UND President: Look forward to ‘normalcy,’ but keep taking precautions, too
UND students, faculty and staff have shown amazing resilience throughout year, president says in letter & video
Dear Campus Community,
We are coming to the end of another semester at the University of North Dakota, a semester that will undoubtedly be viewed as one of the most unusual in the University’s history because of the COVID-19 pandemic. My first semester as your president was certainly nothing like I envisioned it a year ago, yet I’m amazed at the work we’ve done to make it happen and the resilience the community has shown to keep the campus open and operating.
Those of you earning degrees from UND this semester have good reason to celebrate your accomplishments and – with news of the first vaccinations being administered across the country – an even better reason to be optimistic about a brightening future. While the memories you’ve created over the past year will certainly be different from past classes, you’ve forged a place in history as the UND Class of 2020 that persevered and prevailed through it all. In time, you will come to understand the significance of your achievement, how it shaped you and how it influenced you. Congratulations to all our winter semester graduates! Please know that we are proud to have you as members of the UND Family.
As many depart campus at semester’s end and fan out across the state and nation to be with family and friends, Kathy and I wish you safe, happy and healthy holiday season. It is the special time of year when we can express our gratitude to those who have supported us, helped us and been there for us in times of need. Please use this time as an opportunity to tell your loved ones and the important people in your lives how much they mean to you.
Although the COVID vaccine is being distributed around the United States and the world, it doesn’t mean the battle is now over. Until the vaccinations become more widely available and we know more about the efficacy of the vaccine, it’s important to take precautions against spreading the virus – especially to the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Please continue to fight COVID by wearing a mask, washing your hands and practicing physical distancing and good hygiene. Let’s all work toward making 2021 the final year of the coronavirus pandemic.
I can’t tell you how much I’m anticipating a new year and a new semester, a time when we’ll come together again with the expectation that what we’ve worked long and hard to achieve – a sense of normalcy in our lives – will soon be realized. Thank you for all you’ve done and all you continue to do.
With respect,
Andy Armacost
President
