A Message from President Carvajal

Dr. Richard Carvajal is the current president of Valdosta State University.

Dear Blazer Nation, 

I hope this message finds you and your families safe and surrounded by support. I want to express my heartfelt concern for each of you as we continue to navigate the path to recovery in the wake of Hurricane Helene, one of the most catastrophic hurricanes to make landfall in U.S. history.  

To date, we are not aware of fatalities or serious injuries involving our students, faculty or staff, and for that we are grateful. We extend our thoughts and prayers to all those impacted across the Southeast, some of whom have it far worse than we do.  

That said, the local impact was significant. Helene made landfall as a category 4 hurricane, and winds in Lowndes County exceeded 100 mph, causing extensive damage and power outages across our area. Many are still without electricity, and some are even without running water.  

I am grateful to all who are working day and night to bring our campus and community back. VSU’s Emergency Management Team, numerous critical staff and academic leaders from across the university, our partners including Aramark and others, have been working tirelessly to help us return to normal operations as soon as possible. Power is being restored and crews have been onsite all week removing fallen trees, restoring downed power lines, repairing damaged facilities, and restoring IT systems. We are also extremely grateful for the support we have received from other universities as well as state and national leaders.  

Despite all the progress we are making and the incredible support we are receiving, it will still take some time before campus is fully ready for all to return. With that in mind, as you’ve already heard, all classes will return via online instruction on Monday, October 7 and will continue online until Wednesday, October 16, when we anticipate returning to normal operations. 

The challenges we face are real, and the damage to our beautiful campus and community is heartbreaking. But we are facing this together, and with resilience, we will rebuild and emerge even stronger. Remember, a blaze always burns brightest in the dark, and that spirit will enable us to come back stronger than ever. We can’t wait to welcome you home. 

Go Blazers!

Dr. Richard Carvajal
President