A Message from the President

January 25, 2021

Welcome to the spring 2021 semester!

I hope you had time to rejuvenate during the break and are prepared to move forward toward your goals for the remainder of the academic year. Whether you will be on the campus or engaging remotely, I am encouraged by your Bulldog spirit. In addition to our ongoing vigilance on safety, we continue our efforts to achieve the priorities of the Racing to Excellence Strategic Plan. Our focus remains on academic excellence, student success and the long-term viability of the institution. I want to highlight our efforts to support new partnerships, expand experiential education and honor our legacy as the first HBCU in the state of Maryland.

Points of Pride

The achievements of our faculty, staff and students last semester provide many reasons for us all to celebrate our Bulldog Pride. Our students competed in national and global competitions, including the AT&T HBCU Challenge, HBCU Battle of the Brains and Moguls in the Making. Two business administration students – Dajah Chambers and Brianna Hooks – were on the winning team for the International Business Agility Labs: Accounting competition.

Our faculty achievements also shone brightly. Four professors – Drs. Devyn Gillette, Lethia Jackson, Joan Langdon and Ometha Lewis-Jack – were featured on a list of 1,000 Inspiring Black Scientists in America by Cell Mentor, an online resource from scientific journal publisher Cell Press. Dr. Erica Hernandez was a top 25 winner of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s idea competition focused on the future of undergraduate STEM education. Dr. Julius Davis received the Campus Compact Mid-Atlantic’s Early Career Engaged Scholarship Award, recognizing his outstanding research in curricular and co-curricular service-learning. These are just some highlights of the many achievements of the talented members of the BSU community

Additionally, the university partnered with Google and Apple on educational initiatives and received major donations from Truist and LAIKA animation studio to support student success, in addition to our largest-ever gift of $25 million form philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. These are just some highlights of the many achievements of the talented members of the BSU community.. and the resources they are bringing to the university.

COVID-19 Protocols

We will persevere with our low density hybrid model for delivering education for the spring semester. That requires everyone doing their part to stop the spread of the virus by following the campus safety protocols. As a member of the BSU campus community, each person has the responsibility to help keep our campus safe. Each and every day I ask that you wear a mask, practice social distancing and frequently wash your hands. Our safety protocols are developed using the science, data and the values of BSU, with “safety first” as our number one guiding principle.

As understanding of the virus has grown over the past months, the science calls for more frequent testing to identify any issues as quickly as possible. With this new guidance, our COVID-19 Coordinating Team has enhanced our testing regimen to twice weekly for all individuals regularly on campus. Our protocol now includes the rapid test along with the standard PCR nasal swab test. Daily symptom monitoring is continued. We will also share information about access of the COVID-19 vaccine when it is available. Please stay abreast of important data and operational information with the weekly COVID-19 Alert emails each week and regularly visit the BSU COVID-19 web section.

Honoring Our Legacy/Black History Month

Each year we take time out in February to honor our forefathers during Black History Month. I encourage each member of the BSU campus community to join in the celebration (bowiestate.edu/blackhistorymonth), including the annual Spring Convocation where we will welcome Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks to give the keynote address.

Enriching Our Community

There is a saying that “Charity begins at home.” As students join the BSU community, we introduce them to the #BSU4LIFE initiative that encourages them to help others with their time, talent and resources. Students, faculty and staff can make a difference on campus by donating non-perishable items to the BSU Nutrition Lounge or contributing to the student hardship fund.

Doing Business at BSU/Operations

Everyone has been impacted in some way by the pandemic, and I ask for cooperation and patience as we continue to make adjustments to our operations to accommodate the changing environment. While teleworking protocols remain in place for many university offices, students are reminded to use departmental webpages for information on virtual or in-person assistance. For general help with BSU operations, direct your questions or concerns to COVID19@bowiestate.edu  For academic concerns, you may use covid19academics@bowiestatae.edu.

There are undoubtedly uncertainties ahead, yet the administration, faculty and staff are committed to doing our best to provide continued access to a quality education. I will look forward to seeing you this semester, and in the meantime, I am wishing the very best you for a bright future ahead.