A Time to Pause and Gather our Strength

April 9, 2020

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

As we come to the end of the third week of the Coronavirus era and begin a very different kind of holiday period than we are accustomed to, it is a good time to pause and gather our strength. We have confidently accomplished the rigorous tasks of transforming our educational programs for the remainder of the term, and, in doing so, we worked with the energy and determination that a community can call upon at the beginning of a journey.

Now we must sustain that energy and determination, knowing as we do with certainty that we have weeks to go and the road is hard. It is harder to teach, it is harder to learn, it is harder to do our research and scholarship, it is harder to do the work that is necessary to sustain the University and the University community.

Let us have no illusions. The costs of the pandemic will be painful in many ways, but we cannot and will not let it deter us from the attainment of our goals. Montclair State students are ambitious, smart, and driven, and they are good at helping each other. Montclair State faculty are deeply committed to their students and their profession. Montclair State staff are creative and good at their jobs. That’s not hype; that’s true; that’s real. Watching all of you respond to this emergency has only deepened my convictions about the inherent strengths of this University.

The effects of the coronavirus will continue to be felt in our homes, our communities and on our campus. The costs of the pandemic will be real, to New Jersey and to this and every other university, and the disruptions to our lives will continue to be disorienting.

These times bring to mind words attributed to Winston Churchill: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” This University community will not remain in this difficult place. We will keep going, and we will get to the place we are meant to be.

My best wishes to all of you and your families,

President Cole