Office of the President

Twamley Hall, Room 300

264 Centennial Dr, Stop 8193
Grand Forks, ND 58202-8193
Phone: 701.777.2121
Fax: 701.777.3866

October 23, 2020

Mayor Brandon Bochenski

Grand Forks City Hall
255 N 4th
Grand Forks, ND 58203

Dear Mayor Bochenski,

As we see our community COVID-19 numbers steadily rise to unprecedented levels, the University of North
Dakota is working hard to keep our campus community safe and to encourage behaviors that minimize the risk
of disease transmission. We realize this is a challenging time across our state, and there are different viewpoints
about how to balance health and safety with economic considerations. I think we all agree that we need to keep
Grand Forks open. We are doing everything we can to keep the University open for on-campus classes and to
keep our students in Grand Forks.

National, State and County health officials all agree that wearing masks along with social distancing are our
best defenses against community spread. The University currently requires masks while inside each of our
buildings and outside when social distancing is not possible. A city-wide mask mandate is consistent with what
we expect on campus and will certainly help UND remain open.

I fully support your proposed mandate.

Respectfully,

Andrew P. Armacost
President
University of North Dakota

The University of North Dakota is an equal opportunity / affirmative action institution.