Dear University of Maryland community,
I would like to wish a safe and enjoyable break to our students who are leaving for spring break next week, and to our faculty and staff who will have a couple of days of well-deserved break next week.
I would also urge everyone to continue following CDC's prevention guidelines for health and safety.
During the spring break and thereafter, the University will remain in close contact with state and local public health officials, and with the University System of Maryland, for the latest guidance and information. Please continue to check umd.edu/virusinfo and all University communications for updates about the coronavirus in our State and our transition to an online environment for learning and work.
There has been no confirmed case of COVID-19 infection on our campus. If there is a confirmed case, the protocol is for state and local public health officials to inform the Director of our University Health Center. Then, the University will promptly communicate this information to our entire community.
Thank you to all the University administrators, Deans, faculty, and staff who are working diligently to make the transition to an online learning and work environment as smooth as possible. Thank you to the study abroad staff who are working day and night to assist UMD students who are studying abroad — 396 in Europe and 114 elsewhere around the world — to come back home safely and quickly. We regret these learning experiences were cut short. And thank you to the Student Affairs staff and the UMD Incident Response Team who have also been working tirelessly in recent weeks.
My heart goes out to our Terp athletes, especially the seniors, who will not have the chance to participate in the Big Ten and NCAA winter/spring championships. I thank you for doing your part to help contain this pandemic.
We all have a civic duty and a collective responsibility to prevent the spread of this virus. For the foreseeable future, we will have to adjust to a new reality that is upending our everyday social interactions. We have overcome daunting challenges in the past and, working together, we shall overcome again.
Sincerely,
Wallace D. Loh
President, University of Maryland