University Advancement Update

On Tuesday, March 17, Vice President Tamara Michel Josserand shared with U of R alumni and friends more details about the University’s COVID-19 response and its impact on alumni and community events.

Dear University of Redlands Alumni and Friends,

Beginning last week, the University of Redlands announced a number of unprecedented measures to protect the safety of our community as we continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic. For the duration of the spring semester, all courses in the College of Arts and Sciences will transition to an online format. Similarly, our School of Business, School of Education, Graduate School of Theology, and School of Continuing Studies have moved to technology-enabled instruction. The University has announced that all May Term travel, both international and domestic, is cancelled, but classes will be taught remotely with technology enablement.

All of these decisions have been made with the safety of our students, faculty, and University community as our highest priority. As of yesterday, we also have made the decision to close all Redlands campus residential communities and have asked all students to leave as soon as possible before Friday, March 20. All of U of R’s Southern California regional campuses and sites are closed or will be closed after Friday, March 20, and instruction will continue via technology-enabled learning.

Many of you have inquired about upcoming alumni and community activities, and I wanted to provide the following updates:

In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), all gatherings of 50 people or more will not be held for two months.
The traditional commencement ceremonies that had been scheduled on the Redlands campus from April 16-18 are no longer feasible. We are in the process of exploring creative alternatives or postponements and will provide more information on our plans through the commencement website.
With the CDC’s recommendation in mind, we also have made the decision that Alumni Reunion Weekend that had been scheduled for May 15-17 will not be held this spring.
While we recognize that this crisis profoundly impacts the very essence of the in-person experience of a Redlands reunion, we are exploring other ways to help our Bulldog alumni celebrate their milestone years, including online programming and/or rescheduling these activities for a later date.
For a complete list of all alumni and community events and activities that have been cancelled or postponed, please visit our alumni home page.

Currently, our University’s most important priority is supporting our students and our community. With this in mind, we have made the difficult decision to postpone our Giving Day event originally scheduled for Thursday, April 2. Instead, we have created an ongoing giving opportunity that focuses on the most pressing needs of our campus community. These areas include the Student Affairs Dean’s Discretionary Fund, which will help provide immediate support to the students most immediately impacted by the epidemic, and the Redlands Fund, which will provide for the most critical needs of the University during these extraordinary times. More information can be found at https://rfund.redlands.edu/studentsupport.

With our mission to educate hearts and minds always at the forefront of our work, we want you to have access to as much information as possible. If you have any further questions about our University-wide measures or our collective response as a community, please refer to the COVID-19 FAQ page, which is updated on an ongoing basis.

Please know that we are deeply grateful for your continued support of the University of Redlands, especially during this challenging time. If you have any suggestions or thoughts that you wish to share with us, I encourage you to connect directly with the Office of Advancement, as our team is always here to support you. We are confident that we will persevere together with our Bulldog spirit!

Forever yours,

Tamara Michel Josserand
Vice President for Advancement