Healthy Campus

Frequently Asked Questions

• Admissions

  When will in-person visits resume for prospective students?

  • Please contact the Admissions Office for arrangements to visit in person. 913.971.3380 or admissions@mnu.edu.
  • School of Professional and Graduate Studies admissions is available at 913.971.3800 or pgadmissions@mnu.edu.
• Fall Semester Schedule

  When do classes begin?

  • SPGS classes begin August 24.
  • Traditional classes begin August 25.

  What changes have been made to the Fall schedule?

  • The beginning and ending dates for the Fall 2020 semester will remain as established; however, to reduce mass student travel and to avoid the potential spread of COVID-19, the university will hold regularly scheduled classes on Friday, October 9, 2020 and will not observe the scheduled Fall Break. All traditional campus-based classes will conclude at Thanksgiving break November 25-27. Traditional students will not return to campus following Thanksgiving and will complete semester projects and final exams remotely. Students involved in athletics, nursing practicums, student teaching, work responsibilities or who choose to do so (with approval) may remain on campus with housing and food services available through the end of the semester.
  • SPGS students enrolled in campus-based and online classes will continue as scheduled through the remainder of the semester.
• In-person guidelines on campus

  Are masks required on campus?

  • As of June 29, 2020, we require that everyone wear masks indoors, and if social distancing of 6 ft. is not possible, outdoors. Signs are posted on campus as reminders of this and other guidelines. These guidelines are in agreement with state and county guidelines and could change. Changes will be noted as they are made.
  • Precautions to avoid the spread of COVID-19 are shared responsibility. 
  • Wash your hands, scrubbing for 20 seconds. 
  • Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if you cannot wash hands.
  • Wear a mask in public (see previously stated policy).
  • Stay home if you are ill.
  • Cough or sneeze into your elbow or use a tissue and throw it away.
  • Social distance. If someone is coughing, move away from them 6 ft. or more.
  • Disinfect frequently-touched surfaces in your residence.https://www.jocogov.org/sites/default/files/safety-precautions-infographic-web.pdf
• Residential Information

  When do students move in?

  • On Friday, August 21, 2020, residence halls will open at 5 p.m. for new first-year students to move into their assigned rooms. Fall sports teams that are required to move in before August 21 will receive communication and details from the Athletic Department. Returning students move in Saturday, August 22. Details regarding the NSO weekend can be found here.

  Orientation and Move-in Details for New Students 

  • In order to reduce contact and maintain social distancing, new students are encouraged to work with his/her assigned roommate to stagger arrival times on Friday, August 21. This will prevent the two parties from having to occupy the same small space as they work to settle their students into their new MNU home. Each resident should have received an email from the University detailing who their roommate will be and providing contact information for that person. If you do not have this information, please contact the Student Development office (913.971.3297).
  • Students may bring up to two guests with them to help settle into their new home. You will get the opportunity to spend time saying farewell to family and participate in a mini service of affirmation and assurance. Guests will then be asked to depart, and student orientation activities will commence. 

  Residence Hall Occupancy and Protocols

  • Residence halls will operate at close to normal capacity for fall term. A limited number of single rooms are available for an additional single room charge. Residents will receive instruction on health and safety protocols from the Residence Life staff during move-in. Mask-wearing and social distancing will be required in hall common areas, lobbies, and lounges. Floor and building events will be modified to promote healthy practices while maintaining a sense of hall and building community. We ask students to remain vigilant and practice health safety measures at all times.

  Campus Events

  • Residence Life and ASG are working to develop programming and outlets through which students—whether first-year, transfer, or returning students—can meet and build a community with fellow students. This information will be communicated directly to students before and during the fall semester.

  Cleaning Protocols

  • MNU has implemented a higher level of cleaning. Facility Services will continue to clean all common areas and bathrooms, including in residence halls, daily. In apartments and suite-style rooms, students are responsible for maintaining good cleaning practices. 

  Dining Changes

  • Meal plan options will remain the same, but the service and set up will change to reduce risk, including:
  • Controlling the flow of traffic with signage and floor markings
  • Converting all stations to employee-serve stations and limiting self-service to fountain drinks (with frequent cleaning and sanitizing)
  • Offering disposable to-go containers
  • Placing hand sanitizer stations at entrances of all dining venues
  • Training staff on heightened sanitizing procedures and hygiene requirements including extra handwashing, mask and glove usage, and temperature checks
  • Reducing seating in the dining hall and offering additional “grab and go” options

  Hygiene and Safety Protocols

  • Students will be asked to participate in a community pledge wherein they commit to following the plans and protocols for their own safety and for the safety of others on campus. 
  • Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms
  • Wear facemasks to cover nose and mouth when in public spaces
  • Practice 20 seconds of handwashing with warm water and soap often
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth
  • Practice proper respiratory etiquette (coughing or sneezing into a tissue or upper arm) 
  • Practice social distancing in public places
  • Sanitize shared surfaces
  • Cooperate with testing and quarantine guidelines
  • Screening 

  Screening App

  • Students will complete a COVID-19 screening each morning via the CampusClear mobile reporting app. Students with symptoms will report them to MNU’s COVID Response Coordinator and receive step-by-step guidance. Testing will be completed as needed by the student’s primary health provider, our local Olathe Health System partner, or the Johnson County health department. The student’s insurance, copay, or self-pay for services may be necessary. However, Johnson County provides free testing for students who are without a primary care physician.

  Campus Visitors

  • MNU has always been a place that practices hospitality, but we realize the pandemic is requiring us to rethink our existing protocols. We will welcome visitors across campus but are asking them not to enter residence halls or classrooms. While on campus, we ask that visitors maintain appropriate social distance and wear a mask at all times while indoors and when social distancing outdoors is not possible.