We’re celebrating our veterans with special events on campus this week. Mines’ longstanding commitment to our service members recently received a major boost from two alumni, Rich and Trudy Wells. Thanks to their donation, the newly named Rich and Trudy Wells Veterans Resource Center (VRC) will see upgrades and funding support for our veteran students. We can’t thank Rich and Trudy enough for their generosity; it’s a huge part of our effort to give back to those who have given so much to our country.
This week, we honor our veterans with our annual Veterans Salute event tomorrow, Nov. 10, starting at 10:45 a.m. at the flagpole on the patio in front of the Surbeck Center. Yesterday was the annual Veteran’s Chili Cook Off, a charity fundraiser. Congratulations to Tom Barnett of Triangle Fraternity for winning this year's event.
I also want to follow up on the news that The Market at Rocker Square is now open. Students, faculty, and staff can use the space 24 hours a day. Instructions on how to access and operate the store were emailed separately. Sodexo has stocked the market with initial items, and they ask for suggestions on any other items that the campus community wants included. Food service overall has improved greatly since the start of the fall semester. Sodexo acknowledged the problems and has worked diligently to fix them, including adding flex dollars to students with meal plans. An email informing students directly impacted was sent from Dean Dlugos on November 1, and those students can expect to see the complementary flex dollars added to their account by this week or next week at the latest.
Each year, we ask faculty and staff on campus to join our annual Campus Giving Campaign. Donors can designate how they want their contribution to be spent, including student scholarships. Gifts of all sizes are impactful, and it’s as easy as a monthly payroll deduction. All faculty and staff received a letter last week that outlines giving options. We’re very fortunate to have so many dedicated individuals employed on our campus who step up to support our students and the university overall. If you would like to give online to the Campus Giving Campaign, click here.
It's a short week with the Veterans Day holiday on Friday, and there is growing concern that inclement weather, including snow and wind, will impact the region tomorrow. Please watch the forecast and stay safe in any travels planned for the weekend. You can monitor any weather-related delays or closures on local media and at our campus alerts page. If you have not already done so, sign up for email/text campus alerts here.
Finally, a reminder that the Friday after Thanksgiving the campus is closed for the holiday as faculty and staff have been granted administrative leave by the Governor.
