The importance of what 'We do'

Dear students, colleagues and friends,

Before I provide an update on our community's COVID-19 response, I would like to share a reflection on an extraordinary event I attended at the end of last week. Several of our students, faculty and alumni from CMU's Fashion Merchandising and Design program showcased their work during the Detroit Month of Design. They submitted designs and concepts linking what's new and next in fashion with the most pressing issues of our time, such as racism, social justice, sustainability, cultural identity and heritage, and more. They then created and exhibited their work during a major cultural event in an emerging fashion center.

Two of the student designers, LaDyra Lyte and Pablo Covarrubias, spoke with passion about raising social awareness and inspiring community action through fashion. Heajoo Lee, a graduate from the Apparel Product Development and Merchandising Technology graduate program, shared designs that fused Asian culture and pop culture in unique and exciting ways. We even had a student participant who is a future CMU student, a dual-enrolled high school senior from Cass Tech High School. All received support and encouragement from faculty like Dr. Michael Mamp.

Attending the event and hearing from our students was an incredible reminder of the value and importance of what We do at CMU: We offer students active, hands-on learning experiences and open doors to professional development opportunities. Our faculty and staff truly lift students up with incredible mentorship and support. And our students and alumni demonstrate a Fired-Up attitude and passion as they lead projects that will make a positive real-world impact. This is our mission in action; this is our why. Helping students achieve real-world results is what We do.

I hope every member of our community is able to experience and reflect on moments like these, to be reminded why we all have chosen to learn and work at Central Michigan University.

I am pleased to report that our overall campus vaccination rate climbed slightly to 74.03%. We still offer free vaccines on campus, and I hope everyone who is unvaccinated will seriously consider receiving a vaccine. Vaccines significantly reduce the likelihood of serious illness — please keep yourself as safe and healthy as possible.

This week, we have had 34 positive cases identified within our campus community, which is a significant decrease over last week and a shift in the right direction. I'm proud that all of our current policies and guidelines are keeping our campus community safe and healthy, so we will continue these through the end of the fall semester.

Thank you for wearing masks and taking steps to protect your colleagues and friends.

We are now at the end of our fifth week of the new academic year and entering the most Fired-Up season of the year. Our campus will soon be fully cloaked in maroon and gold, and it is a wonderful time to invite friends, family, alumni and especially future students to visit. There are athletic events, theatre performances, art exhibitions, speaker series, cultural events and so much more to enjoy. I encourage everyone to make time this semester to enjoy everything CMU has to offer.

Bob Davies, Ph.D.

President

Central Michigan University