The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly changed life as we know it.

At Missouri State University, students will not return to campus for spring 2020. Instead, they will complete the semester online.

While this situation offers the campus community opportunities to use new and creative learning methods, it also presents its set of challenges.

“To help us get through this time of crisis, we need the support of our alumni and friends more than ever,” said Brent Dunn, executive director of the Missouri State Foundation.

Give to these efforts

The university has several efforts that alumni and friends can give to, if your situation allows. They include:

• The Student Emergency Fund – Set up to respond to students’ unmet needs by providing relief for immediate hardships, such as travel expenses related to returning home, technology needs to ensure students can access virtual learning, and other unforeseen financial challenges.
• Magers Health and Wellness Center – The center serves MSU students and all MSU employees, and in many cases, their families. As this pandemic widens, our medical personnel will need more screening and personal protection equipment, such as masks, gowns, gloves, etc. Additionally, mental health and counseling support services provided through Magers will be in high demand.
• Scholarship Support – Scholarships will become an even greater need as the economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis present new challenges and financial burdens for many students and their families. Your scholarship support will help students realize their educational dreams and goals, and change lives.
• The Bear Pantry – This pantry is one way the university is working to combat students’ and employees’ need for sustainable access to nutritional foods. As we work to provide a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the MSU community will likely face more food insecurity, rendering support from the Bear Pantry even more critical.
• Missouri State Fund for Excellence – This fund helps ensure that we offer educational excellence. With in-person classes canceled during the outbreak, we will rely on this fund to maintain academic continuity by moving to online and virtual classes. The solutions will likely involve additional costs.

GIVE NOW

Giving Day canceled

Missouri State’s Giving Day and the 115th Birthday Celebration involve the entire campus and larger community. Since students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends cannot come together to celebrate for the time being, Giving Day and the birthday, which was scheduled for March 24, have been canceled.

“We are saddened that we’re unable to gather together with our Bear family at this time, but we know making the health of our community the priority was the best decision,” Dunn said.

The university continues to make great progress in its Onward, Upward Campaign. However, the focus at this time is on emergency priorities to meet the campus community’s critical needs.

To find out more about ways to help or to make a gift, visit Bears Care.