Vikings Respond to Community Needs

Dear Alumni and Friends,

During these extraordinary times, I am continuously proud of Salem State’s alumni and friends—and our faculty members and students. This is the first week that the university has moved to remote instruction. I would like to give a huge shout out to our faculty who have re-conceived their classes midway through the semester while continuing to help students who may be experiencing anxieties around learning online, disruption of their campus community and most likely, the loss of their jobs.

I recently shared details about the newly created Student Emergency Fund that has been established to assist Salem State students who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and friends, in just a few short days we raised $3,200 for our students in need – and donations continue to come in.

I am grateful for the care and concern that our Vikings have for each other’s well-being, even for those who they may not personally know. In addition to helping our students, we are committed to the well-being of our surrounding community—many of whom are alumni.

This week Salem State donated nearly 40,000 pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – including 34,000 gloves, over 1,100 gowns, 920 medical masks, 139 procedure masks with visors, 80 N95 face masks, 45 nasal cannula, 29 nasopharyngeal swab sets, and 300 shoe covers – for distribution to medical institutions and local nonprofits that serve others in the region. Read President Keenan’s message to our community on the university’s COVID-19 resource page.

We are also working as quickly and as safely as possible to prepare some of our residential buildings and the O’Keefe Complex for external use, if needed.

To our Vikings who are serving on the frontlines of this crisis, whether it be in healthcare, public safety, social work, caregiving, at the grocery store and pharmacy, and more: thank you.

I am deeply honored to be a part of the Viking community and am grateful to be working alongside all of you as we rise to the challenges ahead.

Health and happiness,

Cheryl Crounse

Vice President of Institutional Advancement