Update on the Transition to Remote Learning

Dear UAlbany Community:

In these challenging times, it is important that we create as many opportunities as possible to stay connected. As part of this effort, I will continue to reach out to you on a regular basis. Of course, please continue to visit UAlbany’s COVID-19 web page, and monitor your UAlbany email and official social media channels for frequent updates.

I continue to be inspired by what the UAlbany community is achieving under these very strenuous circumstances. This week, we successfully transitioned to remote education. This was a monumental task that required the active engagement of our University community, especially our faculty. We are now engaged in tele-advising, tele-health and tele-counseling; our library resources have been made widely available, albeit virtually; and through social media we continue to highlight the vibrancy and resiliency of our University community.

Our employees have shown incredible leadership and cooperation in modifying the way we do our jobs, whether by working remotely or adopting new safety and health requirements on campus. Some of our faculty members are providing critical expertise in epidemiology, emergency preparedness and public policy, among other fields, locally and nationally. And, our “frontline staff” continue to provide the services that our student residents need, maintain and support our campus facility operations, and provide the security to safeguard our campus community.

I want to extend my deepest and most sincere gratitude to our hard-working faculty, staff and students for making all of this possible. We certainly understand the challenges and difficulties our community confronts in aiming to fulfill our University responsibilities while homeschooling our children, taking care of our loved ones and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle amidst COVID-19.

It is important to highlight that every decision we make, no matter how difficult it might be, is guided by the need to safeguard the health, safety and well-being of our campus community. Ensuring academic continuity and the success of our students is also of paramount importance to us all.

While most of us cannot be physically together right now, there is an important way in which we are together—and that is in helping to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Thank you so much for all that you have done—and all that you will continue to do—on behalf of UAlbany and our communities. ¡Muchísimas gracias!

Sincerely,

Havidán Rodríguez
President