Acknowledging Resilience With Admiration and Appreciation
August 23, 2024
Dear Stony Brook Campus Community,
As we come to the close of a week that tested the resilience of the entire Stony Brook University community, I would like to take a moment to express how much I deeply appreciate and admire all of you.
To our new and returning students … Thank you for being patient and flexible as we sorted out the impact of the ferocious flooding across our campus, including the residence halls. We know you and your parents and family members were inconvenienced and disappointed. But you stayed the course and never lost sight of the promise of your future here as a Seawolf. We are excited to bring you the best of what Stony Brook has to offer as we move forward.
To our committed faculty, staff and administrators … You took the concept of innovative and collaborative problem solving to a whole new level. Many of you arrived on campus in the middle of the storm to immediately begin the hard work of assessing the damage, and then you spent all week managing the ongoing restoration process with the overriding goal of ensuring the safety and accessibility of our campus:
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Scores of teams were formed across departments and divisions to take on the herculean challenge of reassigning students to alternative housing that guaranteed every first-year student housing and the campus life they were looking forward to.
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Week of Welcome events were rescheduled. There was no way this storm was going to stop the team who spent all summer planning activities from making new students feel the spirit of community and connection that defines the Stony Brook experience! You made rescheduling events look easy and went even further by adding more activities to accommodate the changes in the week's schedules.
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And, your communications provided a constant source of critical information, all with an eye toward ensuring the safety and comfort of everyone on campus.
As I have met and spoken with a number of you in the last few days – faculty, students, staff, administrators and leaders all across campus – I have been impressed, but not surprised, with your optimism, determination and ability to bounce back from this untimely challenge. I am so grateful you are at Stony Brook and I am glad to be here with you, too.
We will continue working every day to minimize disruptions and inconveniences as best as we can, and to make sure that you have a truly memorable and productive year. The university will keep you frequently updated, and we will do our best to respond as quickly as possible to any questions or concerns you might have along the way.
Thank you for all you do for Stony Brook.
Sincerely,
Richard L. McCormick
Interim President