Update from President O’Shea:

“Just a reminder that we have two main short-term goals this semester.  One is to help students successfully complete the spring semester. The second is to ensure the health of our community.

To help students complete the semester, we will provide them every opportunity to do satisfactory work with the support that they need. Faculty will have the support they need to continue instruction remotely as long as needed. Seniors will be able to complete their projects/theses and graduate.

To ensure the health of our campus, we must do everything we can to reduce contagion.  The chance of contagion is more likely among individuals who live in close contact with each other. The purpose of having students leave the residence halls is to reduce the chance of contagion, which is correlated with the number of interactions off campus and the number of interactions among individuals on campus.

Any student who needs to stay on campus must submit a petition. So far our Student Affairs and Housing Offices have received approximately 200 petitions to remain on campus. About 150 have been reviewed so far and less than 5% denied. Every student in residence must provide an evacuation plan in the event that evacuation is mandated by the state or other authority  at some point in the future. Students approved to live on campus who leave the Sarasota-Bradenton area may not return to campus before April 4.

I’m grateful to student affairs and housing staff who have been working hard to accommodate our students.

The Foundation is working closely with me about student needs. We are  actively seeking gifts for the student emergency fund, which is managed in Student Affairs.  We will launch an online campaign on Friday morning. You can contact MaryAnne Young, if you’d like  to make a gift. She’ll have the online site up and running in the morning. Please contact Regina Rodarte and she will assist you with the application process.  It is a quick process and decisions are made rapidly.

As usual, please follow general flu precaution guidelines.  Please watch out for yourselves and others. And please be kind to one another as we work through these challenges.”