effective, May 31, 2021, the following policies will be in place:

Face Coverings:

DBU will be easing its face covering mandate on campus; however, face coverings will still be required in DBU classrooms until further notice.

Should trends continue in the right direction, we will explore the possibility of easing face covering restrictions in the classroom.  We continue to encourage all faculty, staff, and students interested in the vaccine to get it as you are able.

While face coverings will be encouraged, but not required on campus, we would like to stress the importance of demonstrating a “love for your neighbor” mentality by wearing a face covering should the person you are meeting/visiting with have their face covering on.

We understand that many of our faculty, staff, and students have either already been vaccinated and/or have had COVID and would like to be “mask free.”  However, we want to be sensitive to others who would prefer to wear face coverings while on campus.  Please demonstrate a love for your neighbor and wear your face covering if you notice someone who prefers to wear face coverings and has theirs on.

Conclusion of DBU’s Interim Flex Policy:

DBU’s Interim Flex Policy will end, and faculty and staff are required to return to campus or obtain ADA accommodations from Human Resources prior to Monday, May 31, 2021.

Capacity Limits:

DBU is lifting all capacity limits for on-campus buildings and classrooms.

Daily Health Check:

Faculty, staff, and students are required to complete the Daily Health Check and to inform DBU if they test positive for COVID-19.  Visitors and third parties remain under DBU’s policies, and DBU’s event organizers will continue to provide event-specific information about our policies to invitees.

COVID Waivers:

DBU will not offer COVID waivers for summer courses, and students must attend classes in the manner in which they are prescribed unless DBU has required those students to quarantine or isolate due to COVID. 

COVID Vaccinations:

The DBU Health Services Department continues to provide vaccinations to DBU Faculty, Staff, Students, and family members of anyone in these groups.  Though some organizations have made the move to require vaccinations, DBU has maintained the position that we will not require vaccinations.

Conclusion:

We have been so very pleased that the weekly average of COVID infections among our faculty, staff, and students has remained under 10 cases for most of the spring semester.  Presently, the DBU COVID Case Count as of 5/12/21 is 2.  Thank you for everything you have done to help us minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Included with this e-mail is a survey you are invited to complete as we solicit feedback in preparation for the fall semester.  I hope you will take a few moments to complete the survey as our COVID Taskforce continues to make decisions leading up to the fall semester.  Please visit www.dbu.edu/coronavirus for additional information.

Thank you for all you do in service to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at Dallas Baptist University!

Dear DBU Students:

We are thankful to each of you for contributing to a successful academic year. We remain grateful for how the DBU Family responded, and we are hopeful for the future. 

This email is to provide you with our updated plans for the summer terms. As you know, we are living in unique and uncertain times with changing guidelines, orders, and directives from federal, state, and local officials.  We are committed to providing you with information as decisions are made in order to help you prepare for the summer sessions, and we hope this message will help alleviate some uncertainty as it provides additional detail about our framework for how summer will look at DBU.

Core Four Responsibilities

Our core four responsibilities remain a collective responsibility among our campus community and have not changed for many of our campus activities and events. This means we all must continue to socially distance, wear face coverings, protect ourselves, and report our symptoms/ quarantine and isolate when directed.

Summer Classes

Summer classes will not have capacity limits; however, students will still be required to wear face coverings that cover their nose and mouth in all buildings and classrooms. During the summer months, we will continue to assess our policies and requirements regarding face coverings and determine whether we will continue these requirements for the fall. Moreover, as we are subject to changing guidelines and trends and as the vaccine becomes more readily available, we may relax requirements regarding face coverings outside of the classroom.

Importantly, DBU will not offer COVID waivers to undergraduate students for the summer terms. Students are required to attend classes in the manner prescribed by courses. This means students are required to attend classes face-to-face if they have registered for in-person classes. DBU is only granting exceptions for students in DBU-mandated quarantine or isolation or international students needing special accommodations. Therefore, those students in quarantine and isolation will still be given opportunity to attend classes remotely.

To request a disability accommodation, students should contact DBU Director of Student Services at dss@dbu.edu.

Daily Health Surveys

You will still be required to complete a daily health survey to access any DBU campus facility. You may access the health survey by visiting www.dbu.edu/healthcheck or you can scan a QR code located on signage placed throughout campus.

Sincerely,

Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Family: 

As we previously mentioned, we want to provide you an update regarding our plans moving forward with our COVID-19 protocols in light of recent changes here in Texas. 

We are encouraged to see the progress we have made in the fight against the COVID pandemic.  At same time, we recognize that DBU is a unique environment with many challenges that remain. As an administration, the health and well-being of our campus community is a top priority, particularly as we embark on our final push to the end of the Spring semester. 

As a result, for the remainder of the Spring semester, DBU’s health and safety policies will remain in place unchanged.  This means the requirement for face masks, the daily health check, social distancing, etc. are still required. 

However, given the progress that we are seeing, and in light of Governor Abbott’s Executive Order, DBU is lifting capacity limits for certain student-oriented service buildings.  Additionally, we are looking into creating more opportunities for “mask-optional” events to take place outdoors. 

To summarize, the following protocols will be in place through the end of the Spring semester: 

1. All DBU students, faculty, staff, and visitors will be required to wear face masks when inside buildings at all times. 
2. There are no changes in classroom rules, protocols, or capacity limits. Please follow classroom procedures as you have done all semester. 
3. You will need to continue to do the Daily Health Check and to inform DBU if you test positive for COVID-19. 
4. DBU will continue to provide testing for individuals on campus. 
5. Capacity limits will be lifted for Chapel services, the Library, the University ballpark, Burg, Fitness Center, dining services, and other similar student-service oriented spaces.  Students, however, must still abide by the health and safety policies and wear face masks while in these spaces. 
6. Visitors and third parties remain under DBU’s policies, and DBU’s event organizers will continue to provide event-specific rules and requirements to invitees. 

With the end of the spring semester only less than 8 weeks away, we are confident that the campus community can finish strongly and safely.  We will issue updated policies and protocols for the summer and will provide additional guidance regarding May Commencement in the coming weeks. 

We are praying for each of you and for a strong finish to the Spring semester.  We are thankful for the work you have all done to help keep our campus community safer. 

Sincerely,

Coronavirus Taskforce 

Dear DBU Family: 

As many of you saw today, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced plans to open up Texas businesses to 100%, effective Wednesday, March 10. This announcement also included the removal of the state-wide face covering mandate.

I have been pleased to see the ways in which our state and the nation is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has been great to see the increasing vaccine distribution in the past several weeks.  The initial progress is wonderful, and we need to continue to pray as more people receive the vaccine and the infections continue to decline.

Our leadership team is working through the implications of Governor Abbott’s announcement as it relates to DBU. DBU is not a typical business. We have more than 400 full-time employees and more than 2,000 residential students, not to mention the 2,000 more who attend classes online or in-person. In addition, a vast majority of the DBU Family are still waiting to be vaccinated, so as you can imagine, there are many factors to consider.

We appreciate the Governor’s position and service and work to open businesses across the state. As we make decisions, we want to comply with all state and local ordinances, and at the same time, we want to make decisions that are best for our University as a whole.

With that in mind, unless otherwise notified, DBU will continue to require our current level of safety protocols at least through our return from Spring Break.  Additional guidance for DBU is forthcoming as we remain in constant communication with health professionals to ensure we provide the best environment possible in carrying forth our vision and mission.

I do pray that you will remain cautious and safe over the course of Spring Break and that we can all return healthy and ready to finish the semester strong.

Please continue to practice the 4 Core Responsibilities that have so far helped us to keep our COVID-19 numbers to a minimum.

Sincerely, 

Adam C. Wright

Dear DBU Family-

We are thankful to each of you for contributing to a successful fall semester and are confident we can replicate our success for the spring with your help.

We are sending this email to provide an overview of campus policies for the upcoming semester.  We encourage you to review the Spring Guidebook and updated health and safety policies on DBU’s coronavirus website.

Core Four Responsibilities 

Many of the precautions we are taking for the spring semester will look similar to the fall and our core four responsibilities remain a collective responsibility among our campus community.  This means we must continue to practice social distancing, wear face coverings, protect ourselves, and report our symptoms/ quarantine and isolate when directed.

Daily Health Surveys 

You will still be required to complete a daily health survey to access any DBU campus facility.  You may access the health survey by visiting www.dbu.edu/healthcheck or you can scan a QR code located on signage placed throughout campus.

COVID Waivers for Traditional-Aged Students 

One new rule for spring (applying only to traditional-aged undergraduate students) is that students must attend classes in the manner prescribed for the classes when they registered.  This means students must attend classes in-person if the class is so designated.  Flex options will only be permitted for exceptions such as (1) DBU-required quarantine/isolation, (2) disability accommodations, or (3) COVID waivers.    

To request a disability accommodation, students should contact DBU Director of Student Services at dss@dbu.edu. 

Students that do not qualify for disability accommodations may apply for a COVID Waiver to attend classes remotely. COVID waivers will be granted to students who do not qualify for a disability accommodation but have special or extenuating circumstances that justify an exception for requiring in-person class attendance.  Those students that receive a COVID Waiver to remain online academically will additionally be restricted from attending in-person campus activities at DBU.  Students may apply for COVID waivers by submitting the following form to Student Affairs and will be required to explain the basis for their request. 

Graduate and doctoral students may continue flex learning if approved by their program directors and/or professors. 

We look forward to welcoming you back to campus soon and are praying for another successful semester. 

Sincerely,  

Coronavirus Taskforce 

Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Family:

It has been two weeks since Thanksgiving break, and we are pleased to report that as of today, there are only 21 active cases among on-campus faculty, staff, and students.  We are sending this email to sincerely thank you for everything you have done to keep DBU on the right course and allow for our continued operation upon your return from the break.  This gives us hope for what we can accomplish during the spring semester.

We plan to provide an updated campus guidebook and revised policies for the spring semester to you soon.  Going forward, we will provide updates of our active case counts on our coronavirus webpage (www.dbu.edu/coronavirus).  Please continue to check the website for the latest.

Thank you again for making wise choices, protecting your health, and helping to protect the health of those around you.  We are praying for a wonderful winter break and looking forward to welcoming you back for the spring 2021 semester.

Sincerely,

Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Family:

As we near Thanksgiving break and enter a holiday season, it’s vital we continue our collective efforts to keep our campus community safer. As you know, we will resume in-person campus activities after Thanksgiving break.

This means we will not adjust our schedule because of the break and those classes that met in-person before the break will continue to meet in-person after the break. Academic classes will continue to utilize the flex schedule after the Thanksgiving holiday until the conclusion of the fall semester.   

To facilitate our collective return to campus after Thanksgiving, we need each of you—faculty, staff, and students—to limit your exposure risks.  It’s our prayer that you can celebrate this holiday season fully and memorably, but, like many things this year, these celebrations may look different from previous years.  The Dallas County Public Health Committee recently provided guidance on how to celebrate Thanksgiving during a pandemic and you can review their recommendations here.

We realize that many of you will not be able to implement all these suggestions; however, we provide them as a blueprint for one way to enjoy Thanksgiving while still taking important safety precautions.  We ask you to prayerfully consider how many of these tips you can implement this Thanksgiving.

Upon returning from Thanksgiving break, we ask each of you to monitor your symptoms and do not come to campus if you feel sick or have been exposed to COVID-19. Instead, please report your symptoms or exposure at dbu.edu/coronavirus.

Sincerely,

Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Family: 

Thank you for your participation in our recent COVID-19 survey.  We write now to update you on plans for the Spring Semester. 

As individuals and as a campus community, we have confronted a public health crisis that will likely be remembered as one of our nation’s greatest challenges for years to come. Amidst this crisis, we are grateful and proud that so many of you have remained supportive and joined us in paving a pathway forward.   

As we look toward the Spring Semester, we will continue to assess the difficult challenges that confront us.  Evaluating the survey results demonstrated that even among our faculty, staff, and students, there are numerous (and often conflicting) viewpoints and opinions on how best to respond to the pandemic.  However, nearly everyone agreed that: (1) they trust DBU to make the best decisions regarding our future; and (2) there is a desire for decisions to be made as early as possible to help plan for our upcoming semester – even if decisions made need to be altered due to unpredictable circumstances.  

For that reason, we want to announce our decision to leave the Spring Academic Calendar unchanged. This means we will have our regularly scheduled Spring Break, just as we would any other Spring Semester.  Depending on circumstances by March 2021, we may need to place travel restrictions around Spring Break or require testing or quarantining for those that do travel.  However, it is our desire that this week provide a much-needed hiatus from uncertainty and be a gift of some semblance of normalcy for our students and faculty.  

We are working on creating University-sponsored Spring Break opportunities for students and will release those options in the coming days.  For now, we hope you can have some assurance knowing that it is our desire you can plan on DBU having a Spring Break.  We have learned much about the virus and mitigation efforts that we can take to protect our campus community over the past several months and we believe we can effectively work towards a plan for having Spring Break this next semester. 

To conclude our discussion on the survey, we will offer two live 30-minute Zoom webinar sessions (one for students and one for faculty/staff) to further discuss the survey results and answer any questions you may have.  We will provide invites for the webinars in the coming days.  For now, students can plan to attend their webinar on Monday, November 16^th at 3:00pm and faculty/staff can plan to attend on Monday, November 16^th at 4:00pm.   

Additionally, the Taskforce will issue a Campus Guidebook for the Spring Semester with updated guidance and policies.

We are able to provide these plans in the face of so much uncertainty because we know that each of you are doing your part to follow our core responsibilities. What has not changed is our steadfast dedication to help protect the health and safety of our community, our readiness to respond to new information as it becomes available, and our faith in each of you to continue to persevere during challenging times. 

Sincerely,  

Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Family:

Each of you have taken efforts to promote a safer and healthier campus, which makes an important difference in our community.  We write today to provide you important updates about the remainder of the fall semester and the expectations we have for successfully completing this semester. 

REMINDERS OF OUR POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS 

As we’ve said all along, we are truly grateful for all you are doing to help prioritize the health and safety of our campus community.  Currently, there are 12 active cases on-campus.  Overall, we have never seen active cases approach 1% of total enrollment, and, among our residential students, our highest rate has hovered right at 1% of residents.  Looking back on these past seven months of the pandemic, we have identified important trends regarding exposure risks and, in analyzing our own data, we’ve seen that most of our COVID cases arise from students traveling or attending parties or other gatherings off-campus.  The good news: we haven’t seen cases arise from students attending classes, standing in line at Chick-Fil-A, or participating in on-campus outdoor activities.  We are encouraged that the efforts we are taking on-campus allow the DBU Family to continue to experience campus life.   

We know that many of you are experiencing COVID fatigue.  After months of physical distancing and separation, many people are eager for increased social activities and in-person connections.   However, we also know that it is critical to continue exercising the precautions that keep our campus safer, and we are asking you to collectively work with us to keep the risks of spreading the virus at a minimum.  As Halloween approaches, we ask that you exercise caution and avoid large gatherings of people.  Conduct that disregards our expectations for health and safety can increase the viral transmission on campus. 

Additionally, per DBU’s policy, we are continuing to prohibit off-campus DBU-sponsored events, including any holiday parties or gatherings off-campus.  In the coming weeks, we invite you to participate in events DBU will host to commemorate the holidays while still abiding by our health and safety policies. 

RETURN TO CAMPUS AFTER THANKSGIVING BREAK  

As you know, students will have a one-week break for Thanksgiving. We want to urge any faculty, staff, or student that chooses to travel this Thanksgiving to take precautions and remain vigilant in socially distancing, wearing face coverings, and guarding against the spread of COVID-19.   

We need you to take your behavior over break seriously because we will return to in-person instruction after Thanksgiving.  We hope each of you can take time over the break to rest and return to campus refreshed, but we also need you to be mindful of your actions during the break.  Our successful return to in-person classes requires each of you to embrace our health and safety guidelines and policies even as you venture off-campus during the break.   

We have learned so much this fall semester, not the least of which is how much we need each of you.  Your efforts make a difference and will continue to make a difference this holiday season.

For any questions or comments, please email ctf@dbu.edu.

Sincerely,

Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Faculty and Staff- 

By all measures, you have done a tremendous job in following DBU’s health and safety policies. We are proud of the combined efforts you have taken to help ensure a successful fall semester. As we continue to progress through the semester, we want to provide an update on our current case count and how we can best respond to active cases of COVID and quarantine on campus. 

Currently, there are 29 active COVID cases in the campus community, and, because of our aggressive contact tracing and quarantining, we have approximately 100 students in quarantine. As we’ve seen cases in Dallas County rise, we expect to see increases on-campus as well and generally, we anticipate having times of increase and decrease throughout the semester. In any event, these numbers are still lower than many of our sister institutions and we know that each of you are doing your part to help flatten the curve. 

As you learn of positive cases or instances of students in quarantine, you may want to reach out to your department, classes, or a larger constituency to discuss DBU’s COVID response. To ensure that our campus community receives the most up-to-date and accurate communications, we ask that you first contact the Coronavirus Taskforce before making any COVID-related announcements. The Taskforce will coordinate your response to help ensure it is accurate, compliant with DBU policies, and consistent with the messages the rest of the campus community receives. You can email the Taskforce at ctf@dbu.edu. Emailing the Taskforce first helps prevent the spread of misinformation and protects the collective efforts we are taking as a University. 

We realize that the pandemic has the likelihood to increase exhaustion and fatigue across campus. For this reason, as Dr. Wright mentioned in Faculty Council and via email, we have provided one extra day off for you to take anytime between now and Christmas break. If you have not already taken it, we encourage you select a time to rest, refresh, and rejuvenate. 

As of today, Dallas County has increased the COVID-19 risk level from orange to red so it is all the more important for us to remain vigilant in doing our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19. 

For any additional questions, please contact ctf@dbu.edu. 

Sincerely, 

Coronavirus Taskforce 

Dear DBU Family, 

We are now almost midway through the fall semester and we have so much to be proud of at DBU.  Your adherence to our health and safety policies have kept our active case count lower than many other institutions.  More importantly, we’ve done this while remaining connected as a campus community.  

Whether you are directly or indirectly affected by COVID, we know many of you are experiencing an overall sense of exhaustion created by the myriad of challenges posed by the pandemic.   This is certainly a natural response to the season, and we are praying for each of you during these unprecedented times. 

We hope to encourage you by sharing that your collective efforts to keep our community safer have largely been effective.  Today, we are reporting 12 active cases within our campus community.  We also have many students quarantining and closely monitoring symptoms due to potential exposures.   While our prayers are with those affected by COVID, this relatively low figure of active cases is also worth celebrating as many other institutions are experiencing outbreaks of much larger proportions.

To maintain our positive momentum, we must continue this vigilance throughout the fall semester, especially as we enter flu season.  We ask that you continue to follow DBU’s health and safety policies.  Singular lapses in behavior can have negative ripple effects throughout campus and jeopardize our progress.  

Please continue to adhere to DBU’s core four responsibilities: socially distance yourself from others, wear your face coverings, protect yourself, and report your symptoms. Please also continue to take the daily health survey to ensure you are cleared to access DBU facilities.   

To further our efforts in the fight against COVID, we are now able to provide on-site rapid testing for COVID.  You should know that when you report a positive COVID diagnosis (whether tested on-campus or not), DBU will report these cases to Dallas County Health and Human Services at their request and per Texas law.  A positive diagnosis will also result in DBU engaging in contact tracing and may also include separate contact tracing conducted by affected counties and their health departments. 

Your continued efforts will help us conclude the fall semester with the same successes we are experiencing now. Thank you again for your cooperation and please continue to visit www.dbu.edu/coronavirus for updates and email ctf@dbu.edu with any comments or questions.  

Sincerely,  

Coronavirus Taskforce 

DBU Family:

Thank you for your continued commitment to DBU’s Core Responsibilities and doing your part to slow the spread of COVID-19. We currently have 31 active reported cases of COVID-19 among the student body. All of these students are currently isolating off campus and recovering well. I am pleased to report that we have no students in the hospital due to COVID-19, and most students only have very mild symptoms with 1-2 students having symptoms that would be comparable to a tough case of the flu. A number of students who had COVID-19 earlier in the semester have recovered and are cleared by our Health Services and Student Affairs team to return to campus.

DBU staff are in touch with all of the students with COVID-19 on a regular basis and providing care and support for them. I know our faculty are also working with these students and those in quarantine due to direct exposure to help them continue with their academic responsibilities while learning remotely. We determined that an aggressive quarantine plan for our exposed students was the best way to prevent a large outbreak on campus, and to this point of the semester, this strategy has been effective and keeping directly exposed students learning remotely and out of the normal campus circulation during their 14-day quarantine period.

Of the cases at DBU, we do not have any concentrated outbreaks within specific housing areas or groups of students. The infections tend to originate with a clear connection to off campus exposure and while spread to roommates or friends has occurred, the infections are distributed among differing academic levels and types of students. Some of the students with COVID-19 are commuter or adult students, and the impact of these infections on the daily campus life is minimal.

I am sure you have seen reports from colleges and universities throughout the country that are having difficulty due to irresponsible student behavior, and I am thankful that is not the norm at DBU. While we have had some situations where students should have made different choices which would have prevented exposure, we ​also have situations where church or ​an immediate family ​member is the place of exposure for a student who is now ill. We are consistently communicating to students the need for wisdom in their behavior off campus, and it does seem that most of our students are hearing this message.

Thank you all for your continued diligence and efforts to keep the campus safe.

Jay Harley, Ed.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs

Dear DBU Family:

You are doing a great job adhering to our Core Responsibilities.  Keep up the good work!  We are wrapping up the second week of classes, and our case numbers remain considerably low.  We currently have 22 cases among our 4,200+ student body, and all of those affected are only experiencing mild symptoms. 

In an effort to maintain the momentum we are experiencing; we have made the decision to not have a Fall Break this semester and modify the Fall Break Mini schedule.  Regular Fall classes will continue to meet during the week of October 5-9; Fall Break Mini 1 classes will be cancelled or rescheduled for another time; and Fall Break Mini 2 classes will meet as scheduled.  With these changes, we have also decided to extend Thanksgiving Break in order to provide students with a full week from November 23-27. The rest of the fall Academic Calendar remains unchanged.  Finals will continue as scheduled, and Commencement will still occur on December 18.  

We made this decision regarding Fall Break in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and do everything we can to finish the fall semester in person.  As we have visited with many of you on campus, we have learned that it is overwhelmingly your desire to finish the semester in our in-person class format.  The risk of spreading COVID-19 increases when there are more opportunities to leave and come back to campus, especially for extended periods of time.  Therefore, to reduce these risks, we are adjusting our fall semester plans.  Again, we are doing this in order to maintain the positive momentum we have built with the healthy practices and procedures we have implemented this semester. 

I know this announcement may be disappointing to some of you, but it really is the most prudent action we can take to ensure we can continue the pace we are on this semester without having to go strictly online like so many other colleges and universities around the country are having to do.  This decision was made after weighing our various options, learning from our peer institutions’ experiences, and considering the anticipated effects of the winter flu season on the fight against COVID-19.

We know this decision will affect many of your plans, so we want to provide you with as many answers to your questions as possible. Please refer to the list of questions and answers below.

Our plans may have to change depending on the prevalence of the spread of COVID-19 this fall, but our prayer is that making these adjustments now will better position us to fight COVID-19 and finish the Fall 2020 semester together.

Sincerely,

Adam C. Wright, President
DBU Coronavirus Taskforce

++++++++++++++

What does this mean for Fall Break Mini courses?

Fall Break Mini 1 classes scheduled to meet during the days of October 5-9 will be canceled or rescheduled for another time. Fall Break Mini 2 classes will meet as scheduled. In the coming days, someone from DBU will reach out to every student enrolled in Fall Break mini courses to discuss their academic plans and assist with schedule changes.

What does this mean for Fall 2020 classes?

Fall 2020 classes will continue to meet during the week of October 5-9, using the regular weekly schedule.

What if I need a course over Fall Break to graduate in December? Will I still be able to graduate?

Contact your advisor for assistance with graduation requirements.  We will do our very best to accommodate and work with you in creating a plan to ensure your graduation in December. 

What does this mean for Chapel?

Chapel will occur during the week of October 5-9.

What if I have already bought tickets/made plans to travel home? Will I be able to attend class virtually instead that week?

Most students will be able to attend classes remotely and should contact their professors. We strongly urge students who have already booked travel to continue following DBU’s health and safety practices off-campus. For any questions or concerns, please contact Student Affairs at studentaffairs@dbu.edu.

What does this mean for Thanksgiving Break?

Students will have a full week off for Thanksgiving Break.  It is our desire to persist with in-person classes through the end of the semester in December as scheduled.  However, we are providing more time off in November and not in October because this plan maximizes the likelihood of continuing with in-person instruction longer. We are prepared to pivot to online instruction if necessary after Thanksgiving break, but we hope to avoid having to do so midway through the semester in October. Ultimately, the nature of the pandemic requires that we remain flexible to respond to changes as they evolve. We want to reiterate that these decisions depend on many variables and uncertainties, but our desire is to continue with in-person instruction for as long as possible and even after you return from Thanksgiving break.  Thankfully, at any time, we can transition to remote learning — quickly, efficiently, and without interfering with your ability to receive top-notch educational experiences within your classes. 

What does this mean for University Housing and Dining Services?

University Housing and Dining Services will remain open.  We are prepared to support our on-campus residents regardless of the form of academic instruction. The changes we are implementing now are intended to limit off-campus exposure risks, so that we can better serve our on-campus community. 

What does this mean for December Commencement?

We are actively planning a December Commencement ceremony for December 18.  It will look different from Commencement ceremonies in years past, but our hope is to offer an in-person ceremony in Pilgrim Chapel.  We will provide additional updates and information as we finalize plans.

Dear DBU Family: 

We are first writing to provide you with the attached Emergency Notification in compliance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (“Clery Act”) for the Fall 2020 semester.  This notification is meant to ensure you stay informed regarding risks associated with COVID-19 and to understand the important policies and procedures we have in place for the Fall semester.  Fall 2020 Clery Act Notification

Additionally, as we close our second week of the fall semester, we also want to thank every single one of you for following the new (and often daunting) health and safety policies, recognize our successes, and identify further actions we can all take to keep our community safer.

Overall, your compliance with wearing face coverings has been very high. You have adjusted to this requirement as you walk in buildings, participate in classes, and attend chapel. Additionally, we are proud that many of you have been washing and sanitizing your hands frequently, completing the daily health survey, and monitoring your temperatures and symptoms. This truly goes a long way and we are grateful for your efforts.

At the same time, it’s been challenging for many of you to maintain a social distance of 6 feet and keep healthy practices when engaging in social activities on your own. The overwhelming majority of COVID-19 reports, exposures, and cases originate from off-campus activities and interactions from students who attended larger off-campus, non-DBU group gatherings.  

This is where we need your help. Please continue to follow our health and safety policies and guidance even when you leave DBU’s campus. When you come back from off-campus events or travel, you risk exposing the larger campus community to COVID-19. It’s our desire that you partner with us in following these healthy practices but, if we need to, we will take disciplinary action against students who violate DBU’s Health and Safety Policy or make additional decisions to further restrict off-campus activities. While we have not seen widespread disregard for DBU’s health practices and policies, we are actively considering imposing disciplinary sanctions like many of our DFW peer institutions (including SMU, Baylor, and TCU) if a widespread disregard for policies does occur.

As we approach Labor Day weekend, we want to remind you that travel increases the risks associated with getting and spreading COVID-19. If you decide to travel, please take steps to protect yourself from COVID-19. This includes wearing a face covering in public settings, maintaining a social distance of six feet or more between you and individuals not in your household, avoiding contact with anyone who is sick, and washing your hands often or using hand sanitizer.

We know that we’ve given you plenty of updates, notifications, and requirements for responding to COVID-19, but we want to reiterate that we are truly in this together. We need each of you to help fight the spread of COVID-19 and are grateful for your partnership and continued cooperation. 

Sincerely, 

Dr. Adam C. Wright, President
Dr. Jay Harley, Vice President for Student Affairs

Dear DBU Family: 

I am proud of how hard everyone has collectively worked to ensure a safe return for the fall. 

As I write you today, we are only aware of a total of three known reported positive cases of COVID-19 among our DBU student body. Thankfully, each person is doing well and experiencing only mild symptoms. 

Of the three cases, two are students who contracted the disease from an off-campus source and neither have been on campus since before the summer. They are enrolled in classes but using the Hy-Flex model at this time. 

The third individual is a new transfer student and resident on campus. This individual moved in on Saturday and was only on campus for two days prior to reporting and did not attend an in person class. Their exposure is connected to involvement at their previous institution before transferring to DBU. We were also able to contact trace, and we currently have the other students living with them closely monitoring their health while being quarantined, and none of them have demonstrated any symptoms. 

This latest update comes after having completed our summer bridge program experience, Student Welcome and Transition Week activities, and our first week of fall classes. Comparatively to other colleges and universities around the nation, DBU is currently in a remarkable position. 

As the weekend approaches, I want to remind you of how important it is to continue embracing our Core Responsibilities: 

1. Social Distancing
2. Face Coverings
3. Protect Yourself
4. Reporting, Isolating, and Quarantining

While the cases in Dallas County continue to decline and as we read the good news about our current situation on campus, let me encourage you to remain diligent in taking precautions to protect yourself and our campus community. When we have visited with students and others that have contracted COVID-19, in nearly every instance, we have found that the disease was contracted while off campus and most often from a family member. 

If you are an on-campus resident, please let me encourage you to remain on campus over the weekend and avoid any large off-campus gatherings. We certainly want you to connect with local churches, whether in person or online, and we know that you will need to go to the store or to pick up some food off campus, but please be sure to continue to wear your face coverings and practice social distancing so that you do not bring the disease back to campus. 

While I do not plan on providing a campus wide update every week, I do believe it is important to provide this one. You are doing a great job keeping up with  your “Health Check” each day before you enter campus buildings and wearing face coverings. I am so proud of our faculty and staff for leading out and demonstrating such creativity as we press on in the midst of such challenging times. 

We are in this together! Join me in thanking God for this wonderful news and also keeping your prayers fervent for God’s continued blessing and protection.

To God be the glory!

Sincerely,

Adam C. Wright, Ph.D.
President, Dallas Baptist University

August 13, 2020 Update

Dear DBU Family:

I am thrilled to welcome you back to DBU for what is certain to be a fall semester unlike any other in DBU’s history. Although we’ve experienced significant changes these past few months, DBU remains committed to offering you robust and vibrant experiences this coming year. 

Because your health and safety are a primary consideration for us, daily life at DBU will look different. What has not changed is our commitment to the excellence of your education, your academic progress, your spiritual growth, and your ability to connect with fellow students and faculty members on campus.

You will be starting this semester amid health rules, practices, and policies that none of us could have expected we would need but are vital for our DBU Family to persevere in our mission this fall. 

We have created a Return to Campus Guidebook that will walk you through many of the requirements and expectations for campus life.  I know it can be overwhelming, but I want to encourage each of you that you will not be doing it alone. We have new opportunities to love our neighbor during this time, and we can do it together as a DBU family.

Despite these changes, there is still so much to be thankful for and look forward to this year. Classes will take different forms, but your ability to learn will continue. Chapel services will change, but your opportunity to worship will endure. Social activities will look different, but your engagement and connection will continue to thrive.

We are here to support and pray for you. I invite you to watch this short video with remarks from me to learn more about fall semester. 

Sincerely,

Adam C. Wright, Ph.D.
President, Dallas Baptist University

Dear DBU Students:

As you know, we are living in unique and uncertain times. None of us can know what the future holds, but at Dallas Baptist University, we know that we will have a rewarding University experience in Fall 2020.  We are confident that whatever shape the academic and non-academic curriculum takes, it will be marked by the excellent, collegial, and fruitful experiences that drew you to our DBU Family.

We are also confident that our success for the Fall 2020 semester depends on you.  We all share the responsibility to help protect our community and love our neighbors.  Accordingly, we have outlined the “core responsibilities” every individual entering DBU’s campus shares and is expected to follow. 

CORE RESPONSIBILITY #1 - Social Distancing

Increasing the physical distance between individuals can reduce transmission of the virus, and everyone returning to campus must consistently follow social distancing practices where feasible.

According to the Center for Disease Control (“CDC”), COVID-19 spreads mainly among people who are in close contact within about 6 feet of each other.  Keeping a space between you and others is one of the best tools we have to avoid exposure and spread.

Social distancing may also limit requirements for quarantining or isolating.  If you are within six feet of an individual for 15 minutes or more (i.e., you have not socially distanced), you are required to quarantine off-campus if that individual tests positive for COVID-19 or has symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

CORE RESPONSIBILITY #2 - Face Coverings

DBU employees, students, and visitors are required to wear face coverings under the same circumstances as the general public.  Wearing face coverings in public settings may help prevent the spread of COVID-19 among faculty, staff, and students at DBU.  This means you must wear your face coverings when you are entering and exiting buildings, walking to and from the bathroom, and being inside your classrooms or other communal spaces.  Specifically, CDC recommends wearing face coverings in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household.  This is especially important when socially distancing is difficult. 

Face coverings may include homemade masks, scarfs, bandanas, or a handkerchief.  Face coverings are not a replacement for social distancing, frequent handwashing, and self-isolation when sick.

CORE RESPONSIBILITY #3 - Protect Yourself

Taking steps to protect yourself will also help prevent community spread.  You should:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.  Wash and sanitize hands upon entering and exiting offices and rooms.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover coughs and sneezes.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces you touch. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, desks, phones, keyboards, etc.  Maintain office cleanliness through removal of unnecessary personal items and debris to create clean counter spaces and support of cleaning efforts on common surfaces. If additional cleaning is needed, please contact Facilities Management.
• Monitor your health daily.  If experiencing any symptoms listed below, DO NOT come to campus.  Contact healthcare provider and notify supervisor of the needed absence.

CORE RESPONSIBILITY #4 - Reporting, Isolating, and Quarantining

DBU’s policies for isolation and quarantine helps to separate individuals who are sick or potentially exposed to COVID-19.  DBU requires all faculty, staff, and students to report COVID-19 exposure and/or symptoms according to its respective Health and Safety Policies (see below).  We encourage you to thoroughly review and understand these policies.  Please also see below the attached “how-to” guides for isolating and quarantining.

By early August, DBU will provide faculty, staff, and students a digital campus guide for the Fall 2020 semester.  This will outline measures DBU is taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and detail the policies, requirements, and guidelines the campus community is expected to take to do the same.  

We are excited to welcome more faculty, staff, and students back to campus and are grateful for the support and steps each of you will take to help ensure a successful Fall 2020 semester.

Sincerely, 

Coronavirus Taskforce

How to Self-Isolate 
How to Self-Quarantine
Health and Safety Policy (DBU Students)
Health and Safety Policy (DBU Employees)

Dear DBU Students:

As we approach the start of our second summer term, we remain grateful for how our community has handled this exceedingly difficult time and are excited to welcome many students back to campus this summer.  Those of you coming to campus will find yourselves in a new and different environment, which may continue to change and evolve as the summer and academic year progresses.   

As you know, we are living in unique and uncertain times with changing guidelines, orders, and directives from state and local officials.  We have updated DBU’s Health and Safety Policy to provide clarifications in light of the latest orders and have attached the latest policy here.  

We are committed to providing you with information as decisions are made in order to help you prepare for the summer session and the upcoming academic year, and we hope this message will help alleviate some uncertainty as it provides additional detail about our framework for how summer classes will work. 

Additionally, please know that if you are planning to attend in-person classes in the summer, a few things are certain:

• Dallas Baptist University cares about the health, safety and welfare of every member of its community.  
• Having said that, none of us can guarantee what shape COVID-19 will take, and none of us – including DBU – can guarantee a COVID-19-free environment. This is simply not feasible.  
• Taking steps to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infections (or any other spread of disease) at DBU is a shared responsibility. Every member of our community – including you – must do their part. This means adhering to national, state, and local health guidelines and requirements, and adhering to those measures DBU deems safe and appropriate for its campus. Specific details are provided in DBU’s Health and Safety Policy but include: wearing masks or other facial coverings, not reporting to class or work if sick, and isolating and quarantining when required. You agree to do all of this not just for yourself, but for the safety of others, and because this is also consistent with the spirit of DBU. 
• The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is reported to be extremely contagious. The state of medical knowledge is evolving, but the virus is believed to spread from person-to-person contact and/or by contact with contaminated surfaces and objects, and even possibly in the air. People reportedly can be infected and show no symptoms and therefore spread the disease. The exact methods of spread and contraction are unknown, and there is no known treatment, cure, or vaccine for COVID-19. Evidence has shown that COVID-19 can cause serious and potentially life-threatening illness and even death. Dallas Baptist University cannot prevent you from becoming exposed to, contracting, or spreading COVID-19 while utilizing DBU’s in-person services or premises. It is not possible to prevent against the presence of the disease. Therefore, if you choose to utilize DBU’s services and/or enter onto DBU’s premises you may be exposing yourself to and/or increasing your risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19.  Any individual who utilizes DBU’s in-person services or enters its premises understands the risk of becoming exposed to or infected by COVID-19 and voluntarily agrees to assume all of the foregoing risks and accepts sole responsibility for any injury that may arise.   
• In complete transparency, then, you understand that if you return to the physical campus of DBU, there is a risk you may contract COVID-19. We certainly do not wish this on anyone, and we are taking steps to mitigate this risk, but we cannot categorically guarantee this will not happen. Additionally, social distancing by six feet or more in certain University settings may not be possible.  You will need to quarantine off-campus if you are in close contact (within six feet for 15 minutes or more) with any individual that contracts COVID-19.  By coming onto campus, you understand that this is possible. Again, we want to be transparent with everyone. 
• Summer and Fall 2020 tuition and fees remain unchanged. The tuition and fees you provide are in exchange for learning, academic credit, and certain non-academic services that will be provided whether remotely, in a hybrid environment, or entirely remotely. 
• While it is important you understand the risks involved, in addition to the requirements in DBU’s Health and Safety Policy, DBU has also implemented protections in the classroom, which include:
  • Lower classroom capacities—All classroom capacities have been set at 50% or less, and classes moved to rooms that allow for separation of students.  
  • Plexiglass shields – Plexiglass shields have been placed in the front of the classroom to provide as much protection as possible for students and for the professor.  
  • Face coverings— Students are required to wear face coverings. If a student does not have a face covering, a disposable face mask may be provided. Because professors will be behind a barrier, they may or may not wear a mask while teaching.  
  • Sanitizing stations—At the entrance to every classroom, a sanitizing station is provided with disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer. Classrooms during Summer 2 will only be used by one group of students, and students may clean their space before and after use.  
  • Assigned seating—Professors will assign seating for easier contact tracing in the event of an infection.  
  • Student contact—Professors may ask students to contact him or her via email or another means to minimize direct contact before and after class.  
  • Remote learning—Any student who may have concerns about in-person instruction may engage in the class remotely. Appropriate equipment has been installed in every classroom being used during the Summer 2 Term.

We hope this information is helpful to you, and we are praying for a memorable and safe Summer 2 Term.  For the latest updates, please visit www.dbu.edu/coronavirus.

Sincerely,

Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Faculty and Staff:

The DBU Coronavirus Task Force continues to work to ensure a safe environment for our campus community.  We are writing to provide you with a brief update regarding DBU’s new “Health and Safety Policy.”  It is important that we diligently adhere to the health precautions and policy to do our part to “flatten the curve.”

Effective today and in accordance with Dallas County city ordinance, all employees, students, or visitors must wear face coverings in an area or while performing an activity which will necessarily involve close contact or proximity to other individuals or the public where six feet of separation is not feasible. Face coverings may include homemade masks, scarfs, bandanas, or a handkerchief. 

DBU employees, students, and visitors are required to wear face coverings under the same circumstances as the general public.  Face coverings are not a replacement for social distancing, frequent hand-washing, and self-isolation when sick. Face coverings do not need to be worn in the following circumstances:

• 1. When exercising outside or engaging in physical activity outside;
  2. While driving alone or with passengers who are party of the same household as the driver;
  3. When doing so poses a greater mental or physical health, safety, or security risk;
  4. While pumping gas or operating outdoor equipment;
  5. While in a building or activity that requires security surveillance or screening; or
  6. When consuming food or drink.

DBU’s Health and Safety Policy includes further directives for required training, temperature and symptom monitoring, and reporting requirements.  We encourage you to read the policy carefully.  This policy is subject to updates and we will provide revised versions when developed. For the latest updates, please visit www.dbu.edu/coronavirus. 

Know that our prayers remain with you as we work together to care for our neighbor and reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Sincerely,

DBU Coronavirus Task Force

DBU Opens Campus for Summer and Fall Classes, Activities

Dallas, TX - After careful planning and consideration, the DBU Administration has announced plans to proceed with Fall activities and classes as scheduled. These plans include in-classroom teaching, as well as on-campus activities and various other events.

The University will plan to resume in-classroom instruction on July 6 in conjunction with the beginning of the Summer 2 term for a selected group of classes, which will be implemented with social distancing guidelines.

In addition, DBU's New Patriot Orientation (NPO) will take place as scheduled throughout the months of May and June, beginning with the first session on May 28-30. These events, which have been altered to adhere to proper social distancing guidelines, are designed to provide an overview of the University for incoming students and allow them to register for Fall classes. NPO is also available in an online format for those who plan to register virtually.

“It will be exciting to see new students coming to campus this summer and begin the plans to welcome back the rest of the student body in the Fall,” said Dr. Adam C. Wright, DBU President. “I could not be more proud of the work of our DBU Family has done throughout this pandemic crisis.”

During the shut-down period, DBU was considered an essential business and around 500 students remained on campus, while all instruction was moved to an online delivery system. While the University never closed or asked students to leave campus, it did initiate plans for altered student services in order to best maintain the health and safety of the campus.

“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, DBU has sought to respond quickly and cautiously to ensure the health of our students, as well as our faculty and staff,” explained Christa Powers, DBU General Counsel and Chair of the DBU Coronavirus Taskforce. “We continued to care for several hundred students who remained on campus, while also moving all classes to online instruction, something the University had been prepared to do for many years in the event of a crisis such as this.” 

Recently, the California non-profit, Educate to Career, which ranks schools according to their ability to successfully transition students from college into well-paying jobs, ranked DBU as a top tier institution for its response to the COVID-19 crisis. According to their report, DBU provided students with a robust online education, led by experienced faculty, all while being prepared to welcome students back in the Fall. 

"Our faculty and staff responded exceptionally well to the pandemic crisis, being able to pivot quickly to online instruction, all while maintaining engaging relationships with our students," stated Dr. Norma Hedin, DBU Provost. "We are eager for our students to return to campus later this summer and work with them in person, but we are also prepared should the country experience a similar shut-down in the future." 

During the summer months, DBU will be using a staggered approach to bring back to campus all faculty and staff, and it is working through plans to ensure classes in the Summer and the Fall are able to take place in a classroom environment while maintaining social distancing. 

Also, DBU leadership announced that although it may look different, DBU Chapel will take place twice a week (three times a week for first-year students), so that the DBU Family will continue its tradition of honoring the 10:00 a.m. Chapel hour. 

“DBU is an unapologetically Christ-centered institution, and worship is an essential element of that commitment,” explained Dr. Wright. “We know that Chapel will look different this Fall because of the continuing impact of the pandemic, but we are working to ensure that this aspect of spiritual development, as well as many other means of discipleship, will be at the center of our Fall experience.”

This past week, DBU made headlines with its first-ever Commencement Parade, with some 350 May 2020 graduates and more than 650 cars driving the campus to hear their names read and receive their diplomas. The event was hosted on DBU’s Facebook page, and was seen by more than 500,000 individuals.

“This Commencement Parade, in addition to a variety of other unique responses to the pandemic, highlight the ways in which DBU has sought to continue its mission responsibly and also lovingly,” stated Dr. Powers. “We are working hard to maintain that balance as we seek to re-open the campus fully for the Fall and continue our mission to produce Christ-centered servant leaders.”

Dear DBU Faculty and Staff:

My thoughts and prayers remain with you and yours.  I am glad to share that as of today, it is my understanding that there are presently no COVID-19 cases among our faculty, staff or student body.  We had two cases among residential students, and both have fully recovered.  I continue to pray the Lord’s protection over the health and well-being of our DBU Family. 

I want to commend each of you for quickly adapting to our “new norm” of sorts.  Your patience, flexibility, creativity, and resilience during this season have been inspirational.

As we remain adaptive and attentive to guidance we receive from those in authority at the state and local levels, our administrators and deans have been meeting to formulate plans to resume normal operations in a multi-phase effort.  Our COVID Task Force, working in close consultation with the President’s Cabinet, is actively developing multiple scenarios in preparation for our fall semester.

Fall Semester Plans

Our intention is to safely resume normal university operations for the Fall 2020 semester including a multi-phased re-entry operations plan that will be carried out over the summer months.

On Monday, Governor Abbott issued an Executive Order permitting certain retail services, restaurants, museums, and libraries to open at 25% capacity beginning on May 1 at 12:01 a.m.

In response to Governor Abbott’s Executive Order, we will expand our dining services and Coffeehouse operations to 25% and reopen our Library at 25% capacity on Monday, May 4, 2020.

Safe Return to campus –  Plan For Faculty and Staff

DBU remains an essential business, and we continue to evaluate the staffing that is necessary to carry out the primary functions that keep us operational.  To maintain the continuity of essential University operations, we will open additional offices on campus.  In so doing, we will continue to abide by the guidelines set forth by our local health officials and the CDC and operate with reduced staff in most offices.

You will be contacted by your supervising Vice President or supervisor if you are able to return as an essential worker to meet the University’s operational demands.  If you do not receive notice from your supervisor within the week, but would like to return to campus to work, please contact your supervisor to let them know of your desire to return.  This allows us to ensure safe coordination of a population density necessary to maintain the safety and well-being of our campus community.

In accordance with local and national guidance, any employee returning to campus for work must:

• Take their temperature daily (or any day they intend to return to campus).  If you do not have a thermometer and are unable to obtain one, the University will provide temperature checks in the Nursing Office.  Any employee with a temperature of 100 degrees or greater should not come to work or should immediately return home if they are on-campus.
• Practice good hygiene.  
• Practice social distancing and maintain 6 feet of distance between you and any individual.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. 
• Cover coughs and sneezes.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces you touch. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, desks, phones, keyboards, etc. 
• Complete the DBU symptom form if you experience flu-like symptoms, symptoms consistent with COVID-19, or come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 while the positive case was symptomatic.

Please understand that no one with symptoms should be present at the workplace. Employees should inform their supervisor if they or their colleagues develop symptoms at work, especially fever, cough, or shortness of breath.

Moving forward, most employees are encouraged, but not required to, use personal protective equipment (“PPE”) where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.  Other employees, like those in University dining services, are required by DBU to wear PPE and should continue to follow the initial policies and procedures they received for wearing PPE during this time.

We are committed to maintaining safe work environments as we move toward opening our University. Should you need a face mask, please request one from your supervisor as we have surgical face masks for DBU employees that have this need.

For certain offices offering in-person customer service, DBU will provide additional barrier/partition controls to further protect employees. DBU will also continue enhanced cleaning and sanitization in high traffic areas, provide additional hand-sanitizing stations in multiple locations, and post signage detailing the capacity limitations in buildings and facilities on-campus.

As part of our institutional response to COVID-19, the University is committed to supporting employees who are at higher risk of severe illness.  Upon request, if you fall into any of the categories listed by the CDC as “higher risk,” which generally includes individuals over the age of 60 and anyone with an underlying medical condition, we will provide reasonable accommodations or alternative work options/assignments, including telework, to the extent possible.  You should make your requests for accommodations to Human Resources or your supervising Vice President.

Summer Semester Plans

Aside from these immediate changes, we are also diligently planning for the summer.  We will remain online in May and June, but plan to offer in-person classes in July unless the state orders require differently.

Additionally, in accordance with any guidance or orders issued, we are committed to creating fun and memorable experiences, including some offering of intramural sports, for on-campus students this summer.  All measures we implement will be strategic and aligned with governmental and public health guidance.

Please continue to visit www.dbu.edu/coronavirus for the latest update.

In Conclusion

This too shall pass, and we will emerge on the other side of this crisis in a position of strength and greater confidence than ever for the wonderful future God has in store for His University.  There are still many more battles to be fought and won as we work together in climbing this mountain.  Please continue praying for God’s protection and blessing over DBU.  I know the Lord hears our prayers, but we need to call upon Heavenly wisdom to know how to fill our days doing exactly what the Lord wants us to do.  The times are critical as we seek the Lord to be our portion.  I am fighting every day for you and our students through God’s strength alone.

Be strong and courageous!

Sincerely,

Adam C. Wright

Dear DBU Family:

As we continue to brave the COVID-19 pandemic together, we pray you and your families are safe and well.  We write today regarding recent updates to Dallas County’s shelter-in-place order.  Effective April 17^th at midnight, the amended order requires individuals to “wear some form of covering over their nose and mouth, such as a homemade mask, scarf, bandanna, or handkerchief, when patronizing an Essential Business or using public transportation.”  The order also states that “employees who work at an Essential Businesses . . . must wear face coverings over their noses and mouths while performing their work.” 

For our on-campus residential students, this means some form of face covering is required when visiting our dining locations and any other shared spaces on-campus. However, as long as you continue to maintain safe social distances, masks are not required while driving a car, walking, or jogging outside.  

For our essential personnel who must continue to work on-campus, the University is requiring (effective Monday April 20^th) that you wear masks or face coverings when there is a likelihood of encountering others. This includes visits to dining locations and working on site with coworkers in the same room, workspace, or whenever performing job duties in the presence of others. To support Dallas County’s orders, DBU will provide face coverings to essential personnel who do not have one, so they can continue their work in support of our University’s critical operations on-campus.  Requests for face coverings should be made to your supervising Vice President if you do not already have one, and DBU has a limited supply of face masks already available now. 

Everyone should continue to practice social distancing at all times and continue to follow guidance from public health officials.  CDC has issued guidance on cloth face coverings, including how to properly wear a face covering, washing and sterilizing guidance, and instructions for creating homemade face coverings.  

In an environment that is ever-changing, we want to reiterate how proud we are of the resilience and determination of the DBU Family. We have swiftly adjusted the ways in which we learn, teach, and work to meet the urgent public health challenges at hand. 

For the latest updates, please visit www.dbu.edu/coronavirus. 

Sincerely,

Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Family:

Over the past few weeks, DBU has had to respond quickly and thoughtfully to the spread of COVID-19 in our city and nation. The pace of change continues to be swift, but Holy Week reminds us that we are anchored by an unchanging hope. As we prepare for Easter weekend, we want to express our hope and prayers that you, your family, and your loved ones are safe, healthy, and well. We are exceedingly grateful for your resilience and adherence to the measures that keep us all safe and contribute to the collective effort to “flatten the curve.”

As you may know, Dallas County has extended its local disaster declaration through May 20th and the shelter-in-place orders through April 30th; however, the City and County continue to re-evaluate the orders for possible extension beyond the current dates. As we navigate these unprecedented times, we have had to make difficult decisions and sacrifices. Protecting your health and safety continues to drive these decisions, and we are writing today to update you on the proactive measures we are implementing to minimize risks to our campus community.

ACADEMICS

Although our classes are online, our commitment to providing academically rigorous and Christ-centered education remains the same. We are impressed with the flexibility, cooperation, and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students. Each of you have helped successfully transition our campus to online learning.

We hope to return to in-person classes at the beginning of our summer sessions but only if it is safe and feasible to do so. We will provide a decision regarding whether we will meet in-person or provide remote learning for the first summer session soon. In any event, we encourage you to register for your summer courses and please know that we are committed to providing you the best learning experiences whether in-person or in virtual environments.

HOUSING AND DINING

DBU will remain open for housing and dining services on a takeout basis. Students residing on-campus are instructed to follow Dallas County’s shelter-in-place orders. This means residential students are prohibited from having guests in their residences and should continue practicing social distancing.

CAMPUS OPERATONS

All non-essential personnel will continue to work remotely until otherwise instructed.

We have closed the campus entrances/exits on Kiest, and DBU security officers will begin checking identification of any individual entering campus to ensure that only those with authorized access enter campus.

Additionally, in response to CDC’s latest recommendations, DBU is issuing new guidance for essential personnel and contractors continuing to come to campus.

• Self-screen: before reporting to work, all individuals should take their temperature and assess any potential symptoms, which now include a broader range including fever, cough, shortness of breath, runny nose/sinus congestion, sore throat, muscle aches, and headaches. If you have ANY of these symptoms, contact your telehealth provider before reporting to work.
• Maintain at least 6-feet social distance: continue to practice social distancing measures of maintaining at least 6 feet from others to prevent the transmission of the virus. Do not gather in groups and avoid crowded places and gatherings of 5 or more people.
• Practice good hand hygiene: wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• Avoid touching face: avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

TRAVEL

All University-sponsored travel has been suspended. Faculty and staff will receive additional guidance regarding planning University-related travel over the summer and Fall terms.

To our residential students, many of you may be considering traveling this Easter weekend. We encourage you to use extreme caution when traveling during this time and ask that you consider the exposure risks associated with traveling to new cities or states.

Any residential student that chooses to travel off-campus is not permitted to return to campus if that student: (1) develops symptoms consistent with COVID-19; (2) tests positive for COVID-19; (3) or has been in contact with someone testing positive for COVID-19. These students will be required to self-quarantine or isolate off-campus. DBU, however, will accommodate international students, students from out-of-state, and students with other special circumstances.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

DBU’s reporting requirements apply to residential students and any on-campus essential personnel.

All residential students or students wishing to come to campus who:

1. Come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 while the positive case was symptomatic;
2. Experience flu-like symptoms or other symptoms consistent with COVID-19; or
3. Test positive for COVID-19

must first CALL the Health Services Clinic at 214-333-5151 or the Student Affairs Office at 214-333-5101 and complete a Symptoms Form to report your symptoms or confirmed diagnosis. These students will be asked to self-quarantine or isolate off-campus. DBU, however, will accommodate international students, students from out-of-state, and students with other special circumstances.

All essential personnel (full and part-time) performing any work on-campus that:

1. Tests positive for COVID-19;
2. Experiences flu-like symptoms or other symptoms consistent with COVID-19; or
3. Come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 while the positive case was symptomatic

are required to:

1. Report this information to your supervising Vice President and complete the Symptoms Form.
2. Follow guidance from your healthcare provider and Dallas County and self-quarantine (no symptoms) or self-isolate (presumptive symptoms or a confirmed diagnosis) at home for a minimum of 14 days. Do not come to work under any circumstances.
3. Contact your supervising Vice President before going back to work. You may not return to work until you receive written approval from your supervising Vice President.

As circumstances change and evolve, we are doing our very best to keep you informed, to adapt our policies and procedures as required, and to give you the best possible advice and direction we can. Please continue to check our website at www.dbu.edu/coronavirus for the latest update and email ctf@dbu.edu with any questions.

Sincerely,

Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Family:

We learned last night (April 1, 2020) that a student within our DBU community tested positive for COVID-19.  Our DBU student was tested after experiencing mild symptoms associated with the virus.  Thankfully, our student is doing well and currently self-isolating off-campus.  Any close contacts of the student have been identified and those individuals have been required to quarantine as well. 

With this news, I am prayerful for the full recovery of our student affected, and I am thankful for the proactive actions DBU has taken to protect your health, safety, and well-being.  To support social distancing and reduce the spread of COVID-19, DBU has canceled all Spring events, moved all Spring classes online, permitted only essential employees to come to campus, and modified University Housing and dining operations.  We believe these swift actions that DBU has taken will help the overall effort to “flatten the curve.” 

On March 31, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott issued a new Executive Order (Order No. GA-14) and extended Texas’s social distancing requirements through April 30, 2020. In response, DBU is requiring that all non-essential employees continue to work remotely through April 30, 2020.   Importantly, DBU will remain open to service those students residing on-campus and perform other functions necessary to maintain the essential operations of the University.  

We want to thank everyone in the DBU Family for their individual contributions to the larger effort.  Please continue to practice social distancing, maintain personal hygiene, and follow the instructions of federal, state and local officials. If you are sick, please stay home and follow CDC guidance for what to do next.  DBU administrators and the Coronavirus Task Force continue to work diligently to protect the health and safety of our campus community and will provide relevant updates as we learn more.  For the latest updates, please visit www.dbu.edu/coronavirus.  

Sincerely,

Adam C. Wright, Ph.D.

President | Dallas Baptist University

This notification serves as an emergency notification and timely warning to the DBU campus in compliance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (“Clery Act”).

Jonathan Teat

Vice President for Administration and Enrollment | Dallas Baptist University

Dear DBU Students, Parents, Faculty, and Staff:   

Over the past several days we have been faced with difficult and unprecedented decisions that have deeply impacted our lives.  Today I am writing to inform you of our response to Dallas County’s shelter-in-place order.  The order permits essential businesses to continue performing essential activities, and, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, colleges and universities are part of the nation’s critical infrastructure services.  As a result, DBU will remain open for housing, dining, and other essential activities. This order, however, specifically requires individuals to shelter at their place of residence with certain exceptions until April 3, 2020.  

As a University, we have already reduced our on-campus workforce population by greater than 50% under our Interim Flex Work Policy.  However, to comply with the city’s most recent order, any remaining non-essential employees will be directed to work from home by their supervising Vice President.    

Many students continue to reside in University housing and, therefore, are required to “shelter-in-place" within their on-campus residences.  We have more than 350 acres on campus with many places students are able to walk, sit, study, and reflect outside and maintain social distancing rules.  We are fortunate that it is springtime and it really is beautiful on campus right now.  We are also glad to have our DBU Police and Security Departments still operating 24 hours a day.   

DBU will remain open to service those students residing on-campus and perform other functions necessary to maintain the essential operations of these residences.  To further abide by the order, we will also maintain social distancing, screen employees and students for exposure risks (Symptoms Reporting Form), and continue heightened cleaning and sanitization of the campus while we perform these essential functions. Food services on a “grab and go” basis will continue for students remaining in University housing.  

Based on the latest guidance we have received from the Centers for Disease Control, and our federal, state, and local health officials, I have made the difficult decision to extend online instruction at Dallas Baptist University for the remainder of the spring semester.     

I have also made the decision to postpone May Commencement ceremonies based upon the guidance we have received from federal, state, and local health officials.  DBU will still confer degrees in May for those who satisfy academic requirements and will invite our spring graduates to participate in our August Commencement Ceremony.  Further information regarding commencement will be communicated to our May graduates and will also be included on our COVID-19 website (www.dbu.edu/coronavirus) in the coming days.   

I ask for your continued patience and understanding as we work through the many details and questions that I know you need answered.   To optimize the success of our students as they transition to fully online education, we are exploring the possibility of allowing a credit/no credit policy option for this semester only.  This policy is under discussion, and we have many variables to work through related to a decision.  You will hear from us once we finalize the details. 

I cannot even begin to describe how disheartened I am to share this news with you. The springtime at DBU is always one of my favorite times of the year.  Colleges and universities around the world have been completely disrupted by the global outbreak of COVID-19. Your safety and well-being are our utmost concern. We have also made this decision because of the great love we have for others and to be part of the solution to stop the spread of COVID-19 and “flatten the curve.”   

There are many details to work through in the days ahead, and you have my commitment that we will work tirelessly to serve and lead you in a manner that would be pleasing to the Lord. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. You may e-mail the Coronavirus Task Force at DBU at ctf@dbu.edu and visit www.dbu.edu/coronavirus for helpful information.   

Know that I love and appreciate each of you as we journey through this season of testing together. Rest assured, you are on my mind and in my prayers from the time I wake until I lay my head down each night.  I would also ask if you would please remember me in your prayers too as so many decisions still need to be made in the days ahead. 

Sincerely,   

Adam C. Wright, Ph.D.   

President, Dallas Baptist University

For the update to DBU faculty and staff, please click here.

Dear DBU Students: 

Caring for your health and safety is important at any time and is of paramount concern during these unprecedented times. Amid our efforts to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19, we have continuously evaluated how to best care for you and keep DBU operating effectively during this time of uncertainty. 

DBU requires any residential student or any student wishing to come to campus who:

1. Tests positive for COVID-19;
2. Experiences flu-like symptoms or other symptoms consistent with COVID-19; or
3. Comes into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 while the positive case was symptomatic 

to first CALL the Health Services Clinic at 214-333-5151 or the Student Affairs Office at 214-333-5101 and complete this form to report your symptoms or confirmed diagnosis.   

Please do not arrive at the Health Services Clinic without calling first. DBU Health Services providers may need to take special measures to protect other people in the clinic. Due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19, DBU Health Services personnel will consult with you over the phone or by video conference. If you need medical attention after normal business hours (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.), you may call the DBU Police line at 214-333-5555. The dispatcher will contact a DBU Student Affairs staff member who will do an initial consultation with you over the phone. 

DBU Health Services and/or Student Affairs staff may require you to go into an immediate self-isolation (presumptive symptoms or a confirmed diagnosis) or self-quarantine (no symptoms). If we receive your notification after regular business hours, you may be required to isolate or quarantine overnight until further medical assessment can be done the next morning. In certain cases, we may also ask you to travel home for a period of at least 14 days in order to limit the spread of the virus on the campus.  

DBU Student Affairs staff will work with faculty to accommodate you through online learning during this time. Also, no student worker should be at work on campus while feeling ill or with symptoms of illness related to COVID-19. 

We want you to receive the care that you may require and to limit your exposure to others to the greatest extent possible.  If you become sick while on campus or start developing the symptoms of COVID-19 while on campus, immediately practice social distancing (such as going to the nearest empty room or otherwise removing yourself from the proximity of colleagues), notify DBU Health Services immediately, and plan to go to your on-campus or off-campus residence immediately. 

When you provide this required notice, please also be prepared to provide a list of any members of the DBU community that you recall being in direct contact and close proximity to during the last 14 days.  We will determine whether or not any close contacts need to be notified. Those who are close contacts may also be instructed to self-quarantine.  

We also ask that you continue to take appropriate preventive measures to protect your health and safety and hopefully slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community.  This includes:

• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Stopping sharing food and drinks.
• Cleaning and disinfecting shared surfaces and objects that are touched frequently (e.g. doorknobs, desks, phones).
• Covering your coughs and sneezes by using the crook of your arm or using disposable tissues and dispose of them in the trash.
• Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms (to the extent possible). 

If you have any questions, please contact the Coronavirus Taskforce at ctf@dbu.edu and please keep checking our website for the latest updates at www.dbu.edu/coronavirus. 

Sincerely, 

Coronavirus Taskforce

Dear DBU Students:

We continue to actively monitor the local, national, and global developments surrounding COVID-19.  Yesterday, Dallas County issued an order (effective until March 20, 2020) that prohibits community gatherings of 50 people or more and restricts restaurant and dining services to accord with social distancing practices strongly urged by President Trump and the CDC. 

As efforts shift toward mitigation of transmission, we are proactively taking steps to help protect the DBU community while remaining open and operational as a campus. We recognize that, for some students, DBU’s campus is their only home and, for others, our campus remains their preferred residency. Therefore, DBU will remain open, and we will continue to provide housing and dining services to everyone on campus in accordance with the policies mandated by local and national public health officials.

To protect everyone’s health and safety, we are actively implementing and enforcing Dallas County’s order. DBU has prohibited any gatherings of 50 people or more and limited any on-campus food options as exclusively “take out.” DBU is also placing more hand sanitizer stations across campus and increasing the frequency of cleanings in public areas. 

Despite the many changes occurring, DBU remains committed to providing students with a Christ-centered education. Classes will resume online on March 23, 2020, and are scheduled to return in-person on April 6, 2020. However, further updates may be necessary as we learn more from our local and national public health officials. Rapidly changing circumstances require us to be ready to take additional measures at any given time, and the University is prepared to implement further modifications as we receive additional guidance. That said, we also remain committed to our students and will provide as much advance notice as possible regarding any updates to our plans, policies, and responses.

DBU aims to remain responsive, measured, and thoughtful in its efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Right now, we are focusing our efforts on enforcing the city’s directive, implementing greater practices of social distancing, and ultimately helping “flatten the curve” through collective action.

For the latest updates, please continue to check www.dbu.edu/coronavirus or e-mail the Coronavirus Taskforce at ctf@dbu.edu with any questions.

Sincerely,

Coronavirus Taskforce
Dallas Baptist University

A message from DBU President Dr. Adam C. Wright

Dear DBU Students:

Dear Students:

Your safety and well-being is of utmost importance.  As many of you know, the number of Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) cases reported in the United States has continued to increase over the past several days and weeks.  Today, the World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 a global pandemic. Thankfully, there are no known cases within the DBU community, and DBU’s Coronavirus Taskforce has worked diligently to plan and prepare DBU’s response to the spread of the virus across the country.

Based on the latest data, guidelines from the Center for Disease Control, Dallas County Health and Human Services, and input from various stakeholders and administrators, the University has adopted the below measures.

EXTENDED SPRING BREAK

To begin addressing the unique concerns posed by the spread of the virus across the country, DBU will extend spring break for one additional week. All classes will resume online on Monday, March 23, 2020 through Sunday, April 5, 2020. Classes are scheduled to resume in-person on Monday, April 6, 2020.  However, if a community outbreak occurs in Dallas or the situation otherwise worsens, DBU is prepared to provide classes online for a longer period. Students, faculty, and staff will continue to receive updates regarding the status of classes. 

Faculty and staff, including campus security and police, will continue to report to work as usual and take the recommended steps to prevent illness. We have, however, asked all faculty and staff who feel sick to remain at home.

RESIDENTIAL HOUSING AND DINING SERVICES

To be clear, DBU will remain open, and many of our operations will continue. DBU residential housing will remain available to students. Additionally, dining services will be open with adjustments being made as necessary to respond to unique concerns raised by COVID-19.

To better care for the campus community during this time, DBU has implemented heightened cleaning and sanitization for high traffic areas, including dining service locations, restrooms, and public lobbies.

TRAVEL

Moving forward, DBU has postponed all future University-sponsored academic, business, or missions-related travel through May 1 or until further notice. To respond to the influx of return travel after spring break, the University is requiring any student, faculty, or staff member that has traveled to: (1) a CDC Level 3 affected area; or (2) a state within the United States that has declared an emergency to report their travel to DBU’s Student Affairs Office (studentaffairs@dbu.edu) before returning to campus. Individuals traveling from or through these areas will receive further instruction from DBU after reporting and may be required to self-quarantine for a period of at least 14 days.

EVENTS AND ATHLETICS COMPETITION

All University-sponsored events, conferences, and other large gatherings scheduled for the next three weeks are currently under review by the Coronavirus Taskforce.  We will have follow-up communication regarding these activities in the near future.

Athletics competitions will continue according to the guidelines set by the NCAA and pending any additional guidance received from them or other community stakeholders.

Answers to questions regarding general COVID-19 symptoms/prevention etc. can be found at dallascityhall.com/coronavirus and the links provided within that page. For more information regarding the Coronavirus, please visit the following websites:

• https://www.dbu.edu/coronavirus/
• https://www.cdc.gov
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html
• https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Thank you in advance for helping us keep our campus community safe.  I know these measures create a significant disruption; however, after much prayer, consideration, and out of an abundance of caution, we believe taking these measures best demonstrates the love we are to have for others.  Know that I thank God for you and am honored to serve alongside you!

Sincerely,

Adam C. Wright, Ph.D.
President

Dear Students:

As Spring Break begins, I want to share some of the measures we have taken to respond to the Coronavirus. 

First, we have established a Coronavirus Taskforce to actively monitor guidance on the Coronavirus, remain up to date on the rapidly evolving situation, and coordinate preparedness and response activities. 

Second, for spring break travel, the University has postponed all University-sponsored travel to international countries or the state of New York.   Additionally, any student, faculty, or staff member traveling to a CDC Level 3 affected area must report their travel to DBU’s Student Affairs Office (studentaffairs@dbu.edu) and must undergo a self-quarantine of at least 14 days.  While in self-quarantine, the Dallas County Health and Human Services asks that individuals practice social distancing and take these steps to monitor health:

• Take your temperature with a thermometer two times a day and monitor for fever. Also watch for cough or trouble breathing.
• Stay home and avoid contact with others. Do not go to work or school for this 14-day period. Discuss your work situation with your employer before returning to work.
• Do not take public transportation, taxis, or ride-shares during the time you are practicing social distancing.
• Avoid crowded places (such as shopping centers and movie theaters) and limit your activities in public.
• Keep your distance from others (about 6 feet or 2 meters).

Third, the University is asking the DBU community to vigilantly practice everyday actions to prevent the spread of germs, which include:

• Washing your hands for 20 seconds or more with soapy water;
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick;
• Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces;
• Coughing and sneezing into a tissue or elbow;
• Staying home when you are sick.

If you get sick with fever (100.4° F), cough, or have trouble breathing, the Dallas County Health and Human Services advises that you seek medical care but call ahead before going to a doctor’s office or emergency room and to avoid contact with others. For more information, please visit: https://www.dallascounty.org/departments/dchhs/2019-novel-coronavirus.php or https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/.

Finally, some people find reassurance in equipping themselves with the facts about the Coronavirus or talking with friends or family about it; however, others may experience stress, fear, anxiety, or other emotions as result.  If that is the case, consider contacting the DBU Counseling Center to speak with a counselor about options. The DBU Counseling Center offers counseling at no charge to DBU students, faculty, and staff. To make an appointment, talk with a counselor, or get more information, please call 214 333 5288, or email us at counselingcenter@dbu.edu.

For more information regarding the Coronavirus, please visit the following websites:

• https://www.dbu.edu/coronavirus/
• https://www.cdc.gov
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html
• https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Thank you,

Jay Harley, Ed.D. | Vice President for Student Affairs

Dear DBU Family:

I am sending this to you so you can be aware of our response and continued monitoring of the Coronavirus outbreak.  A very similar notification was just sent to DBU students.

As we near Spring Break, I am writing to update you on our continued efforts to monitor the Coronavirus outbreak and our responses to care for the campus community.  We are making decisions based on many interrelated factors and considerations, including travel restrictions, advisories, and recommendations from the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (“CDC”), the State Department, and the Dallas County Health and Human Services.

At this time, the Coronavirus outbreak is a concern for anyone considering domestic or international travel.  For international travel, the University has postponed all University-sponsored travel to Europe, as the number of cases in Italy and surrounding countries increase.  Additionally, DBU will postpone University-travel to any country the State Department or CDC deems a “Level 3” risk for travel.

For all other University-sponsored trips, whether domestic or international, the University continues to monitor the trips and all trips are under constant review up to their planned departure times.  Some could be relocated to other destinations and/or postponed.  We understand the potential inconvenience involved and ask for the continued patience of students, trip participants, organizers, and parents.

For individuals traveling for personal, non-University-sponsored trips, DBU urges you to closely monitor travel guidance and advisories.  Depending on your destination, you may have to reach a difficult decision to change plans to ensure your own well-being and timely return to DBU.  Caution is warranted and traveling abroad carries a number of risks, including facing difficulty in returning from international travel to the United States.   

DBU is strongly advising students, faculty, and staff to avoid travel to CDC Level 3 affected areas.  Any student, faculty, or staff member traveling to a CDC Level 3 affected area must report their travel to DBU’s Student Affairs Office (studentaffairs@dbu.edu) and must undergo a self-quarantine of at least 14 days.  If necessary, DBU will assist students with extraordinary, extenuating circumstances and assist their quarantine, off-campus, for the 14-day period.

DBU urges students to take precautions to defend against the Coronavirus, the flu, and other communicable diseases.  This includes taking steps, such as:

• Washing your hands for 20 seconds or more with soapy water;
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick;
• Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces;
• Coughing and sneezing into a tissue or elbow;
• Staying home when you are sick.

Individuals who think they may have been exposed to coronavirus are advised to seek medical care immediately.  According to the CDC, reported cases have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness.  Symptoms may include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath.

For more information regarding the Coronavirus, risks associated with traveling, and how to help prevent the spread of the virus, please visit the following websites:

• https://www.dbu.edu/coronavirus/
• https://www.cdc.gov
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html
• https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
• https://www.state.gov/
• https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en
• https://www.usembassy.gov/

To:  DBU Family 

From: Dr. Adam C. Wright, President

I know many of you have probably seen the past 24-hour news cycle dominated with stories regarding the continued spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). We need to be praying about the global spread of the virus and be extra vigilant about being on heightened alert of its outbreak here in the United States in the coming weeks. As you might imagine, there are various degrees of concern related to the outbreak here in the United States, but we must do what we can to prepare for what some experts are anticipating is inevitable. 

Thankfully, all of our Chinese students arrived to DBU this spring before the outbreak was reported.  We have visited with each of them and have been grateful that none of them were infected with the virus. We love our Asian students at DBU, and as you can imagine, many of them have been so very concerned. We are doing our very best to minister to them.

As you may remember, we suspended all DBU-related travel to and from China several weeks ago, and this suspension remains in place. We will likely expand these restrictions as alerts from the U.S. government increase. We are highly encouraging our Asian students to stay here at DBU during Spring Break and not return home as it would be difficult for them to return to the U.S. Please pray for our Asian students as surely this is heavy on their hearts.

According to an ABC News report last night, “So far there has been no community spread in the United States. Forty-three people repatriated on charter flights from Wuhan, China, and from the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for COVID-19, and 15 cases have been detected in the United States via the country's health system. Among those 57 cases, only two involved human transmission in the United States, and those transmissions were among members of the same household.” Though White House officials are stating the “situation is under control” this has not stopped U.S. health officials from issuing strong warnings about the spread of the Coronavirus.

The DBU Administration has been meeting and discussing our response efforts since the outbreak first occurred in Wuhan, China. Given the heightened alerts, we understand that there will be many people who will have questions about our response. The following site has been created to provide updates and answers to questions we believe will be frequently asked. 

https://www.dbu.edu/coronavirus/

In the event of a pandemic-level outbreak, DBU will continue all classes online. Should this plan have to be enacted, you will receive official notification from my office; but for now, everything is business as usual.

While this e-mail is not intended to scare anyone or be an overreaction, it is intended to elevate our level of concern regarding the spread of the Coronavirus. Please wash your hands multiple times throughout the day to reduce the spread of any germs or sickness and please do not come to work if you are sick or running a fever. We have increased the number of hand sanitizing stations across campus and encourage everyone to use them throughout the day. This is the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs.

While we are taking this matter very seriously, I do want to remind everyone that the fatality rate of this virus is very low and is consistent with the seasonal flu.  However, unlike the flu, there is not yet a vaccine for COVID-19 and the world is not accustomed to dealing with it as we are the flu.  

Thank you for being a very special part of the DBU Family. Know that I am praying for you and asking the Lord to protect our DBU Family and those who have been affected by this virus around the world.

To:  DBU Family 

From: Dr. Adam C. Wright, President

Dallas Baptist University, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Dallas County Health and Human Services, are closely monitoring an outbreak of a 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. A respiratory tract illness that presents flu-like symptoms, the Novel Coronavirus was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and has spread to several countries, including the United States. It is important to note that we are not aware of any suspected cases at DBU.

With more than 4,000 confirmed cases globally and several confirmed cases reported within the United States, DBU is proactively taking precautions. As we know well, DBU is a global university with students studying and working around the world. While we have no information regarding any individual within our campus community that is suspected or confirmed to have contracted the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), we are currently monitoring the situation and taking every possible proactive measure we can to be ready. 

According to the CDC, symptoms of the virus include fever, coughing and shortness of breath. The CDC believes that symptoms of 2019-nCoV may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. The illness can be more serious for individuals with a weakened immune system, the elderly, or those with underlying respiratory problems. It could result in bronchitis and pneumonia. 

DBU has suspended university-related travel to China until the situation stabilizes. 

Anyone who has recently returned from China and is sick with fever and a cough, or is having difficulty breathing, should seek medical care immediately and call ahead to the doctor’s office to inform them of recent travel and symptoms. Students with symptoms can call DBU Health Services at 214-333-5151. Faculty and staff are encouraged to call their primary healthcare provider or visit the nearest medical facility.

For further information about the coronavirus and current information on the situation, visit the CDC Novel Coronavirus Website. For updated travel notices related to the outbreak, visit the CDC’s Travelers Health site. 

The DBU Family is encouraged to practice these general preventive actions:

• Get a flu shot. We have approximately 100 vaccinations remaining in the DBU Health Services Clinic. While supplies last, the shot will be free for faculty, staff, and students, and only $15 for family members.
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The health of our campus community is of our utmost priority. Anyone having an immediate health issue is encouraged to contact Health Services at (214) 333-5151. For questions or concerns related to DBU’s coronavirus response, feel free to contact Jonathan Teat, the Vice President for Administration and Enrollment, at (214) 333-5128 or jonathan@dbu.edu.