Vargas compliments, pleads in pre-Thanksgiving message about coronavirus

In a 48-second video sent via email, Southeast Missouri State University president Carlos Vargas hailed students for their adherence to the university’s “Protect the Nest” COVID-19 guidelines and warned them to keep up their vigilance.

“I know you are all tired and I understand that,” said Vargas, president since 2015, “but this is the time to focus on your health and safety for the last month of the semester.”

The Fall 2020 academic schedule was revised in June with Vargas’ administrative team deciding students will not return to campus after the upcoming Thanksgiving break.

Instead, post-Thanksgiving classes will be delivered virtually through online learning, Zoom meetings and returning assignments via email and through the learning management tool known as Moodle.

All final exams will be given online and the semester will end Dec. 11, a week earlier than originally slated.

The decision to keep students away from campus after the Thanksgiving holiday was to prevent the possibility of bringing the coronavirus back to the university after the break.

Vargas, in his video, cautioned students about the reverse as they visit relatives over Thanksgiving.

“You don’t want to go home and put your family at risk,” said Vargas, who urged students in the meantime to “avoid large gatherings, wear your mask indoors, particularly in small spaces, and follow the ‘Protect the Nest’ plan.”

As of Monday, the university reported 41 active COVID cases: 32 students and nine staff. On Oct. 1, there were 87 active student cases. The low-water mark during the semester was 18 on Oct. 28, and the number has notably increased over the last week.

Since late July, Southeast has reported 388 total cases of COVID: 349 students and 39 staff.

Southeast student enrollment for the current semester is 9,603.