Dear MSP Community,
As I write this I am struggling to find “just the right words” that will comfort and instill hope for better days. That’s often how I felt with clients; as they sat before me so expectantly, I felt pressured to say exactly the right thing that would make their problems go away.
I knew then as I know now, it doesn’t work that way. But I still long for it with my whole heart.
What can I say that you haven’t already heard? I can say that we are in this together. That we will do everything in our power to maintain continuity and support each other when it’s time to figure out the true implications of this extraordinary time. That I wish you could witness our amazing team of professionals collaborating behind the scenes with a single goal: to safely serve our students and maintain some sort of normalcy in the face of paralyzing anxiety.
Our students are stepping up with remarkable patience and commitment to their educational goals. Training sites are working hard to maintain student health and create alternative arrangements for delivering services. Some are organizing research teams to engage students in continued clinical growth even when they are closed or offering greatly reduced services.
Rumors are inevitable during times of intense anxiety, and I want to address one that has cropped up about whether MSP will continue to operate in the third semester. While it’s not possible at this time to make a decision as to the “how”, I want to reassure you that we are prepared to move forward regardless of whether we are back on campus or continue to hold classes and deliver services remotely. Even if we start with remote access, when the time is right we will once again gather back on campus. State of Michigan COVID-19 guidelines and mandates will guide us in our decision making, along with our concern for the continued health of all in the MSP community.
If you have questions about MSP operations, please feel free to reach out to me, Vice President Zalapi, Academic Dean Chávez-Korell, or Student Services Dean Ming. We want to help alleviate any anxiety to the extent we can and the best way to do that is by being transparent and providing you with the most accurate information we have at any given time. Please come to the sources if you have concerns about your academic program.
This isn’t the first, and won’t be the last time you hear this from me: it is a great privilege to be part of the MSP community. There is no place else I’d rather be.
In health and community,
President Brown
Find reliable information on the MSP COVID-19 Closure Resources page.
