January 18, 2022 - Welcome to the Spring Semester at UMSL
Dear UMSL Students, Faculty and Staff,
Welcome to the spring 2022 semester at UMSL. I hope that you kicked-off the semester by joining our virtual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance yesterday. Thank you to the planning committee, sponsors and those behind the scenes for organizing this inspiring event featuring PBS White House Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor. If you missed the live stream, a recording is now available online.
I continue to be thankful for the efforts each of you have made to ensure the on-going health, safety and well-being of our community as we fulfill our mission to transform lives through higher education. But as we begin the semester facing a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, it is critical for each of us to remain vigilant in protecting our own health and that of others.
The best protection against COVID-19 remains vaccination. We strongly encourage you to get vaccinated if you have not done so and we encourage those who have been vaccinated to get a booster when eligible. We also ask those who have not yet voluntarily submitted their record of full vaccination to do so in the myHR portal as this information assists us with our COVID-19 response.
Additionally, and in alignment with St. Louis County, UMSL requires that all faculty, staff, students and visitors age five and older to wear a face mask when entering or occupying a physical building or facility owned, operated or managed by the university regardless of vaccination status. Even if the county’s mask mandate ends, UMSL will continue to expect our campus community to wear face masks to best ensure that we can continue our semester as planned and limit the risk of transmission.
Beyond protecting our physical health, we must all maintain a focus on our mental and emotional health. The start of a new semester – especially given the resurgence of COVID-19 – can feel overwhelming at times. But, as I continue to see, Tritons rise to the occasion and share in a culture of support and encouragement – one where we lift each other up for our shared success.
To close, I’d like to thank the members of our Unified Command Pandemic Response team for their continued work to keep our community safe in partnership with local and state public health officials and leaders. And, I would like to welcome our newest Tritons who are joining us this semester. Please know you are never alone on this campus or in this community, ongoing pandemic or no. Should you feel during this semester or at any time that you’re in need of any kind of assistance, please reach out. We have many resources available and many compassionate individuals ready to help. See the list below my signature for just a few helpful resources of what’s open to you should you need them.
Gratefully forward,
Kristin Sobolik
Chancellor
University of Missouri–St. Louis
Resources for UMSL students to keep in mind and close at hand:
(please note, this is by no means an exhaustive list)
