Remaining Guided by Our Mission
At St. Thomas, we strive every day to live our values as a university inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition. Our mission is to educate students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good. Serving our common good helped us remain together at heart, even though we were separated by physical space during this time of crisis. Now that campus has fully re-opened, we look forward to hosting students in-person again in the fall – but we must remain vigilant in following the protocols that have been created to safeguard our community’s health and safety. See our COVID-19 Preparedness Plan for more details.
As this is a time for unity, we remind our community that we cannot let the COVID-19 pandemic drive us apart by sowing fear and discrimination. We can never allow our fears to assign blame for this – or any – situation to any individual or group of people based on their skin color, race, ethnicity or country of origin. If you feel you have been the target of discrimination, please report it using our online reporting system.
See you soon, Tommies. In the meantime, stay strong and healthy.
Latest message from University Leadership (from October 8, 2020)
Dear St. Thomas students, faculty and staff,
We are writing to share an update to the Campus Preparedness Plan and information about personal travel.
We also want to say thank you. Thank you for the great work you are doing complying with social distancing, face covering and other health and safety protocols. Our community continues to demonstrate how to act wisely for the common good. Transmission of the virus on campus and in the greater community persists, but so far, it has remained at a manageable level at St. Thomas. Most cases can be traced to situations where individuals live together or small gatherings without face coverings or distancing. Please continue to stay vigilant and show care for one another.
Department-Sponsored Student Activities
We know that students want to see more of each other, and we have been reviewing ways to safely incorporate more in-person activities for students. Based on the results we have seen from contact tracing, which has not shown any transmission in classrooms or structured activities where social distancing was maintained, St. Thomas plans to increase the maximum size of certain well-structured and well-monitored student events.
Starting on Oct. 12, university departments that sponsor student meetings or activities, such as Campus Life, Campus Ministry, Student Diversity and Inclusion Services, or academic departments, may host in-person student events and activities with more than 25 attendees subject to requirements in the Campus Preparedness Plan, which include:
- Attendance may not exceed the common good capacity of the room in which the event is being held, up to a maximum attendance of 75 (the common good capacity is the capacity at which 6 feet of distancing can be maintained; most meeting and event spaces have a common good capacity of much lower than 75); the maximum capacity for outdoor events is 150 and social distancing must be maintained.
- Social distancing must be maintained and all other health and safety protocols, including face coverings, must be followed.
- There must be at least one faculty or staff member present to monitor distancing and other health and safety protocols; additional faculty and staff monitors are required for events with more than 50.
- Organizers must have an event plan for conducting the event consistent with health and safety protocols.
- Attendance must be recorded for contract tracing purposes.
Read the remainder of the message
St. Thomas Responds
Serving our common good is more important now than ever. Whether it is rallying behind our students experiencing financial hardship, providing critical supplies for our health-care workers on the front lines, or advocating on behalf of our student teachers, the St. Thomas community is banding together to make a difference. Visit our Newsroom to see stories about our community members in action to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.