September 4, 2019
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
Over the past several days, our University community has dealt with the considerable uncertainty and danger surrounding Hurricane Dorian. As we now begin to return to our offices and classrooms, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to all those who played a vital role in ensuring that we were well prepared for this storm.
I would like to extend a special “thank you” to the Office of Public Safety, Facilities, Human Resources, Information Technology, Housing and Residence Life, Payroll and our Emergency Management Team for working quickly and efficiently before, during and after this dangerous storm. These individuals approach protecting all of us and our campuses with the same skill, determination and thoroughness that they do with their own families and homes. Please join me in expressing our appreciation to all of them.
I also would like to compliment our students, faculty and staff for your patience as we monitored the path of the storm. As you all observed, the size, intensity, and pace of this storm made decision-making especially complex. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding.
While we’ve been mostly fortunate in South and Central Florida in terms of damage from the storm, tragically, the same cannot be said for our friends in The Bahamas, which is home to many of our students and alumni, and several locations where we offer classes. As I’m sure you’ve seen in the news, many parts of The Bahamas have been completely devastated by the storm and the entire country is in a state of emergency.
While we continue to pray for the safety and recovery for everyone in The Bahamas, we are also called to immediate action to assist in relief efforts. I have asked Dr. Jill Farrell, Dean of the School of Education, and Karen Stalnaker, Director of Campus Ministry, to organize a comprehensive plan for the Barry University community to help support the most pressing needs. Tomorrow, we will be assembling a task force with members from a wide, cross-section of departments, and in collaboration with our student leadership organizations will coordinate an institutional effort to assist in The Bahamas. Additional information about how you can get involved will be shared in the coming days.
I am proud to be part of our Barry Community with all of you and look forward to seeing our collective strength unified in this effort.
Sincerely,
Mike Allen, Ph.D.
President, Barry University