Letter outlines guidelines for faculty, staff and students

Dear UMKC Faculty, Staff and Students:

Our beloved Kansas City Royals electrified the country with their extra-innings victory over the Mets late Sunday night. On Tuesday, the entire community will celebrate the team’s homecoming with a parade and rally – and at UMKC, we’re excited and happy to add our congratulations.

We have received several questions on whether tomorrow’s festivities will cause us to alter the schedule of work and classes.  As Kansas City’s university, we provide essential services to the campus and community that are critical and can’t be easily cancelled or rescheduled. So here’s where we landed:

• For faculty and staff: We will leave this decision to department supervisors to set the guidelines for allowing staff to take their paid time off tomorrow. We urge supervisors to be as flexible as they reasonably can be.
• For coursework, exams or other academic matters: Deans will work with department chairs and faculty to make decisions regarding cancellations and make-up assignments or exams and to communicate those decisions clearly to students.

Otherwise, UMKC offices will be open for business tomorrow and classes will be held as scheduled. Whether or not you are physically present at the parade and rally, we know you all be cheering for the Royals tomorrow as we welcome home the 2015 World Series Champions!

Forever Royal,

Chancellor Leo E. Morton

Provost Barbara A. Bichelmeyer