Letter From The AD: June 2020 Edition
6/4/2020 9:18:00 AM | General, Student Services
A letter from Montana State Director of Athletics Leon Costello
Dear Bobcats,
As President Cruzado mentioned in her message on Tuesday: "At this historic hour, we stand with our students, faculty and staff of color and with every individual -- irrespective of race, ethnicity and gender -- who is feeling fear, anger and pain because of these events. You are not alone and we see you." While we continue to navigate these uncertain times together, Montana State University stands united and as an athletic department we are in full, unconditional support and are working in unison with our campus leadership. We are stronger together and that is more evident now than ever.
The MSU Athletic Department is committed to putting these words into action by continuing to work with and supporting our student-athletes, coaches, staff and campus community. Our department will be working with our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to coordinate and implement new initiatives directly related to Diversity, Inclusion and Respect. Our Bobcat student-athletes bring a vast range of experiences, beliefs, values, intellectual abilities and cultural perspectives to Bobcat Athletics and Montana State University. We strive to respect these unique characteristics by allowing student-athletes to achieve their fullest potential while maintaining a supportive environment.
I feel compelled to reiterate our Strategic Theme 6 in our strategic plan "Our Heritage, Our Future," which states, "MSU Athletics is committed to the values of inclusion, social justice, equity and diversity by fostering an environment that welcomes and respects all student-athletes, staff, opponents and the greater community." Additionally, our Core Value of RESPECT will be accomplished by treating others as we would want to be treated. We value everyone's unique talent, embrace diversity and respect human dignity while achieving collective goals.
We Are Stronger Together and #INTHISTOGETHER.
During an unprecedented time with classes being conducted remotely, Bobcat student-athletes rose to the occasion yet again and proved their courage, strength and resolve by setting records in the classroom. I am pleased to announce that Bobcat student-athletes achieved a 3.52 cumulative GPA for the spring semester and 84% earned a 3.00 or higher. This is truly a remarkable outcome during such a trying time and just another testament to the caliber of our student-athletes.
Construction of the Bobcat Athletic Complex is in full swing and I invite all of you to watch the progress with our live webcam here. You can also view our entire Athletic Masterplan for details on the project. We thank all of you, our fans, alumni, donors and partners who helped make this dream a reality.
As many of you read, Montana State University announced an earlier start to the fall semester. It is important to know this earlier start will not impact the fall competition schedules for our athletic teams and our coaches are managing any effects to their practice schedules. We are excited to get MSU students back on campus in August and are committed to their safe and healthy return. For the latest MSU campus news and updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, visit the online campus resource.
With the anticipation of the students returning to campus, we are also looking forward to the start of the athletic season. I wish I had all the information to answer all your questions I receive about the athletic seasons. However, given our current situation and the information that is available at this time, that is not feasible. I can tell you we are planning on having fall seasons start on time and are coordinating our plans for that to happen. We will continue to provide you with any and all the information we receive in a timely manner.
With the movement to Phase II in the reopening of the state of Montana, we have also implemented our Phase II operations plan within Bobcat Athletics and our facilities. This plan was developed for the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff.
A brief summary is as follows:
One of the many pieces of content that our external team has been producing over the past few months is the exclusive live video series '6 Feet Apart with Bobcat Athletics' presented by the Rocking R Bar. To stay connected with our Bobcat Club members and Bobcat sponsors, we are producing a live show every other week with different members of the Bobcat Family -- head coaches, donors, etc. Our next episode will air at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, with President Cruzado and Jeff Choate as our guests. If you are a Bobcat Club member or a Bobcat Sponsor, be sure to check your emails for the exclusive link. If you haven't yet joined the Bobcat Club Annual Scholarship Fund, you can click here to learn more about how the organization supports Bobcat student-athletes and its associated benefits.
As our beautiful state begins the Phase II reopening process, we are gradually starting to feel a sense of normalcy and once again enjoy what makes Montana so special. There is a renewed sense of hope and excitement, however, we must also maintain our adherence to the CDC and our local health official's guidelines. We encourage everyone to continue to do their part by washing their hands frequently, maintaining proper social distancing, wearing a face covering when recommended and following all other guidelines. This will allow the reopening processes to continue and keep our frontline and healthcare workers safe. It will also provide us with an avenue to enjoy Bobcat Athletics on a quicker timeline.
As always, and especially during this time, we thank you for your commitment and support to not only Bobcat Athletics, but Montana State University, our community and our state. Join me and the entire Bobcat Athletics staff in the commitment to continuing to do our part to #StopTheSpread. We are #INTHISTOGETHER, and together we will prevail.
In Bobcat Spirit,
Leon M. Costello
As President Cruzado mentioned in her message on Tuesday: "At this historic hour, we stand with our students, faculty and staff of color and with every individual -- irrespective of race, ethnicity and gender -- who is feeling fear, anger and pain because of these events. You are not alone and we see you." While we continue to navigate these uncertain times together, Montana State University stands united and as an athletic department we are in full, unconditional support and are working in unison with our campus leadership. We are stronger together and that is more evident now than ever.
The MSU Athletic Department is committed to putting these words into action by continuing to work with and supporting our student-athletes, coaches, staff and campus community. Our department will be working with our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to coordinate and implement new initiatives directly related to Diversity, Inclusion and Respect. Our Bobcat student-athletes bring a vast range of experiences, beliefs, values, intellectual abilities and cultural perspectives to Bobcat Athletics and Montana State University. We strive to respect these unique characteristics by allowing student-athletes to achieve their fullest potential while maintaining a supportive environment.
I feel compelled to reiterate our Strategic Theme 6 in our strategic plan "Our Heritage, Our Future," which states, "MSU Athletics is committed to the values of inclusion, social justice, equity and diversity by fostering an environment that welcomes and respects all student-athletes, staff, opponents and the greater community." Additionally, our Core Value of RESPECT will be accomplished by treating others as we would want to be treated. We value everyone's unique talent, embrace diversity and respect human dignity while achieving collective goals.
We Are Stronger Together and #INTHISTOGETHER.
During an unprecedented time with classes being conducted remotely, Bobcat student-athletes rose to the occasion yet again and proved their courage, strength and resolve by setting records in the classroom. I am pleased to announce that Bobcat student-athletes achieved a 3.52 cumulative GPA for the spring semester and 84% earned a 3.00 or higher. This is truly a remarkable outcome during such a trying time and just another testament to the caliber of our student-athletes.
Construction of the Bobcat Athletic Complex is in full swing and I invite all of you to watch the progress with our live webcam here. You can also view our entire Athletic Masterplan for details on the project. We thank all of you, our fans, alumni, donors and partners who helped make this dream a reality.
As many of you read, Montana State University announced an earlier start to the fall semester. It is important to know this earlier start will not impact the fall competition schedules for our athletic teams and our coaches are managing any effects to their practice schedules. We are excited to get MSU students back on campus in August and are committed to their safe and healthy return. For the latest MSU campus news and updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, visit the online campus resource.
With the anticipation of the students returning to campus, we are also looking forward to the start of the athletic season. I wish I had all the information to answer all your questions I receive about the athletic seasons. However, given our current situation and the information that is available at this time, that is not feasible. I can tell you we are planning on having fall seasons start on time and are coordinating our plans for that to happen. We will continue to provide you with any and all the information we receive in a timely manner.
With the movement to Phase II in the reopening of the state of Montana, we have also implemented our Phase II operations plan within Bobcat Athletics and our facilities. This plan was developed for the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff.
A brief summary is as follows:
| 1. | All entrances will remain locked, except for the north entrance outer doors, for access to the Bobcat Ticket Office windows. |
| 2. | Student-athletes are required to check-in and out of the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse with mandatory screening procedures. |
| 3. | Face covering should be worn when social distancing cannot be achieved. |
| 4. | Enhanced cleaning and sanitization schedules have been established. |
| 5. | Athletics staff will have reduced, scheduled office time. Those that can continue to work remotely are encouraged to do that. |
| 6. | Common gathering spaces such as lobbies, locker rooms and public restrooms will be minimized to adhere to social distancing guidelines. |
| 7. | The weight room and gym space will be utilized for voluntary workouts only. |
| 8. | The athletic training room and academic center are open for in-person meetings on an appointment-only basis. |
One of the many pieces of content that our external team has been producing over the past few months is the exclusive live video series '6 Feet Apart with Bobcat Athletics' presented by the Rocking R Bar. To stay connected with our Bobcat Club members and Bobcat sponsors, we are producing a live show every other week with different members of the Bobcat Family -- head coaches, donors, etc. Our next episode will air at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, with President Cruzado and Jeff Choate as our guests. If you are a Bobcat Club member or a Bobcat Sponsor, be sure to check your emails for the exclusive link. If you haven't yet joined the Bobcat Club Annual Scholarship Fund, you can click here to learn more about how the organization supports Bobcat student-athletes and its associated benefits.
As our beautiful state begins the Phase II reopening process, we are gradually starting to feel a sense of normalcy and once again enjoy what makes Montana so special. There is a renewed sense of hope and excitement, however, we must also maintain our adherence to the CDC and our local health official's guidelines. We encourage everyone to continue to do their part by washing their hands frequently, maintaining proper social distancing, wearing a face covering when recommended and following all other guidelines. This will allow the reopening processes to continue and keep our frontline and healthcare workers safe. It will also provide us with an avenue to enjoy Bobcat Athletics on a quicker timeline.
As always, and especially during this time, we thank you for your commitment and support to not only Bobcat Athletics, but Montana State University, our community and our state. Join me and the entire Bobcat Athletics staff in the commitment to continuing to do our part to #StopTheSpread. We are #INTHISTOGETHER, and together we will prevail.
In Bobcat Spirit,
Leon M. Costello
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