Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response
Updates and Information for the Notre Dame Community
Each morning Father Jenkins walks from his apartment on campus to his office under the Dome. In a Spring Town Hall meeting, live-streamed this afternoon, he commented on the stunning beauty of campus in full bloom today, but also how “it’s empty without you.”
University of Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., earlier today directed that federal funding related to coronavirus relief and received by the University be used exclusively for direct financial aid to students whose families have been struck by unemployment or otherwise upended by the pandemic.…
Each morning Father Jenkins walks from his apartment on campus to his office under the Dome. In a Spring Town Hall meeting, live-streamed this afternoon, he commented on the stunning beauty of campus in full bloom today, but also how “it’s empty without you.”
University of Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., earlier today directed that federal funding related to coronavirus relief and received by the University be used exclusively for direct financial aid to students whose families have been struck by unemployment or otherwise upended by the pandemic.…
Dear Colleagues:
As we approach the end of what has been the most unusual semester in my experience, I want to thank you for your remarkable pivot to online instruction for the second half of the semester. Although I’m sure I do not know most of what you have done, the stories I have heard of your hard work and tremendous creativity in offering the best instruction possible, despite the constraints of the online platform, are inspiring. Many have commented on the genuine sense of solidarity you have shown as scholars and educators to continue your work under these unprecedented conditions.…
Fr. Jenkins: Lives in disarray, then “peace be with you.” Fr. Jenkins delivered an Easter message of hope from inside the Basilica that was seen by over 25,000 viewers this week.
Dear Members of the Class of 2020:
As you know well, among the great disappointments caused by the coronavirus pandemic is our inability to gather safely as a University community together with your parents, guardians, and loved ones and celebrate your many accomplishments with the traditional Commencement ceremonies and festivities we had planned for May 15-17, 2020. Instead, the full celebration of your Commencement has been postponed until Memorial Day weekend 2021, when we will gather to properly honor our 2020 graduates with a Commencement ceremony in Notre Dame Stadium, a Commencement Mass, and other ceremonies and events to mark this important occasion in your lives and the life of Our Lady’s University.…
Dear Graduate Students,
Let me start by thanking you for all that you are doing to continue your learning and research through these challenging circumstances. And, thank you for reaching out to us as you have questions. We are working through these, and a seemingly endless list of other issues that are unique for this time. Below I provide an update on the issues that have been resolved. Please keep asking and bringing to our attention any additional unique needs. …
FOX Business News today asked Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president, to reflect on the separations caused by coronavirus during Passover and Easter. He discussed the opportunity for prayer and reflection in this difficult time and, while apart, remind friends and family why we love them. See the broadcast here…
Dear Members of the Notre Dame Community,
As the profound impacts of the global pandemic continue to unfold and evolve, I hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. I am grateful to you for the resilience, creativity, and character you have shown as we navigate these challenging times together. …
Dear Notre Dame Community,
This week, Fr. Jenkins contacted the Class of 2020 on Tuesday to update them about the conferral of degrees on May 17 and ideas for a commencement celebration during Memorial Day weekend 2021. He said that a student committee would soon be convened…
Dear Members of the Notre Dame Community,
This past month has been as unsettling and challenging as any time in our lives. Thankfully, I have also witnessed many moments of grace and generosity, affording me numerous opportunities to reflect on what it means to be part of the Notre Dame community. I am inspired by the selfless service and compassion I have seen in action at every level, confirming that we can accomplish more than we thought possible when we come together. Thank you for your efforts and for so beautifully embodying the spirit of Notre Dame.…
Dear Members of the Class of 2020,
I write to let you know that we will soon convene a student committee that will help us plan the events of Memorial Day weekend 2021. The details of those days will be determined by discussions with that committee, but we expect them to include the traditional elements of a Notre Dame Commencement—a Mass, a Convocation in Notre Dame Stadium with traditional cap and gown, college and departmental ceremonies, the Last Visit to the Grotto, and a Commencement Ball.…
University president Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., delivers a message of thanks to the Notre Dame community
Dear Notre Dame undergraduates,
As you may know, yesterday, Father John shared with the senior class that the University would not hold in-person Commencement ceremonies on May 16-17 as originally planned; instead, Commencement will be held in stages, with an online ceremony on May 17 and in-person celebrations on Memorial Day weekend of 2021. As Father John said in his letter to seniors, public health experts have made it clear it would not be prudent in the coming weeks to bring together on campus large gatherings of families from across the country and around the world. …
In a letter today to the Class of 2020, University of Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., announced that the University Commencement Ceremony on May 17 will be held online rather than in Notre Dame Stadium.
Dear Graduate and Professional Students of the Class of 2020:
I write now to you a letter I had hoped I would not need to send. We have all been following the news about the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and I have consulted with several experts on infectious diseases. Although there remains a good deal of uncertainty about the trajectory and duration of the pandemic, it is becoming clear that it would not be prudent to host on May 16-17 the Notre Dame Commencement on our campus—a large gathering bringing together families from across the country and around the world, many with older and at-risk members. The Notre Dame Commencement weekend means so much to our graduates, their families, our faculty and to me personally, and so it is with greatest regret that I tell you we will not be able to gather you on campus for Commencement this May.…
Dear Members of the Class of 2020:
I write now to you a letter I had hoped I would not need to send. We have all been following the news about the spread of the novel coronavirus, and I have consulted with several experts on infectious diseases. Although there remains a good deal of uncertainty about the trajectory and duration of the pandemic, it is becoming clear that it would not be prudent to host on May 16-17 the Notre Dame Commencement on our campus—a large gathering bringing together families from across the country and around the world, many with older and at-risk members. The Notre Dame Commencement and the events leading up to it mean so much to our graduates, their families, our faculty and to me personally, and so it is with greatest regret that I tell you we will not be able to gather you on campus for Commencement this May.…
Dear Colleagues,
I have never seen our beautiful campus so quiet, eerily quiet. Yet I know that you—whether working in your offices or labs on campus or remotely from home—have been putting enormous effort into teaching online classes, continuing your research and scholarship, advising students, and conducting the business of your departments, institutes, schools, and colleges. By all reports, our students also have adapted to this new environment and continue to progress toward their degrees. …
Dear Notre Dame Students,
I hope this letter finds you, your families, and your friends safe and doing well in the midst of these challenging times. Numerous faculty members have relayed to me stories of your patience, resilience, and good humor as you resumed your classes online this week. I am grateful to you for that as well as for your efforts in many distant locations to maintain the strong sense of community we work so hard to build at Notre Dame. …
The transition from in-classroom instruction to distant teaching and learning went smoothly this week. There was also more clarity about policies as they pertain to grades, employment, tenure track and other issues of importance to students, faculty and staff.
Dear Members of the Notre Dame Community,
My deepest thanks for the teamwork, dedication and compassion you have demonstrated in this unprecedented time. The coronavirus pandemic has presented truly extraordinary challenges for the world and our nation, as well as for the University of Notre Dame. I am humbled and inspired by the way you have responded with care and concern for one another.…