Checking in – a message from Chancellor Paul Pitre

March 19, 2020

Greetings #EverCougs students, faculty, and staff,

I’m checking in with you during your Spring Break and this unprecedented public health crisis because I want you to know that you are not alone. We are in this together, EverCougs, and we have dedicated teams at WSU Everett to support you in earning your degree.

In a different kind of disaster, we would all rush together. When rains flooded our building last fall, students and staff came together to clear the water. When the mudslide hit our neighbors in Oso, we put money into fundraisers and then students focused projects and learning into helping to re-establish businesses in Darrington and Arlington.

In this public health crisis, we must come together in a different way that keeps us physically apart. That can go against our nature, but we must comply with the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and our Snohomish Health District.

We must take care of our families, friends, colleagues and classmates, and sometimes that means staying away and finding alternative modes of communication. Thankfully, we live in a time with technology that allows us to continue our studies and our lives, albeit via online platforms.

That’s why we’re so excited to welcome everyone back for all your classes on Monday – even if that isn’t in the form of being physically at 915 N. Broadway.

With public crisis comes some sacrifice. WSU Everett has updated hours, and updated procedures to utilize a building with restricted access. They are in place for the safety of our community. Being healthy at any given moment isn’t enough anymore. We know that mitigating exposure will save lives. We have been called upon to lead, and that’s what we’ll do, despite the short-term discomfort it may cause.

We’re going to be careful. We’re going to make good decisions. We’re going to pay attention to evidence shared by our public health leaders. And yes, we’re going to have a successful learning environment.

Until this subsides and we can reconvene on campus, please check in regularly with your professors and advisers, along with your WSU email and Blackboard at learn.wsu.edu.

Sincerely,

Paul Pitre, Chancellor
WSU Everett & Everett University Center