From the VP's Desk

Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.
Vice President for Student Affairs

Attending to Your Wellness

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving break and found the time for rest and renewal. Whether you spent the break on campus or elsewhere, please know you and your loved ones were in my prayers.
As we near the end of the fall semester, I write to simply remind you about the importance of caring for yourselves and one another. I know very well that when life gets full it can be difficult to prioritize our physical and mental health, but it’s also at times like these when caring for our well-being is most essential.

If you are looking for support in this regard, I encourage you to start by assessing your current wellness needs using the Step Care Model

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Residential Life Master Plan Update

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Undergraduate Students,

As you know, residential life continues to be one of the most distinctive components of a Notre Dame undergraduate education, with the hall communities creating the basis for many of your spiritual, social, service, and athletic experiences.

While the most important aspect of our residence hall communities continues to be the people who reside within them, the buildings themselves remain integral to supporting our students’ ability to experience personal growth and form valuable connections among one another. …

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New Investment in On-site Child Care

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Graduate and Professional Students,

We hope this message finds you well as you settle into the fall semester.
As part of the University's commitment to provide work and life benefits to meet the needs of our parenting students, we write to share important news regarding enhancements to child care at Notre Dame.

Building on the recommendations by a faculty and staff committee convened to look at child care assistance opportunities, we are delighted to announce that we will break ground next year on a new on-site facility to provide child care for faculty, staff, and students with children who are between the ages of 6 weeks and 3 years old. We are partnering with KinderCare, the nation’s largest child care and early education provider, to operate the new facility, which will be located on the north edge of campus near White Field, adjacent to Beichner Hall, home to the Family Resource Center

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Engaging with One Another; Engaging with Difference

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

I hope this message finds you well as you prepare for your first day of classes following summer break! I have appreciated hearing from so many of you about your summer experiences these last few months, and I look forward to gathering with you tomorrow evening to celebrate the annual Opening of the Academic Year Mass

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The Discontinuance of Interhall Tackle Football

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

As you know, interhall sports are a storied tradition at Notre Dame and an important component for how the University seeks to foster positive social interactions, create healthy opportunities, and contribute to the overall experience of community, personal development, and well-being in the residence halls our undergraduate students call home.…

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Reflections on the Year

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

I hope this message finds you well as you enter into reading days and prepare for your last exams of the semester. Congratulations as we approach the end of a wonderful year! 

In my messages to you this year, I invited us all to focus our attention on reflection in community, a theme I hoped would help us to grow both in our self-understanding and in our relationships with one another and with God. From one-on-one conversations to large group discussions, student retreats and residence hall events, I’m encouraged by the many ways you sought to incorporate this idea into your campus activities. I’m also inspired not only by your willingness to engage this theme in your interactions with one another, but for taking the time to discuss your thoughts, ideas, and personal experiences with me whether in more formal meetings or during my office hours and Fireside Chats. 

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Spring Reflection and Engagement

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

Happy New Year!

I hope this message finds you well and excited to reunite with your friends and classmates after enjoying a restful and relaxing Christmas Break. I am thrilled to welcome you home as we begin the spring semester at the University of Notre Dame.

As you know, your first week of classes also marks the start of our campus commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Walk the Walk Week

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Thanksgiving and Advent Blessings

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

As we begin to celebrate Thanksgiving and the upcoming Advent season, and with the end of the semester quickly approaching, I write simply to offer a few reflections and words of encouragement in the midst of this busy season.

This is an exciting and joy-filled time of year. While many of you are preparing to travel home to spend Thanksgiving with family and loved ones, others may be looking forward to a few days on campus with a slower change of pace. The first signs of the holidays are starting to show, and we are already looking ahead to how we will enjoy the Christmas Break and next semester’s classes. At the same time, we are seeing the weather become colder and the skies turning mostly gray. We are aware of the ways others in the world and in our communities may be hurting, and are perhaps experiencing challenges or suffering ourselves. It is important to name and acknowledge these kinds of apparent contradictions because in doing so we are also invited to recognize where we might find—and where we might bring—sources of light and hope.

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Inclusive Campus Student Survey Results

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

I hope these past few weeks have been exciting, rewarding, and filled with opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit as you engage in your coursework and campus life.

At the start of the semester, I invited us to consider what it might mean to engage intentionally in reflection in community. Finding space and time amid busy schedules can be difficult, but our willingness to do so—to reflect, prayerfully, on the constant input we receive and to do so in the context of community—is absolutely essential to the good work we are able to do at Notre Dame and beyond.

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Welcome Home

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

I hope this message finds you settled in and preparing for your first full week of classes! I am thrilled to write today to welcome you to another academic year at the University of Notre Dame.

As you may know, I serve as the University’s Vice President for Student Affairs. If you are not familiar with the work of Student Affairs, our team comprises more than 250 professional staff from an array of offices

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Welcoming You to Your New Home

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

I am thrilled to add my welcome to the many offices, staff, faculty, and students who have been in touch with you this summer as you prepare to begin your journey at Notre Dame. I write on behalf of myself and my colleagues in the Division of Student Affairs, and to share a bit about the community you will join in just a few short weeks.

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Moving Forward Together

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

I hope this message finds you well as you enter into reading days and prepare for your last exams of the semester. 

In my first message to you last August as I was beginning in my role as Vice President for Student Affairs, I emphasized that my highest priority this year would be to listen—to the experiences of our students, the perspectives of our staff and faculty who work so closely with you, and the many collaborators who care deeply for student life inside and outside of the classroom. These experiences are an essential source of input for the University, and especially for my colleagues and I in Student Affairs who seek to support your well-being; your social, moral, intellectual, and spiritual formation; your sense of connection and belonging; and your ability to reflect, pray, and discern during your time as a Notre Dame student.…

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Making Connections this Spring

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

I hope the first weeks of the new semester, while cold, have been fruitful. We have much to be proud of as we begin the new semester, and I am especially grateful for your flexibility and attention to necessary COVID protocols as well as student leadership and participation in the University’s observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Walk the Walk Week. Thanks to all of you – and in particular the students involved with the MLK Day Coalition – for your advocacy of a full-day observance of this important date. The past month has demonstrated the strong sense of community that truly undergirds our common life and work at Notre Dame.…

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Caring for Ourselves and One Another

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

I hope you had a wonderful Fall Break, and found at least some opportunity to catch your breath after a busy first half of the semester! With cooler weather upon us and the end of the semester now in sight, I write to both commend you for your perseverance over the last year and remind you about the importance of caring for yourselves and one other in these last weeks of fall.…

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Welcome from Fr. Gerry

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.

Dear Students,

I hope this message finds you enjoying your first day of classes! I am thrilled to write today to welcome you to another academic year at the University of Notre Dame.

As some of you may know, this is my first year as the University’s Vice President for Student Affairs. If you are not familiar with the work of Student Affairs, it comprises more than 250 professional staff who work in a variety of departments

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Fall Outlook and Policy Updates

Author: Kate Morgan

Dear Students,

We hope this finds you enjoying the summer and preparing for the start of the next academic year. As a follow up to the email you received last week regarding policies for the fall semester, we write to share several updates of what you can expect this year, followed by more information regarding important health and safety protocols. Please share this information with your parents, guardians, and loved ones as necessary.

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Indoor Mask Update

Author: Rev. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C., Laura Carlson

Dear undergraduate, graduate, and professional students,

With the summer upon us and the summer sessions just ahead, we would once again like to thank you for all you have done throughout this challenging year.

Because of our high rates of vaccination, low campus case rates, and St. Joseph County’s improved case rates, we are excited to announce that effective today, Thursday, June 3, those who are fully vaccinated

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Expansion of Student Activites

Author: Erin Hoffmann Harding and Mike Seamon

Dear undergraduate, graduate, and professional students,

With Notre Dame’s 7-day moving average of positive case counts declining, we are happy to follow up on last week’s email and announce further expansion of in-person student activities.

The rationale for these changes is two-fold. First, thanks to the success of limited outdoor events over the past week, the University can now introduce additional outdoor activities where the risk of transmission is lower. Second, we will begin offering indoor activity in spaces and programs where staff, faculty, or student managers are present to assist with health and safety protocols, which must be maintained at all times. Please remember eating indoors is permitted only in designated eating areas, including North and South Dining Halls, heated dining tents, residence hall rooms, or specific areas of Hesburgh Library, McCourtney Hall, and the Rasmus Club (8th floor) of the Duncan Student Center.…

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Campus Activity Update

Author: Erin Hoffmann Harding and Mike Seamon

Dear undergraduate, graduate, and professional students,

We know these days of slowed campus activity have been very challenging for you. The pandemic forces us to make difficult choices to balance the physical health of our community with our desire to offer you opportunities to connect socially. University leaders do not make these decisions lightly, especially because we know they have an impact on your Notre Dame experience.…

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Spring Student Life Updates

Author: Erin Hoffmann Harding, Laura Carlson

Dear undergraduate, graduate, and professional students,

We are delighted to welcome many students back to campus in the coming days as we prepare for the start of classes on Feb. 3. You bring our campus to life with your energy and talent, and we are eager to begin another semester with you.

We realize this semester will not be easy as we continue to work to keep one another healthy, respond to broader challenges of an ongoing global pandemic, combat systemic racism, and seek ways to heal the deep division in our country. We admire your resilience and encourage our community to model civility, foster equity and inclusion, and support one another.…

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COVID Update: Testing and Campus Compact

Author: Erin Hoffmann Harding and Mike Seamon

Dear Undergraduate and Professional Students,

On behalf of everyone here at the University, we look forward with great anticipation to your return to campus. 

Over the Winter Break, the University spent time collecting student feedback about last semester through focus groups, surveys, and conversations. One of the themes that emerged from your feedback was a desire for clarity and transparency, especially in such a rapidly changing environment. We are grateful for the input you provided, which has informed our planning for this semester.…

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Winter Break Update: Undergraduate Students

Author: Erin Hoffmann Harding

Dear undergraduate students,

I hope your final exams and exit testing have gone as smoothly and successfully as possible. Congratulations on completing this most unusual of semesters, and thank you for the many ways you adjusted due to the pandemic.

I write today with a variety of updates relevant to Winter Break in December and January. Please read this email carefully, as it contains important information about student resources and policy updates between the fall and spring semesters.…

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Winter Break Update: Graduate and Professional Students

Author: Erin Hoffmann Harding, Laura Carlson

Dear graduate and professional students,

We write first with gratitude for your contributions as teaching and research assistants, as undergraduate mentors, and as members of our campus community throughout this most unusual of semesters. We also acknowledge the many ways you have facilitated necessary adaptations to this pandemic. To those of you who have been remote and unable to be on campus, you have been missed, and we look forward to you joining us in South Bend.…

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Travel Requirements Following Exit Testing

Author: Erin Hoffmann Harding and Mike Seamon

Dear Notre Dame undergraduate, graduate, and professional students,

Thank you for your cooperation with exit testing. We write today to share information with you about travel expectations based on the results of your exit test.

STUDENTS WHO TEST POSITIVE

The St. Joseph County Department of Health, in accordance with isolation guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), requires a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 to remain in isolation for a minimum of 10 days from the date of a positive test or symptom onset in the University’s daily health check application.…

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COVID-19 Exit Testing

Author: Erin Hoffmann Harding and Mike Seamon

Dear Notre Dame undergraduate, graduate, and professional students,

Since we wrote last week and Father Jenkins recently indicated, Notre Dame's COVID-19 cases and local transmission continue at concerning rates. We are grateful for students' excellent participation in surveillance testing, which is imperative to prevent further spread. Today, we want to share additional details with you about dining precautions and exit testing.…

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COVID-19 Cases

Author: Erin Hoffmann Harding and Mike Seamon

Dear Notre Dame undergraduate, graduate, and professional students,

We write with some important updates related to the recent increase in campus COVID-19 cases referenced in Fr. Jenkins’ video message this afternoon. 

INFORMATION ON CASES

Since Monday, we have had a total of 41 positive cases reported. Contact tracing indicates many of these cases originated from larger parties and gatherings last weekend. The number of close contacts for each positive case has also increased substantially, with as many as 10-15 close contacts needing to quarantine. As was true earlier in the semester, our experience demonstrates that transmission occurs in social settings where individuals are unmasked and often sharing food or drink together.…

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End of Semester Testing Update

Author: Erin Hoffmann Harding and Mike Seamon

Dear Notre Dame undergraduate, graduate, and professional students,

We write today to provide you with information about COVID-19 testing of students at the conclusion of the fall semester. Please feel free to forward this information to your parents, guardians, and loved ones.

The University will offer COVID-19 testing to assist students traveling to other states or countries. Students will have an opportunity to sign up for testing appointments at the beginning of November.…

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