Return to the Mount: Mount Safe Initiative

Mount St. Mary’s University is committed to resuming on-campus instruction and activities safely in Fall 2020. Mount Safe Initiative teams of faculty, administrators and staff have come together to plan for a modified normal environment that prioritizes the health and safety of the Mount community. A successful Fall 2020 semester will require every member of our community to work together as One Mount under the new conditions that the pandemic requires.

Guiding Principles

The Mount’s policies and protocols for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic have, and will continue to be rooted in these Guiding Principles:

• First and foremost is the health and safety of our community. No decisions will be made without first considering the health and safety of our community, informed by guidance from federal and state public health authorities.
• We will emphasize student success as we fulfill our Mount mission to graduate ethical leaders who are inspired by a passion for learning and lead lives of significance in service to God and others.
• We will be flexible in responding to the uncertainty caused by this pandemic, and we will continue responding with innovative solutions to tough problems.
• We will treat our students and employees with respect emphasizing empathy and compassion as you re-socialize physically into the Mount community as we know this pandemic has seriously impacted some in our community more than others. We are committed to helping our community members in keeping with the traditions of Catholic social justice.
• We will steward our financial resources to ensure the university’s strength and stability for the long term. Our decisions must consider the future as well as the present so we are positioned to enjoy another 212 years.