Resiliency and Adaptability to COVID-19

A video message from President Blake:

Spring 2020 is not turning out to be the semester that we expected, nor the one we wanted. Though flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and all other such signs point towards the arrival of spring, this is in stark contrast to the global concern, drastic actions, and widespread uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

During these past weeks, I have been gratified by the adaptability and resilience of our MGA family. We have truly pulled together as a team to continue with our mission to “…transform individuals and their communities through extraordinary higher learning.”

Stephen Hawking famously said “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” This sentiment is reflected in the very core of our institutional values and has never been more apparent than in the face of this global crisis. For the good of ourselves, our families, and our communities, we have worked quickly and well to develop and implement new techniques, adopt new technologies, and conform to new routines to teach our students, assist our coworkers, and execute the tasks required of us. We’ve done this while simultaneously managing our own personal lives – becoming at-home caregivers, educators, and support systems for our loved ones and dealing with the immense anxiety we all feel when dealing with such uncertain times.

The impact of our efforts is not merely local, either. Along with the other 25 institutions in the University System of Georgia, Middle Georgia State University is helping meet Georgia’s need for medical equipment and supplies. MGA has released 14 ventilators for distribution to healthcare facilities throughout the state, and has inventoried and prepared for transfer additional supplies, including no-touch thermometers, N95 masks, face shields, and sanitizer. The statewide effort to collect and distribute supplies from USG institutions is being coordinated by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, the Georgia Department of Public Health and the office of Governor Brian Kemp.

As I have said before and will again, people are the heart of our University – and we must work to keep our people at the center of the actions we take. We must remain open for business, even while that business changes dramatically from our desired norms. We must continue to teach, to nurture, to support, and to plan for the future. We must do all of these things in preparation for the day when this crisis has passed, and we can come together again to celebrate our accomplishments as a team.

Please stay safe and be well.

Chris