Dear Campus Colleagues,
Merced College and UC Merced have significant responsibilities in meeting the needs and addressing the well-being of our campus communities — students, faculty and staff — and fulfilling our core missions during this challenging time.
But regardless of how complex our own situations are, we cannot think of our institutions as islands, but as profoundly intertwined with our community. We have families here. We eat here, we shop here and we enjoy recreation and entertainment here. As individuals, we are wearing masks and washing our hands and keeping our distance like everyone else. However, as leaders in education in Merced County, this is simply not enough.
We are all part of the same Merced community, and as major institutions, we at UC Merced and Merced College take our role in the community very seriously. And while we must protect our own campuses — and ourselves and our families — we also believe we have an obligation to work together to help our city and our region alleviate this public health crisis.
