President Rosenberg: 'We need to redouble our on-campus efforts'

As we near the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, I want to thank you for all that you have done to keep learning and research alive at our FIU and to graduate thousands of students—despite the many difficulties that we have confronted and surmounted. 

You have kept hope alive with your zeal and passion for our students and our purpose-led mission to improve the quality of life in our community. We have all drawn strength from our institutional agility, the many sacrifices you have made and the way you have supported our university and your families during these trying times.

Moving forward, I now ask you—our faculty and professional staff—to increase your physical presence on campus effective Monday, February 15, as conditions permit. Of course, we must follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and best practices set by our FIU health experts for our safety and well-being—and be sensitive to family duties and responsibilities during this pandemic. To uplift our learning environment, I ask that more time be spent in our respective offices and areas. As we invest this time on our campuses, I am confident that our students will continue to return for both their on-campus classes and the growing array of co and extra-curricular activities. We believe that our educational ecosystem is at its best when our talent can be personally shared more directly with our students.  

We have much to look forward to at FIU as we edge into what hopefully will be a safer Spring, Summer and Fall. Ultimately, our safety will be a function of our good judgment, our ability to follow safety guidelines, and our willingness to self-discipline in this special period we are living. We must find new and better ways to keep our learning enterprise vibrant and responsive. Your presence is a key element in this challenge. Please do your part in this noble task—the success of our students and our university depend upon it! 

In the coming days, the Division of Human Resources will provide additional direction on our repopulation efforts.

For more information about our health and safety protocols, please visit FIU’s repopulation website.

Thank you.