March 30, 2020
Dear Student:
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb issued a "Stay at Home" Executive Order that is now in place and lasts through April 6 at 11:59 p.m. The purpose of this and other actions by the Governor is to stop the spread of the respiratory disease COVID-19. During his address, Governor Holcomb asked every person to be part of the solution and not the problem.
Our University has taken extraordinary steps to comply with the order and be part of the solution. And now, I write to you today to ask you to do the same wherever you are. If you are a current Ball State student who continues to live in Muncie, we strongly urge that you remain mindful of how your actions and choices can be part of the solution or part of the problem.
COVID-19 is dangerous for many in our community, including older adults and people with severe underlying medical conditions. Consider a member of your family or friend who is an older adult, who lives in a nursing home or long-term care facility, is pregnant, or has a high risk condition like chronic lung disease, serious heart condition, or immunocompromised. You can save the lives of others while protecting yourself.
Start by staying at home and avoiding close contact with other people. As members of the Ball State community, we are called upon to act in a socially responsible way by treating each person with courtesy, compassion, and dignity. There is no better time to live our Beneficence Pledge than now.
Let us resolve to live our Beneficence values every day in response to COVID-19. Thank you to those who have taken the extraordinary actions to be part of the solution. We can all get through this if we do our part. You may learn more about the University’s response and student resources at bsu.edu/coronavirus.
Let us finish the semester strong.
