Gustavus Adolphus College President Rebecca M. Bergman sent the following message to Gustavus students, faculty, and staff on July 24, 2020.
TO: The Gustavus Community
FROM: President Bergman
SUBJECT: Fall Planning Update
DATE: July 24, 2020
In a few short weeks, many employees will return to their offices and students will begin moving their belongings to campus in anticipation of our fall semester. As our community pivots from designing to implementing plans to safely welcome students, faculty, and staff back to campus, I would like to thank each of you for your thoughtfulness, engagement, and patience throughout this process.
Today, I invite you to read the College’s Fall 2020 Opening Plan for an overview of campus operations this fall. Developed by our COVID-19 Action Teams and reviewed by the COVID-19 Leadership Team and President’s Cabinet, each of the areas outlined in the plan are explained in greater detail on the College’s redesigned COVID-19 website. These plans are living documents; they will continue to evolve as we respond to changing conditions and receive updated guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health and other public health partners. If you have any questions after reading the document and website, I invite you to email g-covidresponse@gustavus.edu.
This fall, it will take all of us working together to keep our community safe. Our mission as a residential liberal arts college and core values of community and justice compel us to do the right thing to take care of each other and especially the most vulnerable among us. This means wearing facial coverings, practicing physical distancing, and making thoughtful decisions for the greater good. It means approaching each day with empathy, care, and compassion. As you review the plans, I ask that you think about how you will put them into action in your daily life. I look forward to seeing all the ways that Gusties ROAR (Respect Others, Act Responsibly) during the 2020-2021 academic year.
We will be together again soon. I am excited to see you back on campus.
Yours in community,
President Bergman