Dear UT Dallas community:
We want to join with the many voices expressing dismay at the dire medical emergency in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccines are in short supply, while the hospitals are overwhelmed and running out of oxygen.
UT Dallas has long been a welcoming place for Indian and Indian American students, faculty and staff. We are a community united, and our care and concern for each other is unbounded. Our fellow Comets affected by this crisis are not only facing personal stress, but they are also confronting the impacts on their families here and abroad. Our thoughts and support are with all those facing these challenges.
Let us pause and reflect not only on the opportunities we have for vaccination and health care access in the United States, but also let us be mindful of the ways in which the pandemic is impacting our diverse campus community.
As always, our community has responded with an outpouring of generosity. I want to thank those who have contributed to the many organizations that are stepping up to provide much-needed relief in India. For those looking for ways to help, please consider supporting the Indian Student Association’s fundraising efforts to provide oxygen cylinders to Indian hospitals.
We are committed to each member of our community and their well-being. The Student Counseling Center offers support for enrolled students, including an application that connects students with counseling services in their native countries. For faculty and staff, information about counseling services can be found through the Office of Human Resources. Community resources include the University’s Intercultural Programs and the International Center.
Please continue to care for one another in these trying circumstances. We will get through this together as Comets United.
Sincerely,
Dr. Richard C. Benson
President
Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership