November 11, 2021 message from President Kolison

Dear Fredonia community:

Happy Thursday evening! I hope your week has been great.

Veterans Day
On this Veterans Day, I offer special recognition to all who have served our country with honor, bravery and courage. You have our enduring respect and appreciation for your service to our country! I want to extend an invitation to everyone to attend our annual Veterans Remembrance Ceremony this Friday at 3:30 p.m. in the Williams Center MPR. In addition to the ceremony, The Fallen Stars Memorial Mural and Display will also be exhibited. It includes the photos, names, hometowns, ranks and branches of service of the 321 servicemen and servicewomen from New York who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. The memorial was brought to Fredonia by one of its creators, alumnus Raymond Lenarcic, '65.

COVID-19 Update
As of this morning, we have 14 active cases of COVID-19 among students. While that is still relatively low, there has been a slow progression to this number over the past few weeks, which serves as a reminder of the challenge involved in overcoming this virus. I appreciate everything that you are doing to keep our infection rate low.  Please keep at it.  Please remain vigilant.  

Fall Sweep
Thank you to all the student clubs and organizations that supported the Fredonia community by participating in the annual Fall Sweep. Many residents rely on this service and appreciate that our students volunteer their time and energy. 
 

Students raking leaves in the fall.

FREDwell Lounge Recognition
I would like to congratulate everyone connected with the creation and development of the FREDwell Lounge in the Williams Center, which has clearly made a very positive impact on students and has improved the quality of the student experience on our campus. In a virtual ceremony, the State University of New York Chief Student Affairs Officers and the Office of University Life recently awarded Fredonia an Outstanding Student Affairs Program Award in the category of “Student Health, Wellness, and Counseling.”

Getting to the finish line
Faculty, I want to thank you for your work with our students.  The challenges of COVID-19 are still with us, although not as they were during the last academic year.  Please know that I appreciate everything you are doing to ensure excellent teaching, learning, service, and scholarship. 

Students, the finish line is in sight.  I hope that excites and re-energizes you.  If you need some help to get to the finish line, please consider the following:

Academic

  • Tutoring Services, located on the 4th floor of the Reed Library is staffed by Fredonia students who have excelled academically and know what it takes to be successful.  So whether you need help understanding difficult material or learning new study strategies, students can benefit from these services.  For more information visit https://www.fredonia.edu/academics/tutoring-services.  An online tutoring schedule is available at https://www.starny.org/tutoring_schedule and Circlein, a free studying app.

Financial


Personally/Emotionally

  • Game Nights at the Library: Reed Library is hosting a series of board game nights to celebrate their new board game collection on Monday, November 15 and Wednesday, November 17 from 6-8 p.m. During these stressful times, it is important to give yourself breaks. Keep an eye out for additional fun, light-hearted, events in the library over the next few weeks.

  • Counseling Center website includes information about Fred Wellness Lounge, “Mindful Walk Across the Campus, and the “mystrength.com” website with strategies for mental health, anxiety, sleeping issues, and much more.

  • Watch for “Destress for Success” events the week before final exams.

Above all, please don’t be afraid to ask for HELP, whether it is from your advisor, faculty, staff, personnel in Residence Life, or a friend. We are all vested in your wellbeing and academic success.

Until next Thursday, take care and have a wonderful weekend.

Very warm regards,

Dr. K

 

Stephen H. Kolison, Jr., Ph.D.
President and Professor

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