March 11, 2020
Dear Alumnae and Friends,
In recent days, the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College has been monitoring closely the news on the outbreak of the COVID 19 virus and its threat to public safety. The AADC’s priority is the safety of our alumnae, staff and community. On Tuesday, Rutgers University announced significant changes to classroom instruction, campus living, public gatherings and travel plans.
This unprecedented health crisis requires unprecedented action. To ensure the safety of our alumnae, our staff and volunteers, the AADC has decided to postpone upcoming events, including the Smart Talk on composting scheduled for April 4, the AADC Celebrates Founders Day and Alumnae Awards Luncheon on April 18, and our Annual Event to Honor Benefactors the following week, on April 26. We will be exploring options on rescheduling of these events and coming up with alternate methods of communicating with alumnae. Our Alumnae Council meeting, originally scheduled for April 18, will be held through electronic communications, except for the process of voting for Board members and Nominating Committee members. Alumnae Council members will receive separate communications about voting.
We have no plans in place
at this time
to cancel events scheduled in May or our AADC Alumnae Reunion Weekend in June, but we will continue to monitor the rapidly changing situation to evaluate that possibility.
AADC Committee, Regional and Affinity Networks meetings will be held via conference call coordinated by the staff liaison and committee chairs. Our offices at the Ruth Schilling Hennessy Alumnae Center will be closed to protect the safety of our staff and volunteers effective March 12, but our staff will be working remotely from home. We encourage alumnae to stay involved and informed through our various AADC communications that include email messaging, social media, text messages and our website, www.douglassalumnae.org. If you have questions, email us at douglassalumnae@douglassalumnae.org.
On behalf of the AADC Board of Directors, leadership and staff, thank you to all members of our alumnae community who have come together to prepare and help put preventative steps in place as we navigate this emerging situation. Please take every precaution to ensure your own personal safety and that of your family and loved ones.
Sincerely,
Helen Galt ‘69
Acting President
Associate Alumnae of Douglass College
