B-Note June 4, 2020
June 4, 2020
Greetings, fellow Tigers!
Earlier this week, President Clements shared his thoughts on recent events that have been occurring across the nation, and I would like to share some of that with you.
“Let there be no doubt: Racism, injustice, violence, brutality and hatred, in any form, cannot be tolerated.
We also can put into practice our Clemson values: We value the rights of others. We are respectful of each other and our individual differences, beliefs and ideas. We actively listen and communicate. We seek to understand one another’s challenges, and are tolerant and forgiving. And, we come from diverse backgrounds that make up one inclusive Clemson Family.”
Clemson’s leadership is steadfastly committed to building a truly inclusive Clemson community. Please reach out to me personally or email members of the University’s leadership team at UnitedClemson@clemson.edu if you have ideas, concerns or thoughts.
Amidst the tragic events that have recently happened in our country, COVID-19 continues to impact our nation and world – including members of the Clemson Family. Yesterday, we kicked off our Calling All Tigers initiative that will support our Clemson Family through the social, economic and professional challenges that we face. When you make a gift, we can provide the means to move through this time with resilience. We are Calling All Tigers to make their gift before our fiscal year ends on June 30 to support the University’s most immediate needs and assist students, faculty and staff during times of economic hardship. Click here to make a gift to support our fellow Tigers.
I had the opportunity to join the Clemson University Alumni Association yesterday on Facebook Live to share the importance of the Calling All Tigers initiative and how it will impact Clemson’s future. You can watch the full video here.
Clemson students are continuing to thrive. The United States’ flagship international education exchange program, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, has selected four current Clemson students and two alumnae for the 2020-2021 year. The University has had 56 Fulbright Student recipients overall, and this year is an annual record with six recipients. Sponsored by the U.S. government, the program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The recipients, depending on their fields, will be serving as teaching assistants, enrolling in graduate degree programs, or actively pursuing independent research. Recipients are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. You can read more about Clemson’s recipients here.
We are looking forward to having all of our students back. This week, Clemson entered Phase I of the University plan to return to campus. This phase features limited on-campus operations for those faculty and staff members who cannot complete their work functions adequately while working remotely. For the small percentage of individuals who have returned during this phase, they are following specific safety guidelines related to face coverings, social distancing and other precautions. Each phase includes a gradual expansion of available areas on campus, increases in limits to sizes of meetings and social gatherings and a consistent emphasis on non-pharmaceutical interventions to reduce the risk of spread to individuals and through the community. Clemson campuses remain closed for events and group activities. You can read more here.
B – Ready to answer the call!
It has never been more important for our Clemson Family to stand together. We will stand together to fight against racism, injustice, violence, brutality and hatred. And we will stand together to support our fellow Tigers during times of turmoil. Together we can create meaningful change.
Thank you for your dedication and generosity to Clemson! We are forever grateful!
Go Tigers!
Brian O’Rourke