Message from the Provost
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
I want to provide you with an update related to the , specifically regarding the implementation of new travel restrictions.
Let me begin by reiterating that as of this writing, there are no suspected cases in Ohio, and we are thankful to learn that two students who were under isolation at Miami of Ohio have tested negative for the virus.
While the spread of the virus within the United States is still considered to be low risk, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) upgraded its warning against travel to China to the highest level, advising Americans not to travel there due to the novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China.
In consideration of this emerging global health issue and out of an abundance of caution,Kent State is issuing temporary restrictions for all university-sponsored travel to China. These restrictions will remain in place until notified by my office.
At this time, there are no planned study abroad trips to China and no visitors are coming from China this semester, according to the Office of Global Education. In March, we will evaluate whether trips planned for the summer will be held.
For personal travel, we strongly advise all students, faculty and staff to follow travel alerts from the and . Currently, the CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China. The DOS recommends reconsidering travel to China.
We will continue to update the via University Health Services, and we encourage anyone who has traveled to China in the past two weeks to contact the DeWeese Health Center (330-672-2322) or their preferred health provider for resources and assistance.
As always, the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors are our top priority. As a reminder, as with any communicable disease, public health officials recommend that the infected stay away from the healthy, and that the healthy wash their hands frequently.
Finally, many of our international students, faculty and staff may be very concerned about their families regarding the news they are hearing about the coronavirus. Please help your faculty, staff and students be mindful of the stresses our community members may be feeling and be sensitive to, and show, care for them.
Remember, Flashes Take Care of Flashes.
Melody Tankersley, Ph.D.
Interim Senior Vice President and Provost