December 16, 2022

Good morning students, faculty, staff, friends and family,

I wanted to reach out with a brief message this morning as we make our way through this challenging week and look forward to Commencement ceremonies this afternoon. North Dakota weather shows little mercy at times, and this week of finals was frustrating for many of us as we worked to close out the semester but also remain safe. I have heard from many of you and I acknowledge the frustrations.

For today, I want to let everyone know that Commencement ceremonies will be held as scheduled. My hope is the deserving graduates and their proud supporters have found their way here and can fully enjoy this long-anticipated celebration. For others, remember the ceremonies are live-streamed on YouTube and recorded, so loved ones can participate virtually. I’m very much looking forward to participating in my first NDSU Commencement.

I would also like to express my deep gratitude to the many dedicated employees who have worked so hard to keep campus open and final exams running during this challenging weather week. Facilities staff started work at 2 a.m. most days, and put in long hours on snow removal. Dining workers also deserve a shout out, as they make sure our students and employees always have options, regardless of the conditions. Residence Life is another great example of staff going the extra mile to accommodate students. And of course, thank you to our faculty and student services staff who were incredibly flexible in ensuring our students could complete their final exams under such difficult circumstances. 

I want to assure you that we gather enormous amounts of weather data and thoroughly discuss implications of closing or remaining open in these circumstances. I would also like to remind supervisors to be as flexible and understanding as possible when we face these sorts of weather events. No one solution serves all of our community, and this week was particularly complex to navigate.

Thank you all for your commitment to NDSU, and congratulations to the graduates and their friends and families.

Sincerely,

David Cook, President