Letter from President Sims to the Community - April 22, 2020



Dear Campus Community,  

I hope you all are well. 

Though I am sure you will not need it, I wish each of you good luck for this week’s final exams! As we approach the end of this semester with students preparing and completing final exams, Capitol Tech’s faculty and staff are finalizing the framework for the summer semester. We are pleased to report that the first summer courses will begin as scheduled on May 4th online via Zoom. We are also excited to share our first online video celebration for graduating students which will take place on May 2nd. We know this celebration does not replace an in-person commencement ceremony, so we are working to identify new dates to congratulate Capitol Tech’s soon-to-be alumni in the traditional fashion. 

While we all move forward, remember that Capitol Tech’s faculty and staff remain at your disposal for assistance and all student services are active online. If you or any of your student peers are experiencing difficulties with the academic or social aspects of the transition to online learning, please contact your professors or student life.  

As you may be aware from our last email, President Trump approved the CARES Act of 2020 which provides funds to students directly affected by COVID-19 in the form of cash grants. Each university is allocated a limited amount of funding. Capitol Tech has designed the CARES Emergency Fund to provide a one-time financial award to undergraduate students who were enrolled during the spring 2020 semester and are experiencing financial hardship. These limited funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis for students whose completed applications are received by May 8, 2020. A committee of representatives from Capitol Tech’s Academic, Student Life, and Financial Aid departments will review the applications received. Applicants will receive written notification of the status of their request by May 22, 2020. To request an application email finaid@captechu.edu. 

For future members of the Capitol Tech community, our faculty and staff want to reassure you that while planning your future amid the present uncertainty may seem risky, our institution was founded on the idea that change is necessary to move forward. This means, we were prepared to move essential processes such as admissions and financial aid from on-ground to online. The Capitol motto is “find a way or make one.” We are here to help you do the same. 

Congratulations to each student, faculty, and staff member who made this another successful semester. 

Stay safe everyone, 

Brad Sims, PhD  

President, Capitol Technology University