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 December 18, 2020)
Thank you all for your tremendous efforts over the past several months; your cooperation has allowed us to remain open, and we are just a few days away from completing the fall semester. This is an accomplishment in which all of St. Thomas can take pride. As we prepare for some much-needed and deserved time off to celebrate the holidays, please see below for the latest updates regarding our COVID-19 response:
- Spring Mitigation Measures – Recent vaccine news looks promising, but health experts warn we aren’t in the clear yet. The protocols in place for Fall will remain when students return to campus for J-Term and Spring semester classes. All community members are still expected to adhere to the Campus Preparedness Plan; we are currently updating the plan and the accompanying website, so please continue to check for updates.
- Testing Update –
- We ask all students leaving campus over the holidays to get tested for COVID-19 before returning to campus for classes (whether J-Term or Spring semester classes). The Minnesota Department of Health recently announced plans for free at-home testing. Please consider taking advantage. Or locate in-person testing centers near your home.
- We are currently making plans for additional mass testing events for the Spring semester. Stay tuned for more information; we anticipate holding our first event in February when classes resume for spring.
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.