University of Georgia president Jere Morehead welcomed students back to campus for Thursday’s first day of fall semester classes.

Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students:

Following months of hard work, rigorous planning, and detailed preparation, today we begin the fall 2020 semester at the University of Georgia. The success of this semester rests on the commitment of each of us to do our part to protect our UGA community from the spread of COVID-19.

I ask each of you to join me today in committing to the following important actions:

• Check your temperature and complete DawgCheck every day before you come to campus.
• If you feel sick, contact your health provider and stay home until it is safe to return.
• Wear your face covering on and off campus. The importance of wearing a face covering cannot be overstated. Please watch this video and mask up, Bulldogs!
• Practice social distancing whenever possible and avoid large gatherings where appropriate social distancing cannot be maintained.
• Utilize the wipe stations and hand sanitizing stations that have been installed across campus, and wash your hands regularly throughout the day.
• Protect our public health by holding each other accountable and following guidance where it applies.

We are in this together, and we must continue to support each other as we navigate these challenging times. While this semester will be different in so many ways because of the pandemic, let us not forget that the fundamental parts of our University remain unchanged, including our values of academic excellence, diversity, and inclusion as well as our deep sense of community and connectedness. We can draw strength and resolve from our mission, from each other, and from our collective identity as part of the Bulldog Nation.

I am glad that we are back together on campus, and I am excited about all that we will accomplish in the year ahead.

Be safe, take care of one another, and Go Dawgs!

Cox Media Group