A Message from the President 8-3-20

A Message from the President 8-3-20

• August 3rd, 2020
• in Messages from the President

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

It was a special weekend in Tuscaloosa, with families and our campus sending off our most recent graduates. Everyone attending honored our graduates, meeting all of our health and safety protocols to ensure a safe and successful graduation. As always, I am so very proud of our graduates for all they have accomplished during their time at the Capstone.

Now, the long-awaited fall semester is upon us, bringing a familiar sense of excitement and promise that is matched by unique and unprecedented challenges. As we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue implementing our proactive plans for a safe return to campus, which will help protect you, the University and our community. Compliance with all requirementsis essential to our ability to complete the fall semester on campus.

Last week the Vice President of Student Life, Dr. Myron Pope, shared important rules and expectations directly with our students. The detailed plans he imparted will affect all aspects of campus life, including social events. There are limits to the size of gatherings, and new protocols in the classroom, outdoor spaces and residential housing. Testing requirements, training procedures and other important safety measures were also included in Dr. Pope’s message. Please review it carefully.

We are fortunate that our UA System is providing full support to enable the safe return to campus. Each of us has a personal responsibility, as well. We must not and cannot be cavalier in our approach to the virus. Avoiding crowds both on and off campus is crucial to our success in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and being able to successfully complete the semester as planned.

Students, as members of The University of Alabama’s academic community, you pledge to abide by our code of conduct. That means observing rules that benefit classmates, the community and our University. Your behavior at any location (on or off campus) is a reflection of your character and qualification to be a member of the UA student body. We are all responsible for how our actions affect the safety and security of others. Please take our directives seriously. I trust you will do your part to follow the established guidelines and represent our University well.

As the fall semester approaches, I am mindful there are many unknowns. One thing remains constant — we all love The University of Alabama, and we are all part of one campus family. I implore you to remain Tide Together and to abide by the policies and guidelines created to protect the health and well-being of our family. I look forward to seeing you again on campus very soon.

Stuart R. Bell

President