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COVID-19 Update March 22

Dear members of the Saint Louis University community, 

Thank you for your continued commitment to the Billiken spirit. In fact, I have decided to dub that spirit OneSLU. You have inspired me, as countless faculty, staff, students and parents reached out and asked how you can serve in this time of need. You prove time and time again that when we come together as OneSLU, we can conquer anything. 

St. Louis’ “stay at home” order 

The City of St. Louis has announced a “stay at home” order that goes into effect at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 23. We continue to communicate with city officials to understand what that means for SLU, the students who continue to live on campus, and the faculty and staff members who need to use campus spaces and resources to provide remote learning as classes resume on Monday. 

University leaders will send a letter within the next 24 hours to employees who are identified as essential and are permitted to continue reporting to work under the “stay at home” order. Questions about an individual employee’s ability to report to work should be directed to their supervisor. 

Thank you for your continued patience with us as we work with our government partners on this.

North campus moves to card-access only 

I have accepted a series of recommendations from a team that included representatives from DPS, Facilities Management, Compliance and Student Development on making our north campus card access only. I detail what that means below, but know that the University intends to comply with the St. Louis “stay at home” order and these decisions are to allow essential employees to access campus and for faculty and students to engage in remote education.

As this message is being sent, we do not have clarity on how the city’s executive order could impact any or all of this starting at 6 p.m. tomorrow

This recommendation does not include South Campus. DPS will continue to work with stakeholders on the South Campus to address their unique circumstances and determine the best course of action on a case-by-case basis.

To repeat myself, any of the above access privileges are subject to change by order of the city and other public health authorities. 

Never in all of my years in higher education have I seen a transformation as profound or as rapid as what universities are going through right now. This whirlwind impacts both the educational and the medical sides of complex institutions like ours. I ask you to join me in thanking the members of SLUCare. They are putting themselves on the line for us. The burden they carry is immense, and our gratitude is boundless. 

During these trying times, I ask that our faculty, staff and students be realistic of themselves and of others here at SLU. This is uncharted territory for most of us, and we should err on the side of giving grace, especially as we head into tomorrow’s remote learning launch. 

God bless you, your families and Saint Louis University. 

Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D.
President 

Previous Updates to the SLU Community