Virginia State University News September 27, 2021 VSU Cancels Classes for a Day to Address COVID-19 Mental Fatigue University officials encourage students to use Tuesday, September 28th to participate in planned health and wellness activities Virginia State University is designating Tuesday, September 28, 2021, a Trojan Wellness Day. The goal is to mitigate the increased loneliness, stress, anxiety, and depression, in part caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To foster physical and emotional well-being, the VSU Health & Wellness Center, Student Government Association, Faculty and Staff Senate, and the Administration are committing the day to wellness. "Achieving a university-wide COVID-19 positivity rate of less than one percent is no small feat. It requires a great deal of work by our faculty, students, staff, and administration," said VSU President, Dr. Makola M. Abdullah. "Not only is everyone under a significant amount of pressure, dealing with the typical stress of higher education, but now everyone is doing so with the added exertion of a global pandemic. This makes intentional intervention to address physical and emotional wellness-all the more necessary-which is exactly what this Trojan Wellness Day is all about." There will be no classes at Virginia State University on Trojan Wellness Day. VSU Employees may also choose to use a leave day, if convenient or a relaxed work day. For this day, faculty and staff may feel free to dress down, attend on-campus mental health activities, and spend additional time checking on co-workers. Virginia State University is encouraging everyone to prioritize in self-care on this day. "We all need to think about prioritizing our health on this day, in order to continue to ensure that greater happens here," said Dr. Donald E. Palm, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. "And the message we want to spread our Trojan Community is simple-Virginia State University cares. We care about you and your mental health; and we recognize your hard work and commitment." VSU students are invited to contact the University Counseling Center to schedule an appointment to further enhance their coping skills. The VSU Health & Wellness Center is coordinating a schedule of Wellness Day events and planned activities for students and employees. Sandra M. Phoenix HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Building Capacity for Humanities Special Collections at HBCUs - Become an ally and partner with us to protect, preserve and share a more authentic record of American history. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/humanities-2019.html for more information. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/ and click on the Donate Now button to invest in this project. Your support is appreciated. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/