COSAM News Articles 2020 April Message from Dean Giordano - April 10, 2020

Message from Dean Giordano - April 10, 2020

Published: 04/10/2020

To all faculty, staff, and students in COSAM,

As many of you are preparing to celebrate this weekend with your family, you might be doing things differently. This year, you might stream services from your living room or connect with loved ones over a laptop instead of a dinner table.

From “talking" to members of our Auburn family on campus (usually through Zoom or email), I sense that we all are settling in a new routine. One question on everyone’s mind is how soon we will be able to return to normal.

Yesterday, it was announced by the President and Provost that all on-campus events are canceled through the end of June. This means that the very popular summer camps offered by COSAM Outreach will be canceled through June. There is still a chance though that the camps scheduled for July will be offered. I will let you know about the status of those camps and other campus events during July and August as soon as decisions are made.

The latest projections of models for the spread of COVID-19 predict that cases in Alabama will peak later in April. If that holds true, the hope is that things can begin to return to normal during the summer. I believe that plans are now being developed for how this return would be staged and managed at Auburn. These plans, which depend on many factors (such as the Governor’s directives for the state), will be announced as soon as they can be made final. We certainly want to return to in-person classes in the fall.

I know that the past several weeks have been very stressful for all of us at Auburn, especially with the uncertainties about what the coming weeks will bring. And for many, there is added stress of having to care for children that would normally be busy in school. I would like to remind everyone that even through these stressful times, COSAM students are finishing this spring semester because of your commitment.

Through virtual instruction, online academic advising, interactive tutoring resources, research activities, grant submissions, alumni relations, student recruitment, and more, our college continues to move forward.

I am heartened by the way our faculty and staff have responded to all of the difficulties and stresses we now face on a daily basis. You are truly role models for our students and for each other.

Thank you for helping us put our students first and thank you for helping us get through this together.

Pat and I hope you enjoy time with your families this weekend.

Please stay safe and healthy.

Nick