亲爱的哥大诸君，

今天的晨边高地校园一反常态的安静。我在校园里给大家写这封信，有三个目的。

首先，我要向过去两周里每一个辛勤付出的人致以最诚挚的感谢，感谢你们保障了我们的大学能在未来的一段时间内尽可能地继续开展工作。我们每个人、我们的国家和全世界都在面对COVID-19病毒带来的前所未有的威胁。我敬畏我的学生们以及支持他们的工作人员、父母和朋友们，不仅是因为他们配合且有序地搬离了宿舍，更是因为他们表现出了共担牺牲的公民精神。你们的积极响应表明了公共生活仍然存在。对因特殊情况仍需留校的学生们，我向你们保证，即便州长今天宣布要进一步减少劳动力，我们仍会继续提供基本保障。

第二，学校将推迟下周前三天的所有课程（临床教学除外），为本学期最后几周的教学提供更多的准备时间。我们将在3月26日（下周四）正式线上复课。同时，在与各学院沟通后，我们决定将本学期所有课程的评定定为“通过”或“不通过”。我们承认这个不寻常的时刻十分复杂，但这并不意味着我们对教学质量的期待降低了。

第三个决定是令人心碎的。鉴于目前的情况，我们无法按原计划在5月20日举行全校毕业典礼，目前也无法宣布替代方案。疫情态势充满不确定性，现在制定的任何计划仍面临着因情况变化而不得不放弃的高风险。但是我可以向你们保证：我仍将于5月20日授予学位。现在和未来的每一天里我们都会想办法制定一个计划来纪念和庆祝你们顺利完成学业。对我个人来说，毕业典礼是我最喜欢的学术仪式了，我希望今年的毕业典礼能成为我最喜欢的一场。

当今世界已经进入了另一个局面，不久前的我们谁都没有预料到。我谨代表哥伦比亚大学全体表示，我们将一如既往地准备好尽自己的一份力量。这所大学聚集的智慧和公益精神绝不是微不足道的。尽管寂静笼罩着晨边高地，但这不意味着我们停下了我们的工作。此刻，在哥大医学中心的校区内气氛截然不同，我们在一线的同事们正准备面对疫情带来的艰巨挑战。他们奉献了自己的时间和精力，践行着自己的承诺，他们的个人牺牲已经非常明显了。这种奉献精神也刻画了哥伦比亚大学所有员工的工作，正是这样的精神维持着学校的正常运转，至关重要。再次向大家致以最衷心的感谢。

真诚地，

李·布林格

哥伦比亚大学校长

Dear fellow members of the Columbia community:

I write today from our Morningside Heights campus, which now has an eerie and uncharacteristic stillness about it, with three purposes. The first is to express my deepest appreciation to everyone for the extraordinary actions taken over these past two weeks to transform the University in ways that will allow us, as much as possible, to continue our work while we, the nation, and the world confront the unprecedented threat of the virus known as COVID-19. I am in awe of the students—and the staff, parents, and friends who supported them—who moved out of the residence halls these last few days, not just for the orderly ways in which it was carried out but for the spirit of citizenship and shared sacrifice that defined it. You heeded the call and showed that there is still, indeed, life in the commons. To those students who have needed to remain due to exceptional circumstances, I want to reassure you that we will continue to provide essential services even with the announcement today from the governor to further reduce our workforce.

The second purpose for this message is to say that, with the exception of clinical education, I am postponing all instruction for the first three days of next week in order to give everyone a little more time to prepare to resume classes for the final few weeks of the semester. Classes will continue virtually on Thursday, March 26th. And, further, with respect to courses, working with each of your schools, we have decided that all classes this semester will be graded pass/fail. This, of course, does not reflect a reduction in expectations, but rather an acknowledgment of the severe complications of this unusual moment.

The third purpose is heartbreaking. Given life as it now is, we cannot go forward with Commencement ceremonies on May 20th, as planned. And, unfortunately, we are not in a position at this moment to announce an alternative plan. The situation is too uncertain, and any plans made now run a high risk of having to be abandoned as circumstances change. But this I can assure you: I will confer degrees on May 20th. We are and will continue thinking about this every day, and we will have a plan to honor and celebrate your successes. Speaking personally, there is no academic ceremony I love more, and I expect to love this one the most.

The world has moved on to a different plane, one none of us could have anticipated a short while ago. I want to say, on behalf of all of Columbia, that we are, as always, ready to do our part, which, given the assembled talent and public spiritedness of this community, is never inconsiderable. While a stillness pervades Morningside Heights, that does not mean our work has abated. Meanwhile, a very different atmosphere characterizes our medical campus in Washington Heights, where our colleagues are girding to face the fraught and daunting challenges to come. Indeed, the outpouring of time, effort, commitment, and personal sacrifice of those serving on the front line of the CUIMC campus are already very palpable. This dedication also portrays the work of all employees essential to keeping the University in operation. My deepest thanks to everyone.

Sincerely,

Lee C. Bollinger

本文来源：“Update on COVID-19: Spring Semester and Commencement”, Columbia News, Released on March 20, 2020.

出处：头条号 @哥大全球中心