Prior Announcements

Dear Florida Tech community,

Welcome to Friday, and my final COVID-19 update and video message to you.

I am so proud of our university community and how well we all have made it—together—through this pandemic. Our shared success stands as testimony to the amazing teamwork of faculty, staff, students, and parents who have persevered.

This week we know of two new student cases of COVID-19, both off campus. There is one new case reported among staff and none reported among faculty. My personal best wishes to all for a speedy recovery.

I dare say we have been victorious over the virus. Yes, the university will remain vigilant to promote health and well-being—but I personally believe the worst of the pandemic is behind us. Now, I encourage you to finish well this spring semester.

Our university is indeed a special place. I send you all my best wishes for continued success. Florida Tech’s motto of "to the stars through science" could not be more apt. May the sky always be your only limit.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.

Dear Florida Tech community,

I hope you are enjoying this spring weather, as I am. Things are proceeding well as we all work together for a successful completion to this academic year. Your perseverance remains key.

This week we know of seven new student cases of COVID-19, with five off campus and two on campus. I hope these individuals feel better soon. There are no new cases reported among faculty and staff.

Let’s all remember to continue sanitizing our hands frequently. We must continue to monitor our personal health for signs of illness, too. Log how you are feeling daily on the #CampusClear app.

Thanks for all that you do. Be well.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.
President & CEO

Dear Florida Tech community,

I trust that everyone had a restful spring break. Now we are on the quick march to the successful conclusion of the semester and the academic year.

This week we know of eight new COVID-19 student cases, with four on campus and four off campus. Best wishes to all for a speedy return to full health. There are no new cases reported among faculty and staff.

Our Pandemic Response Team and administration have reviewed the current community and campus conditions. Florida Tech will adopt an indoor face covering policy in alignment with the most recent CDC guidelines—as Brevard is in the "low" transmission category, this means indoor face coverings will be optional. Per the CDC: "People may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask." This policy will become effective Monday, March 21, and we will continue to closely monitor and adjust this policy as necessary. Flexibility remains an integral component of our pandemic plans. Additionally, the CampusClear app daily screening will continue to be a part of our protocols for the near future, as it is an important tool in monitoring campus health.

Continue to sanitize your hands frequently and monitor your personal health for signs of illness. Log how you are feeling on the #CampusClear app.

Talk again soon.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.
President & CEO

Dear Florida Tech community,

I hope everyone is enjoying spring break. We will all be back on Monday to begin the final push and bring the spring semester to a successful conclusion.

On the COVID-19 front this week, we know of two new student cases, both off campus. I hope these individuals quickly recover. There are no new cases reported among faculty and staff.

I would like to highlight an accolade Florida Tech recently received of which we can all be proud—the university has earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly® School designation. We were judged on factors including student retention, graduation and job placement. As I said earlier this week when the honor was announced, we have been proud to partner with our military service members for many years so that they may continue learning and growing. From generals to the enlisted ranks, we have brought high-quality educational opportunities to the men and women of our armed forces, enabling them to learn anywhere, at any time. We are pleased to continue this important commitment. It is indeed a high honor to help our students in uniform achieve their educational dreams.

Thank you for helping to make this university a special place to learn and work. See you soon.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.
President & CEO

Dear Florida Tech community,

We’ve made it to spring break. Congratulations to everyone for their hard work and resilience. Our spring semester continues to go quite well, thanks to our campus community’s teamwork and commitment.

As anticipated, the CDC has released new guidance regarding face coverings. We have carefully reviewed these new recommendations and are strongly considering a "face covering optional" policy indoors beginning Monday, March 21. This gives us a week to assess campus conditions and potential cases after everyone returns from spring break. We will continue to ensure that our COVID-19 safety protocols maintain the flexibility needed to maximize campus health.

This week we know of three new student cases, all off campus. I hope these individuals feel better soon. There are no new cases reported among faculty and staff.

Have a restful and safe spring break.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.
President & CEO

Dear Florida Tech community,

I am pleased to report that our COVID-19 case data continues to look better. A return to single digits is the right direction, but "zero" remains the goal.

This week we know of three new student cases, with one on campus and two off campus. There are four new cases reported among staff and one new case among faculty. I hope all quickly recover.

The CDC has not yet released updated guidance regarding the indoor wearing of face coverings. We are monitoring their recommendations for changes. Meanwhile, let’s continue to wear face coverings indoors, sanitize our hands frequently and monitor our personal health for signs of illness. Log how you are feeling on the #CampusClear app.

In other news, we are in the testing/inspection/punch list phase for our new facility at the mouth of Crane Creek on Melbourne Harbor—the Mertens Marine Science Center. The metal roofing is complete, the asphalt driveway and parking lot have been poured and painting is starting now. This facility will be open soon, and provide a premier educational experience for students that fosters hands-on learning. That’s what we’re all about at Florida Tech.

Talk again next week.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.
President & CEO

Dear Florida Tech community,

Moments of warmer weather tell us that spring in Florida will be here soon. That’s a great thing to look forward to as we work our way through the remainder of this academic year.

We continue to watch the latest guidance from local and national health authorities concerning the wearing of face coverings. You may have seen media accounts predicting that the CDC would perhaps adjust its face covering recommendations next week. We will see if that occurs.

In terms of campus COVID-19 data this week, we know of 14 new student cases, with four on campus and 10 off campus. There are three new cases reported among staff and no new cases among faculty. I wish all affected a speedy recovery.

Let’s remain vigilant and continue to wear face coverings indoors, sanitize our hands frequently and monitor our personal health for signs of illness. Log how you are feeling on the #CampusClear app.

We’ll talk again soon.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.
President & CEO

Dear Florida Tech community,

We find ourselves nearing mid-February and the spring semester continues to go well. That’s a credit to the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty and staff, and the great support of our parents and alumni. Perseverance and persistence most often lead to rewarding outcomes.

In terms of COVID-19 this week, we’ve gotten several questions regarding when we might discontinue our indoor face covering policy. As of today, the CDC has not dropped its recommendation for indoor face coverings. We closely monitor the latest guidance from local and national health authorities. We watch local and state COVID case numbers. We also keep an eye on what other colleges and universities are doing, and all of this data helps us make well-informed decisions. We will keep the campus community closely advised of any changes in our protocols and practices.

We are glad that our COVID-19 case numbers continue to be relatively low, and believe our protocols are helping that downward trend. We know of 12 new student cases, with three isolating on campus and nine isolating off campus. There are five new cases reported among staff and two among faculty. I hope all feel better soon.

We will continue to wear face coverings indoors, sanitize our hands frequently and monitor our personal health for signs of illness. Every day, let’s log how we are feeling on the #CampusClear app.

Thanks and talk again next week.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.
President & CEO

Dear Florida Tech community,

Resilience and determination are key components of our university community. We do not shy away from challenges, nor do we allow obstacles to stand in the way of accomplishments. This effort is true to the spirit of what Florida Tech has always been and continues to be—a relentless community of learners who see opportunities where others only see difficulty.

That admirable attitude continues to serve us well during the pandemic. You each are to be commended for your hard work and dedication. It makes a difference.

In COVID-19 matters this week, the downward trend in student cases continues. We are aware of 18 new student cases, with eight isolating on campus and 10 isolating off campus. That’s down from 42 total cases last week. There are six new cases reported among staff and three among faculty. There were seven total faculty and staff cases last week. We wish all a speedy recovery.

Remember: wear face coverings indoors, sanitize your hands frequently and monitor your personal health for signs of illness. Every day, log how you are feeling on the #CampusClear app.

Thanks for all you continue to do.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.
President & CEO

Dear Florida Tech community,

I want to remind everyone of the shared role we all have in maintaining the safety of our campus community. Our philosophy is if you "see something – say something." We encourage you to immediately notify the Department of Security at (321) 674-8111 or 8111 from any campus phone if you believe a crime is occurring, has occurred, or is about to occur. Your immediate feedback with a phone call is the best way to ensure that timely measures can be taken for your safety and the safety of others.

In COVID-19 news this week, we are thankful that our case numbers have again dropped. We are aware of 42 new student cases, with 21 isolating on campus and 21 isolating off campus. That’s down from 50 total cases last week. Faculty and staff cases have fallen again this week as well. There are three new cases reported among staff and four among faculty. There were 13 cases last week. We hope all feel better soon.

You are doing your part, and it is making a difference. Wearing face coverings indoors, sanitizing your hands frequently and monitoring your personal health for signs of illness are all keys to fighting the spread. Every day, log how you are feeling on the #CampusClear app.

Talk to you soon. Be well.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.
President & CEO

Dear Florida Tech community,

Before we discuss COVID-19, I want to talk about the "timely warning" issued over the MLK holiday through our safety alert system. At approximately 3:40 a.m. Monday, gunshots were heard somewhere near Southgate residence halls. These shots seemed to be coming from off university property—the neighborhood adjacent to Southgate. University Security and Melbourne Police responded and subsequently, bullet damage was found to two vehicles parked at Southgate. The Melbourne Police Department is investigating with assistance from the university. Thankfully there were no injuries and this incident did not involve Florida Tech students.

This is an important reminder that sometimes, events from the surrounding Melbourne community can touch our campus. We want to remind everyone of our safety procedures. If you "see something, say something." Immediately notify the Department of Security at (321) 674-8111 or ext. 8111 from any campus phone if you believe a crime is occurring, has occurred, or is about to occur. We always encourage you to report criminal incidents as soon as possible so appropriate measures can be taken. We are always safer when we work together.

On the COVID-19 front, the downturn in cases across the U.S. is also being seen at Florida Tech. This week, we are aware of 50 new student cases, with 24 isolating on campus and the remaining 26 isolating off campus. That’s down from 130 total cases last week. Faculty and staff cases have also dropped. There are 11 new cases reported among staff and two among faculty. There were 37 cases last week. We wish all a speedy recovery.

We know what we must continue to do. Thank you for wearing face coverings indoors, sanitizing your hands frequently and monitoring your personal health for signs of illness. Every day, log how you are feeling on the #CampusClear app.

More to come next week.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.
President & CEO

Dear Florida Tech community,

Spring 2022 classes are in full swing and we are all working diligently to get the term off to a safe and productive start.

As anticipated, the COVID-19 surge being felt across the country is also being felt at Florida Tech. If there is something to be thankful for in the midst of this pandemic, it is that the latest Omicron variant appears to be mild for most individuals.

Our own COVID case numbers reflect the larger community. Since I reported to you last week, we are aware of 130 new student COVID-19 cases, 31 isolating on campus and the remaining 99 isolating off campus. There are 33 cases reported among staff and four among faculty. All appropriate protocols are in place. We hope everyone returns to full health soon.

We will continue to wear face coverings indoors, sanitize our hands frequently and monitor our personal health for signs of illness. Every day, log how you are feeling on the #CampusClear app.

We are carefully monitoring this expected surge and will continue working with our students, faculty and staff to maximize the health and safety of our entire campus community. Thanks for your continued teamwork.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.
President & CEO

Dear Florida Tech community,

I hope everyone had a safe and restful winter break. We begin Spring 2022 classes Monday, so it’s time for us all to get back in the swing of the academic term.

We’ve been carefully monitoring the COVID-19 situation in our community and beyond over the break. Our Pandemic Response Team has reviewed current conditions and offered recommendations on the best ways we can safely move forward with Spring semester.

The Omicron variant of the virus has become dominant in recent weeks, and while caution paired with common sense continues to be prudent, we should not overreact. Evidence thus far suggests that while this variant is highly transmissible, symptoms are more cold-like for most individuals.

Our goal remains to maximize campus health and safety while continuing to minimize disruption to the learning process. Given this, we are moving forward with in-person instruction and carrying over our tested and proven protocols from Fall—including the requirement to wear face coverings indoors. We will all continue sanitizing our hands frequently and monitoring our personal health for signs of illness. Every day, log how you are feeling on the #CampusClear app. A reminder—vaccines and boosters remain our best defense against the virus. Carefully consider your options.

In terms of cases, we are aware of 19 students who contracted the virus over the break. This week, we know of seven new student COVID-19 cases, all isolating off campus. There are 13 cases reported among staff and four among faculty. We wish everyone a speedy recovery.

Let’s all continue to do our part and ensure a good start to the term. Watch your email for detailed information from the Pandemic Response Team and Human Resources. Thank you for your partnership.

Sincerely,

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.
President & CEO