Pictured Above: Martin Tadlock serves as the Regional Chancellor at USF St. Petersburg.
Courtesy of Martha Rhine
To the editors,
I appreciate the attention The Crow’s Nest has given to how students, faculty and staff on this campus are handling the pandemic. As regional chancellor, I am especially proud of how our residential students follow the guidelines given to us by our health professionals; guidelines put into place to keep everyone as safe as possible from a new virus that we still do not fully understand. Because of the adherence to those guidelines, our infection rates have been remarkably low.
You need to know that USF leadership meets regularly to monitor the pandemic across the region, taking a deep look at each of the three campuses and their surrounding communities. Changes are made only after careful consideration of a wide array of variables to consider. While we all wish to provide as much personal freedom as possible to everyone who lives and works here, we balance that freedom with guidelines prompted by scientific evidence and the knowledge public health officials are discovering about the virus and how best to contain it. It’s always about putting the safety and health of our students first, as well as the safety and health of this campus community. That is always at the top of my list of concerns.
Like many of you, I have family members with health conditions that put them at high risk if they contract the virus. What I do to keep them safe matters most to me, and because of that, those I come in contact with and the environment surrounding us matter greatly. No one has the right to put others at risk unnecessarily, especially when we know what we should be doing to minimize that risk.
Thank you for all that you are doing to protect your fellow students and the campus community. I encourage you to continue being vigilant. I encourage you to continue to be patient, reach out to others for support as needed, find your space where you renew yourself daily, and refuse to let go of those protocols that protect others. Doing so keeps you safe and provides the balance needed to reopen much-needed businesses and services.
My gratitude to each of you!
Martin Tadlock
Regional Chancellor
