Expressing Gratitude
This information is archived as of May 26, 2020, and is saved here for reference. See latest health information.
April 20, 2020
Dear members of the Central family,
I want to lead with a huge thank you for continuing to do great things during times of adversity. I am especially grateful to our staff members who are adjusting to changes in their circumstances in order to keep Central in a position of strength for the future. I appreciate the incredible adaptability of our faculty and students in this remote learning environment as well.
While we are all contributing to our shared success in different ways, I say with confidence that we all are committed to optimizing our position and the great things ahead for the fall semester. And, we all cannot wait to celebrate the return of students in August!
Health and Care
None of this has been easy and it’s important that you care for yourself and others.
Employees
Remember, EAP offers free webinars and tools for Central College employees.
Students
Counseling services are available for students. If you are having difficulty managing your anxiety and stress, reach out to Counseling Services for FREE telehealth (video-based) counseling support. To ask any questions about counseling services or make an appointment, contact the student development office at (studentdevelopment@central.edu) or call 641-628-5293.
Commencement
We are in the process of collecting feedback on two date options for a fall commencement ceremony. For the time being, please hold Saturday, Sept. 12, and Sunday, Sept. 27.
Student Refunds
Last week all on-campus students received information and options related to their account credits for room and board expenses. Students who have questions should contact Wayne Dille, director of financial aid, at 641-628-5336 or dillew@central.edu. Students who studied on our international programs will receive information later this week.
Summer
We continue to explore options for summer activities on campus – those related to both longer duration events and programs, and also those more condensed in nature.
Summer undergraduate research will be hosted on campus for Central students. Housing for summer interns and undergraduate research students will be available.
Celebrations
- Thursday was to be the original date of our annual scholarship dinner where we celebrate private support from donors that aids students in the forms of both annual and endowed scholarships. While we will miss hosting more than 600 students, parents and donors for this truly inspirational time that connects the Central family, you can browse the evening’s program.
- Another cherished tradition at Central College is the Dutchies. With deep thanks to sports information, SAAC leadership and communications, the fifth annual Dutchies event will be held virtually, Sunday at 6:30 p.m. To join in, go to the college’s YouTube channel.
- The celebration of faculty achievements and announcements of award recipients is another favorite tradition. We are exploring ways to announce these honors and share with the community in the coming weeks.
- There also will be many student awards to celebrate in the weeks ahead.
- The annual Celebration of Student Scholarship and Inquiry will occur via the web this year. Student work will be available to view beginning April 30.
- While we are eager to celebrate the return of our current students, we also are very excited to welcome a new class of students this fall! A wonderful class is building. As of April 17, we have 258 deposited new first-year students and 11 transfers. I’ve shared this before but it’s worth saying again – while we never could have predicted what is happening in the world today, our new annual tuition price of $18,600 and our commitments to families mean even more now.
- Thank you to everyone who is helping recruit students; it will be a reward to see all the smiling faces this fall. Thank you again for your keeping your Central spirit alive. We look forward to the day when we can be all together again.
Mark L. Putnam
President, Central College