Håfa Adai, UOG Faculty and Students:

On behalf of the Board of Regents and the administration of the University of Guam, we want to thank you for your commitment to student learning at UOG. We understand how hard this commitment has been since the pandemic started in March 2020. Figuring out new ways to teach and learn, understanding new technologies, and balancing home, work, and courses are not easy and can be exhausting.

As we approach the middle of the semester, we have heard from many of you that there is a need to take some time to refresh and revive. So, Tritons, let’s “Take a Break” from classes beginning Wednesday, Oct. 28, to Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. During this week, we’ll pause from all virtual classes and meetings and use it as a time to catch up and recharge, so we’ll be ready to tackle the expectations of courses and research throughout the rest of the semester.

Here’s what you can expect for that week:

• Classes will not meet
• All deadlines and due dates for that week will be adjusted, and arrangements will be prior to the break
• Students may still report to internships and practicums to meet contact hours;
• Library services will be available
• Deans' offices will be open
• Student services such as advisement, student life, student health, and others will be available
• The Triton Store will be open for curbside pick-up and online sales at www.tritonstore.gu
• All other UOG operations will continue

This semester, we have 3,449 students at UOG — of these 632 are new, and 2,817 are returning. These enrollment numbers almost match up to our “pre-COVID” Fanuchånan 2019 semester. What this tells us is that our students are dedicated to their education at UOG. It is important to them. And over the last few months, we have asked our faculty to be innovative, to change their teaching styles, and to work even harder to find ways to engage with our students.

Everyone at UOG has been inspired to help our students succeed in any way we can, and we hope this short break will be helpful. Use this time to catch up, to reflect, or just to relax — it’s your choice. Enjoy your break!

Si Yu’os Ma’åse and Biba UOG!

Thomas W. Krise, President
Anita Borja Enriquez, Senior Vice President and Provost