Dear members of the ACG community,
These are unprecedented times for our campus, the broader community, Greece, and, indeed, the entire world. I understand you may be experiencing feelings of anxiety, and, therefore, I want to assure you that we are here to support you with whatever is required during these challenging days. Keeping our students, staff and faculty safe and healthy has always been and will always be our highest priority.
Over the past days, we have sent and/or posted numerous communications to inform the ACG community. We will continue this practice, and I encourage all community members to check regularly the ACG website links below for future announcements:
ACG
Pierce
Alba Graduate Business School
From the onset of the COVID-19 issue, an Emergency Response Team has been meeting continuously to manage our institutional decisions and actions. The Team has worked tirelessly with ACG staff and faculty to support our community. I am indebted to these exceptional colleagues for their leadership and sacrifice. We will continue to depend on them as we navigate our course in the coming weeks.
We are making every effort to identify the path forward for completing the current academic term as effectively and efficiently as possible. We are currently processing the plans of many of our study abroad students to return home as soon as feasible and, in many cases, as required by their home institutions. We are working with our partner institutions (especially in the U.S.), all of which are also dealing with their own campus disruptions and revised operating plans, to provide for the completion of coursework by study abroad students in this semester.
For both those students who will be returning home as well as local students, we will continue to utilize our learning management system (Blackboard) as well as other online learning tools to support ongoing student academic engagement, especially during the hiatus in on-campus classes. Students who have any questions about specific course arrangements should email their course instructor directly.
With respect to current diagnoses on campus, as of today, we have two Deree students (residing in ACG residence halls) who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. No Pierce or AGBS students and no ACG faculty and staff have been diagnosed with the virus. Following the requirements of the Hellenic National Public Health Organization (EODY) and in addition to the two-week suspension of school operations mandated by the Greek government, specific measures have been taken to limit access to and from the relevant residence halls. Special provisions for food and personal support services for students under restricted access have been implemented. All campus facilities at both the main campus and the downtown campus have been professionally disinfected
It is not possible to predict events related to COVID-19 in the near-term. However, by remaining both vigilant and calm, by following the guidance of the most credible sources of information, and by working cooperatively together even in the inevitably disruptive context we are facing, we will assure the best possible outcome for all members of our community. This is the spirit the ACG community has demonstrated thus far during this public health crisis; I could not be more proud of or more grateful for our collective effort. We truly are the home of the Griffin, with the bravery of the lion and the strength of an eagle!
Sincerely,
David G. Horner
President