Dr. Rob Deemer, head of the composition area in the School of Music, conducts distance education from his home office studio. Submitted Photo.

The State University of New York at Fredonia has been fielding questions on how the community can support students who are facing unanticipated and unprecedented hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, it established the Student Emergency Relief Fund through the Fredonia College Foundation.

As with colleges and universities across the nation, Fredonia transitioned to distance education following the spring break, and classes resumed on Monday, March 23. Information about this and answers to many questions about the transition can be found online at https://www.fredonia.edu/about/coronavirus. The site is regularly updated as new and pertinent details arise.

Fredonia faculty and staff have come together to establish the Student Emergency Relief Fund through the foundation to assist students financially and alleviate hardships related to moving to a digital education format. To make a gift online go to https://give-to-fredonia.formstack.com/forms/relief–fund, or contact the Fredonia College Foundation at 673-3321.

The number of students benefiting from the emergency fund will be limited to the availability of funds. The fund will allow the university to coordinate resources so that students experiencing financial difficulty, who are not eligible to receive help from existing sources, have the support they need, if at all possible. Examples of assistance include software for a class or lab that is not available through Information Technology Services on campus; cameras or computers to enhance face-to-face online communication, purchase of required lab or clinical case texts that substitute for face-to-face learning, and other emerging needs.

Interim Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director of the Fredonia College Foundation Betty Gossett noted, “Fredonia has been planning its annual FREDlanthropy Day of Giving for April 7. In lieu of this special one day of giving, the community is invited to make a FREDlanthropy gift early to support these immediate needs of our students. The university asks you to please take care of yourself and your family first, and if you are able to, consider a gift to support Fredonia’s students.”

She added that any support provided will be deeply appreciated by the university, and most importantly, by the students helped by the community’s generosity.