Message to Rutgers Alumni and Friends Regarding COVID-19 Outbreak

March 17, 2020

Dear Alumni and Friends of Rutgers University:

In the best of times, we at Rutgers wish you and your loved ones the utmost health and happiness. At extraordinary moments such as this, the sentiment takes on new meaning. Whether this finds you in Piscataway, New York, California, or Japan, we know that your life has changed.

Life at Rutgers has changed, too, but it has not stopped. As you most likely know, Rutgers remains open and has taken a number of actions in the interest of the health and safety of its students, faculty, and staff. When students return from spring break, on Monday, March 23, course instruction will be delivered remotely. Our staff at Rutgers University Foundation is working remotely as well.

These were not easy decisions to make, and as you know conditions continue to change hourly. For our students, these changes often bring complications—lost wages, transportation issues, food insecurity, and more. Many of you have reached out with offers of assistance and expressions of concern. We thank you for those offers. For more information about how to help students encountering difficulties, please visit the Rutgers University Foundation homepage. Your gifts help provide emergency funds for students at every part of Rutgers, and the university continues to receive and process your gifts.

Please be aware that ongoing updates about the university’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak are here, and that Rutgers Today provides ongoing news coverage. We will continue to update you as well through Rutgers University Foundation and Rutgers University Alumni Association channels.

A few updates we can share now: We have delayed or canceled a number of initiatives and events, most recently postponing Rutgers Giving Day, scheduled for March 25 (new date TBD), and postponing Alumni Weekend in New Brunswick, which was to have occurred April 24-25 (new plans TBD). A number of other alumni and donor events also have been canceled or postponed; we continue to monitor the situation and adjust plans as needed. We are looking forward to having you with us, whether in person or virtually, and to celebrating Rutgers’ tremendous impact on the world and our lives. We will post updates about alumni association events on the Ralumni.com events page and will contact donor-event invitees separately about the status of those gatherings.

It has been inspiring to witness the Rutgers community come together on behalf of one another and in service to the greater good. We will continue to work together to help address this crisis. We speak often of Rutgers’ drive to improve the human condition. This drive has rarely been more relevant. Please stay safe and be well.

Sincerely,

Nevin

Nevin Kessler
President, Rutgers University Foundation
Executive Vice President, Development and Alumni Relations