Stephen F. Austin State University

The Fall 2021 semester is upon us. After more than 18 months into the pandemic, our focus is to safely restore and preserve as much normalcy and as many in-person learning experiences as possible for our students. The Delta variant has rapidly accelerated the spread of COVID-19 in our area, and we recommend some specific actions:

• Get vaccinated at any locally available site.
• Wear a facecovering or mask in public indoor settings, to protect others.
• Consider having events outdoors or in other highly ventilated or sanitized areas.
• Accommodate some meetings or other gatherings through Zoom or Teams.
• Encourage, but do not require, any of these actions, to remain in compliance with Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Order GA-38.

Governor Abbott has spoken about personal responsibility, which is about watching out for how you impact others by making good decisions yourself.

Protecting against COVID-19 is not just about you or your health. Even if you have previously had COVID, been vaccinated or otherwise do not believe you will personally get seriously ill, you can carry the virus and spread it to children, individuals with comorbidities and others who do not have the option to be vaccinated. In fact, you can be asymptomatic and carry the virus and not even know you are infecting others. Area hospitals, especially intensive care units (ICUs), are struggling currently with high numbers of hospitalizations.

Abiding by the principles of respect and care for each other is The SFA Way. The five principles of The SFA Way include Respect, Caring, Responsibility, Unity and Integrity. Individuals who responsibly care for their own health, and seek to protect that of others around them, are certainly living up to The SFA Way. A return to normal is continuing to conduct ourselves by these principles.

Thank you,

Scott Gordon
President