President McNair provides Tuskegee Family with COVID-19 update
May 29, 2020
Dear Students, Alumni, Colleagues and Friends:
The COVID-19 virus has shaped our lives in ways that we could scarcely have imagined mere months ago. Our times remain unsettling and punctuated with uncertainty. Despite this uncertainty, however, it鈥檚 incumbent on 快活视频 鈥� as we continue to prioritize the safety of our students, employees and community 鈥� that we remain focused on providing an excellent educational experience to our students in a setting that is conducive to learning, academic progression, instructional support, and physical and emotional well-being.
With these priorities in mind, the pandemic has forced us to immediately prepare for, and adapt to, constantly evolving public health, economic and social developments. As such, I have established a COVID-19 Recovery Management Center (CRMC), led by senior leadership, to coordinate and guide the efforts of university administrators 鈥� with assistance and advice from our own institution-wide Community Health Task Force in addition to other higher education, public health and outside experts. These entities have already begun to provide invaluable insight and information that has shaped our deliberations and plans. Their work is to be commended.
I have also asked the CRMC to provide strategic direction and ongoing oversight of the tasks necessary to navigate the continuity of academics, enrollment, student life and other operational areas. More specifically, the CRMC will provide recommendations to ensure Tuskegee's long-term financial and operational viability in the aftermath of COVID-19 as part of their overall continuity planning.
The manner in which the university will open in the fall is the most pressing question that the CRMC will address. Our peers around the country have opted for various reopening strategies, from full on-campus learning to completely virtual instruction 鈥� with many variations in between. It is vitally important that we determine what is best for Tuskegee. With public health as a critical principle, the CRMC has already begun to analyze data and confer with experts and stakeholders to craft our path forward.
Our goal is to have the framework of a plan for the opening of the fall term in the coming weeks. As our fall semester plans begin to take shape, the university will provide regular updates through a variety of communications media that will keep you informed of our plans and any adjustments.
Until then, please accept my thanks for your understanding and commitment to Mother Tuskegee 鈥� and please know that we will get through this together.
Stay safe and healthy,
Lily D. McNair. Ph.D.
President
P.S. For resources and continuing updates concerning the university's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit www.tuskegee.edu/coronavirus.