Dear Alumni and Friends,

As I begin my second semester as President of this exceptional university, I am filled with so much pride for how Fredonians past and present have responded to the pandemic. From the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester, the entire Big Blue Family— students, faculty, and staff—took the situation seriously, held each other accountable and enthusiastically supported each other. Everyone adhered to the new social norms of mask-wearing and physical distancing. More than 10,000 surveillance tests were conducted over the course of the semester, and classes and many campus activities continued without interruption. I am not only proud of how the campus functioned, I am also overjoyed with the outpouring of support by alumni and friends who contributed to the Fredonia Student Emergency Relief Fund established through the Fredonia College Foundation. Funds raised enabled students to overcome technology needs that were exacerbated by the pandemic. The relief fund is only one part of the largest comprehensive fundraising campaign in SUNY Fredonia’s history. With this issue of the Statement, we’re pleased to announce the successful completion of the campaign, which finished well above its $20 million goal, with a total of $24,520,307. In this magazine, we are excited to share examples of how the campaign will help future generations of Fredonia students and faculty. This issue also includes stories about how learning and creativity continued on campus in the fall semester, how current students are helping a local business get off the ground in the middle of the pandemic, and how a Fredonia alumna is working with the Super Bowl 2020 champions. We missed having our alumni on campus last fall when Homecoming activities were moved online. We look forward to welcoming you back on campus during the 2021–22 academic year. In the meantime, please stay in touch with everything going on at Fredonia by connecting with our Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram accounts.

Very truly yours,

Dr. K. Stephen H. Kolison Jr., Ph.D. President