This fall semester at Memorial has been unlike any other in our history.

Like many of you, I deeply missed the opportunity to make in-person connections at our regular fall welcome celebrations.

We all missed the excitement of the first weeks of the university community experience and the overall feeling of the start of a new academic year on campus.

I know this is a difficult time for many of you. I have heard you talk about the isolation you feel, the lack of peer contact, the challenge of courses being remote and your overall fatigue.

Flexible and positive

It is truly remarkable that despite these challenges, you push forward, determined, flexible, understanding, positive and driven to get through these difficult times.

Faculty and staff are working very hard to create an effective and positive environment.

You are to be congratulated for the strength you have shown through these difficult times, and even though there are moments of frustration and days when you may not feel connected to your professors or your peers, know that we are all in this together.

The university is here to support you no matter where you are, or what difficulty you may face as we navigate remote teaching and learning. Please reach out.

And be kind to yourself as well as your friends, fellow students, family, faculty and staff – we are all in this together.

Seek out support

Even though we cannot connect face-to-face, I encourage you to keep the lines of communication open with your instructors and peers, and most of all, never hesitate to reach out for help when you need it. We are adapting supports for these unique circumstances.

There are a wide variety of resources at your fingertips, including wellness and counselling services, academic and career advising services, accessibility services, help centres and much more. Seek out these supports.

I wish you all the best as you move into the final few weeks of the semester. You’ve got this.