Welcome Back Letters

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ‘Student experience stronger than ever’

A letter to students from the president of Auburn University

By JAY GOGUE Auburn University President

Dear students,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Auburn! To those of you who are returning to the Plains, we’re glad to see you back on campus.

This year has been unlike any in our lives, and this semester is sure to be unprecedented, too.

It is important to remember that by taking personal responsibility for our own health and behaviors, we move closer to an uninterrupted fall semester.

As we navigate this new normal together, it is critical that we remember that the simple protocols expected of us on campus — physical distancing, wearing face coverings, completing your daily Healthcheck and others — are essential to keeping everyone around us safe.

We’ve been busy on campus, making preparations and accommodations to ensure your safety. If you have not yet done so, I encourage you to visit ahealthieru.auburn.edu to read important information that will help you succeed and stay healthy this fall.

You will see that campus looks a little different from how you remember or may have envisioned, but every decision and change made has prioritized your well-being inside and outside the classroom.

As a result, the Auburn student experience is stronger than ever.

Despite guidance from health officials to maintain safe physical distancing from others, an overwhelming majority of your generation has reported that the pandemic has strengthened your connection to others.

For you and your peers, care for others comes as second nature. You have taken the lead fighting for causes that are shaping meaningful change in our world, used this downtime as an opportunity for creativity and inspired us to reimagine traditional milestones. Your resilience and compassion has been truly remarkable, and because of this, your impact stands to be greater than that of any previous generation. Thank you for doing your part to keep Auburn A Healthier U, and remember, commitment is contagious. I look forward to seeing you around campus.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Welcome from

By BOBBY WOODARD Senior Vice President for Student Affairs

Welcome Back.

Can I just say that one more time? Welcome back, y’all.

I love how that sounds, especially after five months of most of us being away from the campus we love so much. Sure, we’ve emailed and phoned and Zoomed our way through this tough time, but it’s just not the same as being able to walk into Jordan-Hare Stadium or across Samford Lawn, yelling “War Eagle!” to each other – at a proper physical distance, of course -- along the way.

We’re back – and thousands of students are here for the first time – but we’re not out of the woods, yet, when it comes to COVID-19. We need everyone to do their part to help ensure that we all stay healthy and safe. To that end, I need you to wear your masks on campus, wash and sanitize your hands regularly and keep 6 feet apart. Remember to complete your Healthcheck assessment each day, too. If we all do those things, maybe we can slowly but surely get back to some semblance of normalcy.

As we work toward that, though, we’ve got to acknowledge that things are a bit different on campus. We need to keep our physical distance, so crowds can’t gather the way they used to. Room capacity has diminished, and signs a nd stickers promoting A Healthier U and COVID-19 safety have increased. Student organizations will still meet, events will still occur and classes will still be held – they just may have a different look to them than they’ve had in years past. Try to embrace this new normal, and we really will get through this together.

Summer 2020 wasn’t all about the coronavirus. A tragic event in Minneapolis – the death of George Floyd – precipitated proWoodard tests around the country, including peaceful protests right here in Auburn. But it sparked more than that. It has become painfully obvious that for too long, we’ve talked about diversity, equity, inclusion and the need to embrace all of our students, but we haven’t taken enough actions to accomplish equality on campus. That is going to change.

President Gogue has appointed a task force on equity and inclusion, and I, along with others in Student Affairs, are participating in meetings to explore ways we can assure our Black students feel heard and, more importantly, respected. These conversations must, and I believe will, lead to meaningful actions that will unify us, not divide us.

Already, Auburn’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity has conducted a workshop for all Student Affairs staff, Student Involvement has created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion workgroup that includes weekly professional development, and the Black Student Union has hosted a MidSummer Mixer Series and plans a number of in-person and virtual events and activities during Welcome Week.

In addition, I’ve been reading the Black at Auburn Instagram feed (@blackatauburn), which is shining a much-needed light on some inexcusable incidents on our campus. Hopefully, with students returning to campus for the fall, more progress can be made, and we can continue to build an inclusive, equitable and anti-racist Auburn Family.

So we’re coming off a summer that literally pulled us apart, but it’s also a summer that will have ended up bringing us closer together. And one of these days, we’ll be able to stand next to each other, maybe even link arms, and celebrate.

The trek to that celebration continues this week with your arrival, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see students on campus this fall. The Student Center and Student Greenspace – heck, even the parking lots – weren’t the same without you.

I want to say welcome back just one more time. And I want to leave you with a big, physically distanced ...War Eagle!

LETTER TO THE EDITOR A message from the Auburn SGA President

By ADA RUTH HUNTLEY SGA President

Welcome back!

My name is Ada Ruth Huntley and I have the honor and privilege of serving as this year’s Student Government Association President. I could not be more humbled to serve you in this role; particularly during these challenging times.

It is no secret this semester will be unlike any semester Auburn has seen. However, I want to challenge each of you to continue to make the most of these unprecedented circumstances. Your choice to attend Auburn is one of the best you will make in your lifetime. I know that has been the case for me.

College is difficult under any circumstance. Through that difficulty, I have gained so much knowledge, learned the meaning of true friendship, further experienced the world around me and learned more about myself. Even through these differences, I know we will all find ways to experience Auburn has to offer.

As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, my team and I have been thankful to work alongside our committed administration to ensure an engaging, meaningful, yet safe college experience. I would be remiss if I did not emphasize the important role each and every one of us share in keeping our Auburn community safe. Following the guidelines put in place by the university’s initiative, A Healthier U. Be sure to check out the A Healthier U website to learn more about how you can do your part.

Additionally, our country was rocked this summer as issues of racial injustice were brought to the forefront. Auburn demonstrated its commitment to issues of racial inequality in a statement released from Dr. Gogue on June 5, 2020. Since May, I have had the privilege of being involved in numerous conversations with various administrators, faculty and staff from across campus on how to better support Black students and dismantle the systemic injustices that we see across our campus.

I have also had the privilege on serving on the Presidential Taskforce for Opportunity and Equity. I am excited about the direction the university is headed to better support the university’s Black, Indigenous and People of Color BIPOC and look forward to substantial changes being made in the near future.

I also want to take this time to recognize these last several months have been challenging for numerous reasons and the circumstances have impacted each of us differently. Whether mentally, emotionally, financially and/or otherwise, we have all been impacted by an incredibly challenging time in our nation. Please take note there are several offices and resources across campus prepared to help you as we navigate this season. Some that come to mind include but are not limited to: Auburn Cares, Student Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Financial Services and many more.

Lastly, please know that my team and I have worked tirelessly to cater to you since our installation in March. I have been so incredibly proud of the way each and every member of our team has fulfilled SGA’s mission statement of, “serving and promoting the individual student; unifying all that is Auburn.” We do not plan to stop any time soon. You can stay engaged with us by attending our virtual programming, connecting with your School’s Council representatives and Student Senators, submitting an Auburn Answers on our website and so much more. Check out our social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay updated as we launch our new SGA and Auburn Answers websites.

This will be a challenging semester for all of us. We will all be navigating unprecedented circumstances. Yet, I am confident we will do so the only way we know how: as the Auburn family. Please let me know if my team or I can do anything for you. Stay safe, study hard and enjoy the semester. War Eagle!

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