Dr. Tony Allen updates the state in editorial
The following April 4 guest opinion by University President Tony Allen was published in the News Journal:
Keeping faith, giving back: DSU offers facilities for testing, hospital overflow
Tony Allen, Guest columnist
Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Delaware is exemplifying this principle as COVID-19 ravages our nation, and we are getting a crash course in the difference that calm, clear-headed leadership makes.
Congress wrangled too long over the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act as infection rates rose. It was not a time to allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good.
People who have lost jobs need money and unemployment benefits. Small businesses need emergency grants and tax credits. Hospitals desperately need to replenish their stockpiles. Public and higher education — particularly when serving low-resourced students — must protect the safety and security of their students, maintain academic continuity, and keep essential services operating.
Delaware’s congressional delegation — Sen. Tom Carper, Sen. Chris Coons and Rep. Lisa Blunt-Rochester — recognized the need for collaboration instead of posturing, reaching across the aisles to broker consensus.
While Delaware State University always appreciates their support, Coons’ leadership was particularly noteworthy. Working tirelessly alongside the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, his efforts guaranteed $1 billion for historically black colleges and universities in the $14 billion allocation for higher education. Carper and Blunt-Rochester supported him at every step.
Coons said he needed to act decisively to “ensure that this relief package delivers aid quickly and effectively to families, small businesses, and critical institutions like (historically black colleges and universities), especially Delaware State University.”
Many of our undergraduates (55% from Delaware) come from families with limited resources; 42% are eligible for Pell Grants, often awarded to families earning below $20,000.
We accepted the cost associated with sending our students home, moved 1,447 courses online and kept 200 students on campus who literally have nowhere else to go. All of this while preparing our employees to work remotely.
It was the right thing to do.
Nonetheless, that cost was high, and it has been critical to know that our institution will have a base of federal support to meet the challenge of a difficult time for our 5,000 students.
Gov. John Carney has given Delaware master class in calm, competent leadership, listening to experts, guiding us step by step through the actions necessary to protect ourselves, and speaking to everyone who needs to hear his voice.
I had to smile when the governor interrupted an interview from home to ask his wife Tracey to bring him a charging cord because his computer was dying.
We are becoming accustomed to seeing political leaders, reporters and weather forecasters talking to us from their homes. Leadership now requires connecting with people you cannot see personally or hug directly.
Our University’s weekly, interactive Webex community forums provide a lifeline for many, including me. Students locked inside their homes in COVID hot spots, sharing internet access with younger siblings, clinging desperately to their dream of college education, need to hear that human voice of reassurance. This lesson in humility and faith will inform our work for many years to come.
A “new normal” is emerging across Delaware. Dedicated, incredibly brave health professionals struggle 24/7 to save lives; school districts keep delivering hot meals to needy students at their bus stops.
There have been no Republicans or Democrats during this crisis. Sen. Nicole Poore, Anthony DelCollo, Jack Walsh and Brian Pettyjohn, as well as Rep. Kim Williams, have been doing yeoman work with food relief; Rep. Mike Ramone, Quinn Johnson and Mike Smith are steering the Small Business and Non-profit Relief Task Force.
Delawareans everywhere are stepping up. Even if all they can do is stay home. We are uplifting each other in virtual happy hours and live concerts with great artists like DJ D-Nice, whose Instagram weekend party drew 200,000 participants, including Oprah, Mark Zuckerberg and our own Joe Biden.
Delaware State University has offered our facilities to Carney for medical storage, testing and overflow hospital capacity. In total, our holdings include 73 buildings, two farms, and an aviation facility in partnership with the Delaware River and Bay Authority. That equates to 1.6 million square feet potentially available to support the state during this crisis. We stand ready to make the logistics work.
Our collaborative efforts ensure we are ready for whatever happens when the pandemic spikes.
But it is our faith, as Hebrews 11:1 reminds us, that will get us through.
Tony Allen is the president of Delaware State University and a Whitney M. Young Awardee for Advancing Racial Equality, the National Urban League’s highest honor.