I hope this message finds you all healthy and well, .and I hope you are doing everything you can to stay that way.

So much has changed in our world since the onset of COVID-19 in early March. As we continue to go through this journey together, I want to say thank you for your passion and determination to fulfill our land-grant mission with distinction in these very challenging times.

CALS Community Commitment

I miss seeing the people and hearing the sounds of our college, and I look forward to the time when we can ALL be together again, but for most of us, we will continue to work remotely for the foreseeable future.

For those that are returning to the workplace in the phased reentry, I ask that you adhere to the following 4 principles outlined in the CALS Community Commitment one-pager.

People First
First and foremost, the safety and wellbeing of our people, our faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders, is the top priority. People are our greatest asset, and we will not compromise with their health and wellbeing.

CDC Recommendations
Second, we will follow the science-based recommendations of the CDC. Your unit leader will help you obtain the necessary PPE if needed and provide site-specific guidance for compliance.

University Expectations
Third, we will abide by the expectations of NC State and the UNC System. Wearing masks by all members of our community is MANDATORY in all buildings, including classrooms, with the exception of private offices and residence hall rooms.

Adaptability
And fourth, we will take an active role in helping define and adapt to the new normal in implementing new approaches to meet our mission, while following the principles outlined above.

Thank you for your help in adapting to these new parameters to keep us all safe.

Tackling Challenges
Our CALS Community is remarkable. We are resilient. We are strong. And we are committed to our mission and to one another.

While it would have been easy for us to disengage and become complacent, we have improved our internal and external communications to keep us connected and engaged, and we are better as a result.

Our amazing leaders in every area of the college, have been talking multiple times a week to tackle the critical issues of the day, and having more strategic conversations about the future than we ever have before.

We have used technology to start what will become monthly Town Hall community gatherings moving forward.

CALS Community Conversations
And we have acknowledged that we are all struggling to find the right words to talk about the systematic racial injustice and inequality people of color face every single day in this country.

In our June 9, “Coping with the Challenges of Injustice” Town Hall, Dr. Alex Graves led a much needed, community conversations about race, calling us to listen to the experiences and truths of our colleagues of color and to ALL members of our community.

There is still much work to be done to build a more inclusive, equitable and diverse community, and this CALS administration has made it a top priority to ensure progress.

Without question, we are working in challenging times, but I would not want to face these challenges with any other group of people than you.

I am proud to help lead this community, and I thank you again for all you continue to do to serve our land grant mission, and for your concern for one another.

And as always, Go CALS and Go Pack!