COVID-19: President Collins Message to Clarkson Parents & Families

Dear Students,
We hope that you are safe, healthy and practicing social distancing.
Below is an update from President Collins that was sent via email to families last night. I ask that you speak with your family to make sure that they received this important update.

To ensure that all families receive timely updates, we encourage you to also share the following link: https://clarkson.us16.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=76e54d05a958196ea4ec1b175&id=bd39e1ac1a with your family and loved ones as needed. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.
Brian Grant ’93
Vice President for Enrollment and Student Advancement

Message from President Collins to Clarkson Parents & Families

Dear Clarkson Parents and Family:

From the Clarkson Potsdam campus to you and your family members, we hope you are all safe and healthy.  By now, most of you have your Clarkson student with you and our hope is that they can return to campus this semester.  However, realistically, that hope is fading as across the country new directives are coming in from federal agencies, states and localities.

With that said, I want to assure you that our online instruction begins Monday, March 23 and will keep all students on their path towards degree completion. While there may be some teething problems as we move all instruction to online and expect a high level of quality,  we ask for your help.  Please support your student by providing a suitable learning space and environment, both physically and emotionally.  In addition, Clarkson employees have been working diligently this week to put in place a number of resources to support remote instruction as well as academic progress and mental health.

Also on our minds — as I am sure yours — are the financial implications of this global crisis.  With our focus on continuing instruction and those students who could not leave Potsdam due to extenuating circumstances, we have been also working on the questions regarding room and board expenses for the portion of the semester that is online for students.  We expect that we will rebate these funds, which may be in the form of a credit on a prorated basis, but a final decision has not been made until it is determined that a return to campus is not possible this semester.  That decision in large measure rests with state and federal representatives at this point and will be communicated broadly to both students and families.

As we enter into another weekend that is unprecedented for many of us in our lifetimes, we underscore the spirit of community surrounding our students now and into the future from faculty, staff and our alumni.  We all want our students to persevere through this crisis and launch successful careers.  

Sincerely,

President Tony Collins

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