A Message from the President – January 13, 2021
- January 13th, 2021
- in Messages from the President
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
Today is the first day of the Spring 2021 Semester, and as classes begin, I am delighted to welcome you home to Tuscaloosa and to your campus community. A new semester is always exciting – an opportunity full of promise and possibility.
What better way to begin than by claiming our hard-earned position as football national champions! Monday night’s victory accentuates the continued excellence and integrity of our program. Congratulations to our outstanding student-athletes, Coach Nick Saban and our skilled coaching staff for a triumphant season. It was a uniquely challenging year for many reasons, and I am proud of how they represented the University both on and off the field.
The gatherings that followed the game underscore the need for continued vigilance and caution by every member of our community. For this reason, we have given faculty and students the flexibility for remote learning for the next two weeks.
Our faculty and staff have worked very hard to prepare for a successful spring. Despite the unique challenges we faced in the fall, we persisted and prevailed in finishing the semester and celebrating our graduates. Now we must continue our combined efforts to protect each other and stay healthy. We have hindsight to inform us, and medical experts who continue to advise us on how to remain safely on campus for the spring semester. I implore you to continue to do your part. Stay vigilant and follow the important health and safety standards we have in place.
Student, faculty and staff testing, which is a core component of our plan, will increase this spring, including sentinel, exposure, symptomatic and for-cause testing. Through UA’s comprehensive testing, we will continue to reduce virus spread and provide prompt support for those who may become infected. The health and well-being of our community remain our highest priority.
Faculty and staff, as our students pursue their interests in our state-of-the-art facilities with your support and expertise, I remain grateful for your continued commitment. You play an essential role in their experiences and success, and your contributions to our mission are crucial. Thank you for all you do.
It is going to be another great semester at The University of Alabama. Welcome back – and, of course, ROLL TIDE!
Stuart R. Bell
President