Bethel University is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all of our employees. To ensure that, we have developed the following Employee Fall Launch Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All employees are responsible for understanding and complying with all aspects of this plan. We know our community at Bethel is unique. As Christ-followers, we care deeply for each other, our students, and their safety and wellbeing. Together, by adhering to this plan, we can mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 at Bethel and create a safe and welcoming community for our students as they return for the coming school year.
Guiding Principles For Our Life Together This Year
- We must live out the biblical standard of membership in the body of Christ (Romans 12:4). At times, we are asked to give up some of our liberties for the good of those around us. We have to do things we wouldn't otherwise do in order to protect those in our community who are most vulnerable.
- We must “agree to disagree” about where we stand on COVID-19 and how to deal with it. We won’t all hold the same opinions on this topic, so we need to be comfortable living in the tension of the moment for the sake of the community.
- We need to be flexible, recognizing that the virus and our response to the virus might change at a moment’s notice. On that note, we must recognize that specific parts of this plan might need to pivot quickly based on guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
- We must stay informed about what is happening regarding COVID-19 on campus so that we can respond appropriately.
- We must be aware of how we impact others by the choices we make regarding the new guidelines required on campus.
- We must all monitor our physical, emotional, and spiritual health carefully.
- We must all wear face coverings as we are asked to do, practice social distancing, and be vigilant with personal hygiene.