October 14, 2020
To: Members of the University Community
From: Michele Rasmussen, Dean of Students in the University, and Eric Heath, Associate Vice President for Safety and Security
Subject: Booth Moving to Remote Format for Two Weeks
Date: October 14, 2020
We are writing with an update on our efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 within the University of Chicago community.
Since the start of Autumn Quarter, the vast majority of University community members have adopted the UChicago Health Pact and have made its requirements part of their daily routines. However, the Booth School of Business has learned that within the last week a large group of full-time MBA students congregated off-campus on Chicago’s North Side, many without wearing face coverings. Some individuals from that group have since tested positive for COVID-19.
All of the students involved have been instructed to quarantine and get tested. In all, more than 100 MBA students will need to quarantine for 14 days. In consultation with the University of Chicago Medical Center, Booth announced that as an additional precautionary measure to limit the spread of COVID-19, for the next two weeks Booth’s downtown and Hyde Park locations will be closed to all students and all classes will move to full remote teaching. No other University courses outside of Booth are being moved to remote format.
Continuing in-person activities on our campus depends critically on everyone following public health requirements to the greatest extent possible. We ask everyone on campus to once again review the terms of the UChicago Health Pact and uphold its principles. It takes only one incident like this to put many others at risk.
Those who participated in this gathering have cooperated with the University’s Contact Tracing Team. We will take all appropriate measures to limit further spread of COVID-19 as a result of this exposure. The UChicago Forward website includes a dashboard with regular updates on COVID-19 cases at the University.
Please remember that any faculty member, academic appointee, postdoctoral researcher, or staff member who is experiencing symptoms or has been identified as a close contact of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 may call the UChicago Medicine COVID-19 triage hotline for screening, at 773.702.2800. Students should call UChicago Student Wellness at 773.834.WELL. If you have a COVID-19-related public health concern at any time, please share it with your area dean of students or UCAIR, the University’s incident reporting system.
Thank you for your help in supporting the health and safety of the University community.