Dear students,
We hope you are safe and healthy, and that you are adjusting as well as possible to our new remote learning environment.
While none of us pictured Finals Week like this when we began the semester, we want you to know that we are especially proud of how Marquette students have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The resilience and flexibility you all have shown — despite the many challenges of transitioning to a remote learning format — has been remarkable to observe, and we know that faculty and staff share this sense of pride.
As we enter this last week of the semester, we encourage each of you to care for yourselves in the same way you have shown care for one another these past few months. Our world is already experiencing immense levels of stress and anxiety, and we know that Finals Week often contributes to those feelings for students. Please take time for breaks, proper meals and getting as much sleep as possible.
The university put together some helpful resources for students during COVID-19 on Marquette’s coronavirus website. This page includes information on remote learning technology, best practices for online education, resources for underrepresented students, resources for graduate students and more. We hope you will use these resources when you need them.
While you may not be spending late nights in Raynor Library studying with friends, or sharing donuts on the bridge with President Lovell, we hope you’ve found a comfortable study space at home and that your virtual meetings with classmates and professors have been productive.
We are especially thinking of our graduating students right now. Please know that the time will come when you can be together again, reminiscing about your favorite Marquette memories and anticipating what the next chapter of your lives will hold.
We look forward to the rescheduled August 30 Commencement ceremony, when you can properly celebrate your time at Marquette with friends and family by your side. Please know how much we appreciated your time on campus and that you will always have a home at Marquette.
Finally, we hope all of you have found things that bring you peace and joy amid the chaos. Whether that be meditation, yoga, going for walks or catching up with friends virtually.
In that spirit, we wanted to share a particularly relevant prayer on Marquette’s Faith website that you might find helpful right now:
God our Father, as I begin this time of exams, I feel
some anxiety and frustration. Help me to stay focused.
Give me a clear mind to perform to the best of my ability.
Help me to study with dedication and vigor. Grant
me silence so that I may process the knowledge I have
obtained. Let me sleep peacefully at night, so that I am
refreshed and renewed for my upcoming exams.
Be with me, Lord, during this time. Undoubtedly,
there will be moments when I want to quit and give
up. Please sustain me, Lord. Guide me during times of
trouble. Help me to realize that I have done my best
possible work. Let me be satisfied with the work I have
done, but also help me to see areas that I may improve
upon academically in the future. Amen.
We Are Marquette,
Dr. Kimo Ah Yun
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Xavier Cole
Vice President of Student Affairs