This message to all students has been approved by Dr. Amy Hecht, Vice President for Student Affairs.
To the Student Body at Florida State University:
Welcome back to the Spring 2020 Semester. It is with a heavy heart we write to you all. As many of you have already seen and as announced by Florida State University and the State University System, March 13 was the last day of in-person instruction at Florida State University for the Spring 2020 semester. In light of the recent university announcement, we wanted to reiterate some main points made by Florida State University and remind you all that the Florida State University Student Government Association serves as a resource to provide our student body consisting of over 42,000 students with representation, services, and advocacy within the university structure.
We are disheartened to be reorganizing and canceling our events for the rest of this semester, especially when members of the community have put so much work and effort to create spaces for advocacy and celebration. We want to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of all the student organizations, student achievers, student athletes, and student leaders and the plans and goals you had for Florida State University. We encourage all of you to continue to support and encourage one another, as celebration is never limited to the confines of a building.
No one anticipated that for the graduating class of 2020, March 13 would be our last day as a student within the gates of our institution. There will be many missed memories, missed events, missed celebrations, missed friendships and missed “lasts.” Our hearts ache for our entire student body who will miss what would have been the end to such an incredible Spring 2020 semester. For many, commencement was the light at the end of the tunnel during this crisis. We will continue to work with the university to honor our graduates with consideration for both the safety and well-being of our community and work with the university to plan alternative accommodations for commencement for our Spring 2020 graduates. The Florida State University administration is examining best steps forward in order to honor all of our graduating students.
We encourage all of our students to Uphold the Garnet and Gold and continue to follow CDC and university guidelines during this time period. It is strongly recommended to limit international and domestic travel unless for emergency purposes. We encourage all students to look out for our community as a whole. All of us have a role to play in order to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and we encourage all of us to continue to uphold our torches of Strength, Skill and Character; Vires, Artes, and Mores in this situation.
As we wait for further announcements from the university, the Student Government Association is still available through email or social media about any questions or concerns you may have. We are cognizant of the obstacles that many of our peers are faced with during these unprecedented times. We recognize the individual student experience and the wide-ranging diversity of every single student that makes the fabric of Florida State University unique, and the challenges and resources our students need will be unique. We ask that if any student has concerns regarding their health and wellness, housing or food insecurity, academic concerns, or access to technology please do not hesitate to reach out. As fellow peers, we ask that you all continue to stay connected and support one another, and to build upon the Florida State University community that we call home.
We want to remind the Florida State University community of the importance of taking care of and looking out for our fellow Seminoles. We encourage students to lean upon one another and to be cognizant of the variety of resources at Florida State University, including the University Counseling Center (850) 644-TALK (8255), Division of Student Affairs (850) 644-5590, and the Office of Human Resources (850) 644-6034.
Thank you for your constant engagement and support throughout this year.
Stay safe and as always, Go Noles!
In Seminole Pride,
Evan Steinberg
Student Body President
Stephanie Lee
Student Body Vice President
Caleb M. Dawkins
Student Body Treasurer