To Our Alumni:
We hope that you and your loved ones are staying healthy and safe amid the COVID-19 crisis. So much has changed since our last Alumni Association newsletter.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Case Western Reserve faculty began delivering their courses via Zoom as of March 18; roughly 90 percent of students previously in residence halls are learning from home, and only critical COVID-19 research continues on campus.
Our students have contributed to Cuyahoga County’s efforts by assessing potential COVID-19 patients by phone and created new courses, while staff have volunteered to help distribute masks to students still living on campus.
Read some of the inspiring stories at case.edu/together.
We look forward to welcoming you all back to campus when it is safe to do so. For now, here are a few highlights of the Case Western Reserve University community.
Bringing CWRU to You
In the coming weeks, The Alumni Association of Case Western Reserve University will use our platforms to promote connections within the CWRU community and present opportunities for online/remote learning that are available to all. We hope you find them interesting and informative. For regular updates and to connect with the CWRU community, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
CWRU Connect: Alumni Career Network, our online alumni directory that now includes a component specializing in career networking. Connect with former classmates and alumni professionals based on career fields, and mentor current students, recent graduates and alumni. Upload your LinkedIn profile or sign up via email. Then, join communities of alumni and students who share your interests or live near you.
Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship on Facebook or get updates on LinkedIn for details about the CWRU Entrepreneurship Alumni Series, where leaders in their fields will discuss innovation.
The Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship, in conjunction with the Weatherhead School of Management, is re-launching its massive online open course (MOOC), Beyond Silicon Valley: Supporting Entrepreneurship in a Global Crisis.
The Laura and Alvin Siegal Lifelong Learning Program is temporarily offering its CWRU Digital Bootcamps online for April and May. The courses allow you to keep your full-time job while enrolled in fast-track, 24-week, part-time courses on topics such as full stack coding, data analytics and cybersecurity. For more information, visit bootcamp.case.edu or call 216.333.1821.
Sharing Virtual Support
While people across the country have demonstrated great courage and compassion, others have used the crisis as an excuse for hateful speech and acts against people who appear to be of Asian descent. News reports of such shameful conduct inspired President Barbara R. Snyder to ask our university community to tell our international students how much we appreciate all that they bring to our campus.
Case Western Reserve alumni are encouraged to show their support of international students, and others around the globe, with welcoming messages. The Center for International Affairs is asking you to record video messages of support, and email the clips to global@case.edu for compilation. Please also share your videos on social media, using the #YouAreWelcomeHereCWRU hashtag.
In addition, the COVID-19 crisis has upended our students’ on-campus experience mid-semester. For some—including those graduating in May—the change may be especially hard. The university is looking for video messages of support for our community to share on social media. See how you can submit yours.
Call for Nominations
Now, more than ever, it is important to recognize each other for going above and beyond. Please help us by nominating candidates for the 2020 CWRU Alumni Association Awards. The five award categories are:
- Distinguished Alumni: Lifetime Achievement
- Professional Achievement: Mid-Career Achievement
- Young Alumni Achievement: Recognizing alumni under 36 years old
- Daniel T. Clancy Award: Outstanding service to CWRU alumni for at least 15 years
- Newton D. Baker Award: Recognizing outstanding acts of service performed by alumni, faculty, staff and members of the community.
Review award criteria and complete a user-friendly nomination form today. The deadline to nominate your fellow alumni is May 30.
Virtual Hudson Relays
COVID-19 will not stop the time-honored tradition of the Hudson Relays! Although this year’s race won’t be held on campus, current classes, graduate students and alumni will still have a chance to compete with each other.
- Wednesday, April 22, through Saturday, April 25: walk, run or take part in other physical activity.
- Send photos, video clips or narratives sharing Hudson Relays memories by posting on Instagram and tagging it #HudsonRelaysAtHome or #HudsonRelays or by emailing to HudsonRelays@case.edu. These submissions must be completed before Friday, April 24, at 5 p.m. to be included in the webcast.
- Saturday, April 25, LIVE webcast at 2 p.m. EDT, featuring presentations from President Barbara R. Snyder, Provost Ben Vinson III, team captains and members of the Hudson Relays committee. There will be live drawings from contests generated by registration information and submitted photos or video.
Sign up for the Virtual Hudson Relays.
A Much-Needed Change of Scenery
Virtual meetings and staying in place are the norm for the foreseeable future, and you are likely looking for a change of scenery. Take a trip down memory lane and relive your years at Case Western Reserve by downloading these campus backgrounds for your next virtual meeting or meetup with friends.
Introducing Spartan Stories
While athletics at Case Western Reserve University might be on hold for now, athletics.case.edu will provide a new way for Spartan fans to follow the program. For the remainder of the spring and into the summer, the official website of Spartan Athletics will feature “Spartan Stories,” a series of daily features on teams, athletes and alumni to allow fans to keep up with their favorite teams.
Fans can look forward to seeing the features on athletics.case.edu each week.