Letter from the President

March 23, 2020

Dear Bearkat Community:

These past few weeks have been turbulent for our campus community. I know for many of you, this is a time of deep personal concern and uncertainty. While we all adjust to our new lives and routines, I have been amazed at how the SHSU faculty and staff have united to support one another and ensure the continuation of our academic mission.

In visiting with students over the last week, I heard concerns regarding continued progress towards graduation, worries on maintaining a relationship with instructors, and apprehensions toward the possible cancellation of commencement.

Your incredible efforts to move classes to remote delivery and migrate services to phone and online, will help ensure our students can successfully complete this Spring semester and move forward in their academic plan. I have also seen many instances of faculty reaching out to their students; please continue to maintain an open dialogue, as it is extremely important in these uncertain times.

Because commencement is an important celebration of our graduates' academic journey, SHSU is not canceling the event but will find an alternative to acknowledge the success of our students.

This pandemic is not only a health crisis but also a human crisis as people feel the effects of isolation, ongoing closures, and other overwhelming stressors. I urge you to find ways to decrease stress and help ease some of these burdens. Reach out to family, friends, students or colleagues that could use a familiar, reassuring voice. More than ever, in this day of social distancing, we need to keep personal connections.

Thank you again for your extraordinary work in preparing the university to deliver classes and the critical services needed to support our students. Your commitment, compassion, and strength will get us through the challenging days ahead.

Please take care of yourself and your family and continue to be safe during this difficult time.

Dana G. Hoyt