UMKC faculty and staff are preparing for any and all eventualities to start fall semester classes on schedule, under any conditions ranging from full remote to wide-open campus, and anything in between.

Make no mistake: Your university is #RooReady ready to launch an exciting and meaningful fall semester in August, no matter what conditions the world may throw at us.

“We anticipate being back on campus for face-to-face courses and the full UMKC campus experience in the fall,” said Jenny Lundgren, provost and executive vice chancellor. “We are mindful, however, that public health officials are recommending that we be ready for multiple scenarios. Because the health and safety of our campus community is our top priority, these may range from a stay-at-home order requiring all-online instruction, to a return to a fully wide-open campus or something in-between.”

The university will follow the recommendations of health officials and obey state and local laws.

“We may need to move in and out of these strategies through the academic year based on regional disease patterns,” Lundgren said.

Given these varied possibilities, the university’s approach has been to increase online offerings to maximize flexibility in course schedules. The faculty have increased the number of courses that will be taught with a mixture of face-to-face and online elements.

“We anticipate being back on campus for face-to-face courses and the full UMKC campus experience in the fall.”

“We love interacting with students in person and miss the physical presence of our campus community, but everyone at UMKC will follow the guidance of public health and government officials and adapt as needed throughout the semester,” Lundgren said. “Faculty are working diligently this spring and summer to design and re-design their courses with best practices for both face-to-face and online delivery.”

Lundgren said university officials know that students are facing special challenges because of the pandemic.

“We recognize that many students struggle to have the resources they need even in the best of circumstances,” she said. “Thanks to the generosity of many donors, we have set up an emergency fund to help students meet basic needs that affect their ability to engage and learn. We also have an online A-Z resource guide to assist them now and in future semesters.”  

How we're preparing campus for fall

• Learn more about how COVID-19 is affecting fall semester class scheduling.
• Read about campus living and dining changes this fall. 
• Learn about the university's new cleaning practices for campus.
• See the new personal protective equipment vending machines that will be on campus.
• Check out the shields and physical distancing measures for classrooms and offices.