To the Manhattan College community,
I write to you as New York City is in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Each day, we learn of more people who have been infected by this virus and we hear more stories about the courageous healthcare workers who are doing their jobs to help save lives.
There are currently four individuals in our community who have received positive tests for Covid-19. We have notified those in our community who may have come in close contact with them. We continue to pray for their full recovery, and will update you with more information as it becomes available.
These are difficult days for our community, but every day I see inspiring examples of the strength and resilience of our community. And I have great faith in our ability to persevere in our commitment, as a Lasallian Catholic university, to care for our students and each other, even if we need to learn new ways to do that.
At the end of the first full week of online classes, I am hearing about the many creative ways our faculty and students are embracing these new ways of proceeding. I am also thrilled to see how our community is continuing to carry out our mission and values, as evidenced by the response to our #JaspersOnaMission campaign.
Throughout these days of disruption, communication is extremely important. Our leadership team is working to create multiple channels for staying in touch with everyone in the community. Provost Clyde has scheduled a faculty town hall on Google Meet for Tuesday, March 31 from 3:30 to 5pm. All faculty will receive an invitation on Monday.
More information about similar town halls for staff and students will be distributed within the next week. Our hope is that these gatherings can provide a more personalized point of contact, providing opportunities to discuss any topics or concerns you might have.
We will continue to update our community throughout the upcoming days and weeks ahead. I urge you to continue to visit our website and social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Should you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please feel free to email covid-19info@manhattan.edu and we will make sure it's directed to the proper area on campus to ensure a prompt reply.
Again, I thank you for the tremendous work you are doing in the face of these extraordinary challenges. This work is the reason for my confidence that we will not only survive this trial, but will emerge from it even stronger than before.
Wishing you health, happiness and a restful weekend.
Sincerely,
Brennan O'Donnell, Ph.D.
President