Beginning Anew and Embracing an Environment in Transformation

Dear Morgan Family,

Once again, we find ourselves at that pivotal time of the year with all the campus community gearing up in anticipation of a new fall semester. In the lead up to this moment, we have been tirelessly preparing for the arrival of our returning students back to campus, and the welcoming of a new freshman class. This year’s incoming class of new students, with nearly 56% coming from out of state, is aiming to be one of the largest in years, so yes, there is a lot to be excited about!

In terms of that excitement, as the campus reopens this fall, you will notice several changes. Indeed, our beloved Morgan, our National Treasure, is continuing a historic transformation resulting in numerous improvements and exponential growth. With residential move-ins beginning this weekend, August 12-14, starting with our freshmen, and the official start of classes on August 22, this presents an opportune time to share with you some brief updates on what is to be expected as you return to campus.

Residential Accommodations

To start with some great news, I am pleased to report that the new Thurgood Marshall Residential Hall is slated to officially open on Saturday, August 13, 2022, barring any holdups during its final new building inspection today. This state-of-the-art living and learning residential facility, the first new residence hall built on the campus in over three decades, will house 670 students. As students arrive to move in, you will notice a continuation of work on the exterior and an interior portion of the building. This work will not impact your ability to move in or enjoy the new accommodations. We ask that you please pardon our progress as we continue to perform several finishing touches, particularly within several interior public spaces and the final grading and landscaping to the grounds immediately surrounding the building. Among the major work still underway is the completion of the dining hall portion of Thurgood Marshall Residential Hall, which is scheduled to be operational by the end of the semester. In the interim, meals will continue to be served in the Rawling Dining Hall on campus.

In addition, I am pleased to report that the Board of Regents has approved our recommendation to build a second residential hall, a “twin tower,” which will be adjacent to the Thurgood Marshall Residential Hall. This new facility will be able to accommodate an additional 600 students and is anticipated to be ready for occupancy by fall 2024. So, we will not be resting with just one new housing facility. We have also expanded our ability to house students this year by entering into agreements with off-campus, student-focused residential complexes.

Northwood Commons Opening

After more than a decade of planning, and countless meetings and strategizing, it is my pleasure to announce that the newly developed Northwood Commons has reached its completion. Some of the businesses located at Northwood Commons have already opened, including the Lidl Supermarket, Chipotle, Harbor Bank, Fulton Bank, and McDonald’s. In addition to the newly constructed Public Safety building, several additional shops are slated to open this fall, including IHOP, Wingstop^â, Sonny’s, and a Georgia Peach, to name a few. A new Barnes & Noble-operated Morgan State University bookstore with a Starbucks Café is scheduled to open late spring 2023, further enhancing Northwood Commons as a destination for the community. A Grand Opening is being scheduled later this fall.

I implore you to take advantage of the convenience and all that Northwood Commons has to offer and be sure to support these businesses as some will be owned and operated by Morgan alums. I hope you are excited as I am to finally have eateries and shops in our backyard, so the Morgan community will not have to travel long distances for food, banking, dry cleaning and various other sundries.

Enrollment Growth

Morgan continues to experience historic enrollments. This year, there was so much interest from prospective students in attending Morgan, that we had to close our application portal early. With that unprecedented interest, we anticipate our enrollment swelling this fall to approximately 8,800 students—another historic record for us. Those students will be representing more than 40 states and 70 countries, and we know they will have an amazing Morgan experience. This University is committed to working with them academically, administratively, psychologically, and extracurricularly, to ensure their success and well-being.

Having said this, I do want to apologize to those students who were awaiting their housing assignments and received a communication from the University informing them that they had a deadline of August 8, to clear their bills before they could move into housing. If that notice evoked a sense of non-caring, please know that was not the intention. The last thing we want members of our community to feel about this treasured and special institution is that we do not care. That is why we reevaluated the parameters of what we were asking for and made the decision to extend that deadline until August 11, for new students and until August 17, for continuing students. And I am more than happy to report that thousands of students were able to be cleared and receive their housing assignments because of our dedicated staff working non-stop with students and their families to secure their financing plans and get their payments in. We want all of you on campus preparing yourselves to lead the world.

Improvements to Infrastructure

You don’t get to be a 155-year-old institution and have everything stay as pristine and operational as it was on day one of existence. Morgan is in the middle of much-needed infrastructural work on campus and we are aggressively tackling our numerous deferred maintenance needs. As a result of the attention being paid to our campus infrastructure, the normal flow of things will be temporarily disrupted. But it won’t be forever. Some of the work you’ll see currently underway includes renovations to Hurt Gym and the Murphy Fine Arts Center concert hall, and underground work replacing decades old pipes along the Academic Quad. There are also repairs being made to the Morgan Commons Garage stair tower, work to the parking lots and brick walls around West Campus, repairs to Stadium Way and lighting improvements that are either underway or will commence during the school year. What this process has taught us is that we must pay as much attention to what’s below the surface as we do to what’s above it. Again, please continue to have patience with us as we make improvements and please be careful as you maneuver around campus.

COVID Protocols and Monkeypox Precautions

Since day one of the pandemic, Morgan has relied heavily on the advice of our own nationally respected colleagues in the School of Community Health and Policy, and we continue to do so. As such, the following protocols will be observed this semester:

• Everyone on campus will still need to be vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination (this includes new students and new employees) unless you have an approved exemption. New students seeking University housing must have their vaccination information on file before being able to receive a move-in assignment.
• All students living in University housing will be required to be up-to-date with their COVID vaccination by Spring 2023. More details to come.
• Masking will be required on-campus in classroom settings, medical settings and on public transportation. It is also highly recommended that masks be worn at indoor events and areas with crowds of people in close proximity.
• Individuals with approved exemptions will still be required to participate in on-campus testing. Due to limited space on campus, students residing in campus housing who test positive for COVID may be required to isolate at home if unable to isolate in assigned housing.

I encourage everyone to continue to visit the University’s dedicated COVID information and resources site on our website for any new details or updates.

If you have been watching the news or monitoring the discussion online, it has been hard to miss the conversation regarding Monkeypox and its continuing spread. The number of positive cases throughout Maryland, DC and Pennsylvania are continuing to grow at an alarming rate, so we must continue to be mindful and engage in safe, protective practices to keep our campus safe.

From what we’ve learned thus far from the CDC and other health officials, including our own, Monkeypox is still considered a rare disease, caused by the Monkeypox virus, that is spread person-to-person through close and direct physical contact. Should you experience any of the known signs and symptoms associated with Monkeypox, please contact the University Health Center. We will continue to monitor the situation, work with our local and state health department partners, and provide campus updates as we learn more about monkeypox and how it may affect our campus.

Again, welcome, and welcome back to the National Treasure. I look forward to seeing all of you on campus for a fully engaged Morgan experience. If you feel as I do, I’m all Zoomed out at this point and I’m ready to reestablish the esprit de corps that only in-person dialogue and interactions can perfect. I urge everyone to be kind to and respect each other, to live the Morgan Core Values every day, and to go forward as a Morgan family and have an exciting and energizing semester.

Welcome to Fall Semester 2022! Onward Morgan—Let’s Go Bears!!!

Respectfully,

David K. Wilson, President