Dear All,
As prelude to important items of business below, let me share six guideposts as we deliberate and make decisions under conditions of uncertainty. These have been helpful to me and perhaps will be to you, too, particularly as you see them reflected in choices made and still to come.
- We do not have all the answers and there is a lot we do not know. Have humility: things unimaginable eight weeks ago are true today.
- Be flexible. Strive for nimbleness and readiness. Decisions we make today may be temporary; keep the future in mind as we shape the present.
- Just because we are uncomfortable in uncertainty—and most of us are uncomfortable with uncertainty—avoid making premature or precipitous decisions. Make peace with contingency planning.
- Over time, uncertainties become certainties. Things we guess at today will have some “truth” in June, August, October, beyond. Shape outcomes where we can to achieve decisions by design, rather than by default.
- In shaping outcomes, be true to our mission, values, identity, and what people—our employees, our students and their families, our state—seek and need from us.
- Have compassion and empathy. Although our circumstances vary, many feel tremendous stress and strain, and all have been disrupted.
Spring 2020 Tuition. We continue to receive questions about whether TCNJ will be adjusting spring 2020 tuition due to the disruption from coronavirus. We will not. Let me elaborate.
As is the case at most public institutions, TCNJ tuition levels are highly discounted from the actual costs of education. In-state tuition reflects an additional discount, which the State of New Jersey offsets in small part with an annual appropriation. (Since March the state has held back 50 percent of this anticipated revenue.) As announced, the college is refunding $13.4 million in prorated room and board charges for residential students who were obligated to leave campus in mid-March. Despite the closing of the campus, TCNJ continues to provide education and academic support to students. The offerings constitute thousands of courses now delivered remotely by TCNJ professors and an array of support services, including tutoring, supplemental instruction, counseling, advising, mentoring, career services, and telehealth, among others. Costs associated with these offerings remain. We believe that the academic credits earned, the ability to make progress toward degrees, and the opportunities for academic and social support carry value well in excess of tuition revenues, even with the virus-driven temporary changes to educational delivery.
Fall 2020 Operations. Many wish to know when TCNJ will make the decision about whether fall 2020 is “online” or “on-ground.” The answer, reflecting several of the six guideposts, is that we will wait as long as possible to make a final determination, anticipated in June. This timetable provides time to follow the progression of the coronavirus, understand better the impact and imperatives of social distancing, and prepare accordingly for the fall semester.
I should say that it remains our fervent hope that we will be back on campus in some fashion in the fall. The determination depends on health and safety factors, including our ability to ensure safety through disinfection and social distancing. We will no doubt call upon everyone’s deepest wells of commitment and creativity to thrive in the months to come.
Federal Emergency Grants for Students. Earlier this week we received final authorization and funding to disburse $2.7 million in federal emergency grants to students. By early next week students will receive notice about how to apply for this support via a simple form that helps us understand your circumstances and needs. The federal government has clarified that funds are intended for the “exclusive purpose of providing emergency financial aid grants to students for their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations: food, housing, course materials/technology, healthcare, and childcare.” I ask all members of the TCNJ community to please direct notice of this aid to students with needs. Our overarching goal is to enable students to continue their education at TCNJ despite the coronavirus impact.
Spring 2020 Normalcy. It has been inspiring to watch the resilience of our community. In the face of adversity, you have found creative ways to carry on and achieve a sense of normalcy. Many clubs and organizations have continued operations. Zoom meetings abound to connect networks of friends and classmates. Elections are occurring for new leadership in the year to come. The virtual commencement on May 21 will be meaningful and memorable.
Let me call out a few particularly uplifting—and visually accessible—recent examples. Thanks to a collaboration between Enrollment Management (including our stalwart and talented Ambassadors), Communications and Marketing, and each Academic School, TCNJ mounted a phenomenal “virtual accepted students day” to enlighten and inspire prospective TCNJ enrollees. If you have not already seen the site and its dozens of offerings, prepare to be motivated and impressed. Please pass along the link to students who may be considering TCNJ in their future.
I shared two other spirit-boosting examples with faculty and staff earlier this week. These videos—precious jewels indeed—offer visual demonstration of our talented and caring community. The first, a virtual alma mater, is the product of a collaboration between TCNJ Music Department, the School of Arts and Communications, the Center for the Arts, and our wind ensemble and voice students. The second, a video created and produced by our sensational staff and students in Communications, Marketing, and Brand Management offers accepted students, and all of us really, a glimpse of life at our very special institution.
Yesterday was the official celebration of the April 23 birthday of William Shakespeare (b. 1564). I would like to close with a line from Act 2, scene 1 of As You Like It:
“Sweet are the uses of adversity”
This is a time of great hardship and sorrow, and our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones, are ailing, or caring for others. Yet in this adversity comes sweetness. We applaud and take pride in acts of everyday heroism and service by the members of our extended campus community. Thank you, all, for demonstrating such character and care in equal high measure.
With gratitude, hope and determination,
Kathryn A. Foster
President