صفحات جديدة باللغة العربية حصريًا قريبًا

يسرّنا الإعلان أننا نعكف حاليًا على إعداد صفحات جديدة مُصمّمة لجمهورنا الناطق باللغة العربية لتقديم تجربة استخدام متميزة ومحتوى مخصص وملائم أكثر لهم.

سنطلق هذه الصفحات المرتقبة قريبًا في الأشهر القليلة

Dedicated Arabic Pages Are Coming Soon

We're excited to announce that we are actively developing new, dedicated pages specifically designed for our Arabic-speaking users. These will offer tailored content and an enhanced experience.

Expected to launch in the next few months. Stay tuned!

Updates from the Dean’s Office

Welcome to the CMU-Q community update page. This page will be active during times when the Dean’s Office is sending regular updates about campus openings, operations, and shifts to educational scheduling.

March 2026

Due to the conflict in Iran, the Dean’s Office will be sending regular updates about safety, campus operations and plans for the coming days. These updates will be posted here for your reference. As necessary, special updates will also be sent to the community and posted here.

Scheduled Update: March 15, 2026

Dear CMU-Q community,

Yesterday was a long and challenging day for the students who live in the dorms after being evacuated in the early morning hours of Saturday. Qatar Foundation confirmed later yesterday that the dorms are safe and students could return if they choose. All of the students did opt to go back, but it was certainly a long, stressful day for them. To all of the students who were affected, I know the entire community wishes you a peaceful and restful night tonight. 

Updates for March 15, 2026

  1. Qatar Foundation has confirmed that members of the community can visit the building following the same guidelines as last week. Please keep your visit brief, and ensure you keep your phones with you and follow the instructions in case there is an alert. 
  1. We encourage everyone to continue following the Qatar government guidance with respect to safety, including emergency alerts. 
  1. Qatar Airways has been operating limited flights in and out of Doha for the past week. For those who wish to voluntarily depart Qatar, we recommend you book your tickets out of Hamad International Airport.
  1. Our next Scheduled Update will be on Tuesday, March 17. If we have any urgent information, we will send a Special Update.

Wishing everyone a peaceful last week of classes as we approach the end of Ramadan.

Kind regards,
Dean Michael Trick

Past Communications

March 14, 2026: Special update

Dear CMU-Q community,

At about 1:00 this morning, the Ministry of Interior requested that people living in certain locations—including the Qatar Foundation dorms—relocate to safer areas. Out of an abundance of caution, QF safely evacuated all students living in Education City dorms to hotels. Those living in Education City Community Housing were not asked to relocate.

Dean Dalia and the Student Affairs team are in close contact with the students affected, ensuring that they feel safe and supported. 

For the time being, we recommend that everyone in Doha remains sheltered in place. While the CMU-Q building was not evacuated, we suggest community members do not enter the building until we get further guidance from QF and the MOI.

I would like to remind members of the community who are considering voluntary departure that limited flights are available through Hamad International Airport. As well, if you wish to depart through Riyadh, please fill out the CMU-Q Voluntary Departure – Community Sign-Up form. We are planning for a bus to depart Monday, March 16 at 10:00 am.

I know that last night was especially unsettling for the community. Please, continue to support one another and make use of resources we have available on the Dean’s Office Community Updates Google site.

Everyone, stay safe and take care of yourselves.

Michael Trick

Dean

March 12, 2026: Scheduled update

Dear CMU-Q community,

I am relieved that we have reached the end of another week with our community members safe, whether they have traveled or sheltered in place in Qatar. 

Updates for March 12, 2026

  1. Qatar Airways has resumed a limited flight schedule out of Hamad International Airport. We believe it is now safer and more practical for community members who wish to depart to do so from Qatar. We will send out details about overland assisted voluntary departure travel later today.
  2. With fewer updates, the next Scheduled Update will be on Sunday, March 15 at 4:00 pm. If there are urgent updates in the meantime, we will send a Special Update.

Take care of yourselves, and remember to prioritize your health and wellbeing during this challenging time.

Kind regards,
Dean Michael Trick

March 11, 2026: Scheduled update

Dear CMU-Q community,

Hello and welcome to a very small update from the Crisis Management Team. 

Updates for March 11, 2026

  1. As Dean Dudley reminded everyone in the March 4 message, “CMU-Q guidelines for video/audio and tips for remote learning,” CMU-Q expects students to have their cameras on during remote classes. Since students have now had a week to request a waiver, all students who have not received a waiver should plan to have their cameras on as of tomorrow, Thursday, March 12.
  2. The second bus of community members who requested assistance in voluntary departure left this morning.
  3. We have moved the links to Health and Wellbeing Support to the Community Updates page. Please see that page for all information shared with the CMU-Q community during the Iran conflict.

Take care of yourselves, and remember to prioritize your health and wellbeing during this challenging time.

Kind regards,
Dean Michael Trick

March 10, 2026: Scheduled update

Dear CMU-Q community,

We have just a few items for today’s message—please take a moment to read through them.

Updates for March 10, 2026

  1. We realize that the CMU-Q community needs one place to access the messages, documents and resources that the Dean’s Office is sending out. The Crisis Management Team has created a Google Site for Dean’s Office Community Updates as a centralized place where our community can find resources we have sent with respect to this conflict. Please bookmark this page. You must be signed into Google with your Andrew ID to access this site. 
  2. Members of our extended community—parents, spouse, dependents and family members—can still see the public messages on our public website updates page.
  3. As we mentioned in an earlier update, CMU-Q will continue remote operations and online classes through the Eid break. We will give a week’s notice to announce we will be resuming in-person classes. This means that we will announce by March 22 if we will be resuming in-person operations on March 29, the first day of classes after Eid break. When classes resume in-person, we will expect all students, faculty, and staff to be on campus as usual.
  4. I am very pleased to share that the first mini-bus of community members left campus this morning and is now past the border crossing and enroute to Riyadh. 
  5. I am also pleased that there seem to be regular, although limited, flights that are departing from Hamad International Airport. It is important, however, to note that the Qatar Airways schedule is very fluid, especially for flights more than 48 hours away. Many flights are being changed and cancelled. 

Your health and wellbeing

Please stay connected with our community, and your friends and family. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or isolated, here are some places you will find support:

  • Students may reach out to anyone on the Student Affairs team, Education Office team, or individual faculty members. If you feel that you need additional support, Dr. Atorina Benjamin is available and you can email her to schedule a confidential counseling appointment.
  • Staff and faculty can access the Employee Assistance Program for counseling and mental health resources.

Kind regards,
Michael Trick

March 9, 2026: Scheduled update

Dear CMU-Q community,

The Crisis Management Team continues to monitor this dynamic situation, and I ask everyone to be mindful that our recommendations for the safety of our community may change day to day.

Updates for Monday, March 9:

  1. We continue to recommend sheltering in place as the safest option. Community members do have the option for assisted voluntary overland travel to Riyadh if they wish, and we shared details about that in yesterday’s message.
  2. I would also remind students, faculty members, and teaching staff to review the flexibility in academic policy guidelines that Dean Dudley shared yesterday.
  3. With respect to the building, we are now offering some limited access for work and study purposes. We ask that community members keep their visits to the building brief:
    1. Faculty and staff may work or do research from the building. 
    2. If students need to access the building to keep their academic or research projects moving forward, that will be permitted. 
  4. All classes will remain online until after the Eid break at the earliest.

Your health and wellbeing

Please stay connected with our community, and your friends and family. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or isolated, here are some places you will find support:

  • Students may reach out to anyone on the Student Affairs team, Education Office team, or individual faculty members. If you feel that you need additional support, Dr. Atorina Benjamin is available and you can email her to schedule a confidential counseling appointment.
  • Staff and faculty can access the Employee Assistance Program for counseling and mental health resources.
  • If your families would like to see the messages from the Dean’s Office, please share this link with them: http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/updates. We will continue to post updates as the situation continues and until it is resolved. 

Kind regards,
Michael Trick

March 8, 2026: Scheduled update

Dear CMU-Q community,

We have a few significant updates today, so please take a moment to read today’s message carefully.

Updates for Sunday, March 8:

  1. We continue to recommend sheltering in place as the safest option. That said, if community members choose to depart voluntarily through Saudi Arabia, we will assist in the overland travel to Riyadh. You will receive an email later this evening with details. International students who are under QF sponsorship will receive an email later with additional information.
  2. Our plan is to remain online for classes and operations through the Eid break. When we return to in-person classes, we expect that faculty, students and staff will also be in Doha to resume the semester. 
  3. ⁠We have received approval from Pittsburgh to be flexible with some academic policies, given this extraordinary semester. Dean Dudley will send a separate email with details. 

Your health and wellbeing

Please stay connected with our community, and your friends and family. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or isolated, here are some places you will find support:

  • Students may reach out to anyone on the Student Affairs team, Education Office team, or individual faculty members. If you feel that you need additional support, Dr. Atorina Benjamin is available and you can email her to schedule a confidential counseling appointment.
  • Staff and faculty can access the Employee Assistance Program for counseling and mental health resources.
  • If your families would like to see the messages from the Dean’s Office, please share this link with them: http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/updates. We will continue to post updates as the situation continues and until it is resolved. 

Kind regards,
Michael Trick

March 7, 2026: Scheduled update

Dear CMU-Q community,

Hello everyone, I hope you are taking some time today to rest and connect with family and friends. 

I would like to acknowledge that as this conflict continues, each member of our community is carrying layers of worry. For those in Qatar, I appreciate your worries are many: your personal safety, the safety of your family, friends, colleagues, classmates, and pets, and the uncertainty that this conflict has brought to our entire community. 

For those who have family and loved ones elsewhere in the region, you have the additional worry of how the conflict is intensifying, and what that may mean. Many of you have families elsewhere in the world who are watching this unfold, and you are also managing their anxieties and concerns.

In periods of uncertainty, it’s natural for stress and anxiety to become our dominant feelings. There are many techniques to manage these feelings: deep breathing, simple grounding exercises, focusing on what is within your control versus what is not, and being mindful of how much media you consume. 

Connecting with one another in our community is really important. Support your friends, colleagues and classmates with patience, empathy, and openness. Reach out to check on people. Show grace to yourself and to those around you. If you are feeling overwhelmed, consider reaching out to a member of our community, or to make use of the resources we list each day at the bottom of the message. 

Taking care of ourselves and each other helps ensure we can continue to learn, teach, and work together with resilience. This community has made it through challenging times before, and each time we emerge stronger and more united. We will make it through this challenge together as well, especially if we support one another with strength and hope.

Health and wellbeing resources

If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or isolated, here are some places you will find support:

  • Students may reach out to anyone on the Student Affairs team, Education Office team, or individual faculty members. If you feel that you need additional support, Dr. Atorina Benjamin is available and you can email her to schedule a confidential counseling appointment.
  • Staff and faculty can access the Employee Assistance Program for counseling and mental health resources.
  • If your families would like to see the messages from the Dean’s Office, please share this link with them: http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/updates. We will continue to post updates as the situation continues and until it is resolved. 

Kind regards,
Michael Trick

March 6, 2026: Scheduled update

Dear CMU-Q community,

As we move into the second week of this conflict, the Crisis Management Team continues to meet, gather information, and reassess. This information includes feedback we have received from members of our community, including the webinar questions and comments. Yesterday, Deans Khaled, Kira and Dalia also visited the dorms to check in with the international students, and shared that feedback with the rest of the Crisis Management Team and Qatar Foundation Housing. 

Here are the factors we are considering as of Saturday, March 7:

  • We do not believe that the threat is over, but we have experienced a lower frequency of attacks over the last few days. 
  • The Qatar government is allowing residents who live near the US Embassy to return to their homes.
  • The Qatar and US military are intercepting threats further away from central Doha, making the risk of falling debris less than it was. 
  • We have heard of an increasing number of successful departures through Saudi Arabia, which gives us more confidence that the overland route is a viable option.
  • We understand that the uncertainty of how long we will be online is stressful for the entire community. 

Based on these factors, here are our updates:

  1. ⁠We will continue to offer online instruction and operate remotely through the Eid break. We will reassess at that time, and if we are in-person as of March 29, we expect community members to be back for the remainder of the semester. We will give one week’s notice that classes will resume in person, to give everyone enough time to arrange travel back to Doha.
  2. Tell us your interest in voluntary departure, with potential support from CMU-Q. While we still recommend sheltering in place as the safest option, recent developments suggest the risk profile for voluntary departures may be lower now than earlier in the week. Please complete this form to share your thoughts.  

As we look to another week in this extraordinary situation, I thank everyone for sharing their worries and concerns. I hope we will get more clarity this week of how the situation will unfold.

Your health and wellbeing

Please stay connected with our community, and your friends and family. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or isolated, here are some places you will find support:

  • Students may reach out to anyone on the Student Affairs team, Education Office team, or individual faculty members. If you feel that you need additional support, Dr. Atorina Benjamin is available and you can email her to schedule a confidential counseling appointment.
  • Staff and faculty can access the Employee Assistance Program for counseling and mental health resources.
  • If your families would like to see the messages from the Dean’s Office, please share this link with them: http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/updates. We will continue to post updates as the situation continues and until it is resolved. 

Kind regards,
Michael Trick

March 5, 2026: Scheduled update

Dear CMU-Q students, staff and faculty,

I am relieved that today’s message will be quick and straightforward.

Updates for today: March 5, 2026

  1. If you would like to retrieve items from the building, we ask that you reach out to FM Hotline to confirm a time when you can come in. We encourage you to please contact us first, and that you stay only long enough to retrieve your items. 
  2. Students and advisors, we are working with the Pittsburgh campus to explore flexibility within formal academic policies, considering the extraordinary semester we are having. We hope to have more clarity early next week and we will share with you more details as soon as we can.
  3. If you are planning to leave the country, please let us know.
    1. Students should contact [email protected]
    2. Faculty members should contact your Area Head, as well as Khaled Harras.
    3. Staff members should contact your supervisor, as well as Human Resources.
  4. Our Computing Services department has been in touch with Qatar Foundation Housing, and we think we have helped resolve the issue of internet access in the dorms. Please let us know if you continue to have issues.
  5. Please check Andy and Scotty for the webinar slides, an expanded FAQ document, and guidelines for voluntary travel. 

Current safety status: March 5, 2026

  1. Classes and operations will remain online until further notice.
  2. We recommend that the CMU-Q community shelters in place. 
  3. Please follow instructions and alerts from official sources, including the Qatar government.
  4. CMU-Q messages will be sent through the following channels: email, SMS, and the Rave Guardian app, depending on urgency. 

Your health and wellbeing

Please stay connected with our community, and your friends and family. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or isolated, here are some places you will find support:

  • Students may reach out to anyone on the Student Affairs team, Education Office team, or individual faculty members. If you feel that you need additional support, Dr. Atorina Benjamin is available and you can email her to schedule a confidential counseling appointment.
  • Staff and faculty can access the Employee Assistance Program for counseling and mental health resources.
  • If your families would like to see the messages from the Dean’s Office, please share this link with them: http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/updates. We will continue to post updates as the situation continues and until it is resolved. 

Wishing you a quiet and peaceful evening.

Kind regards,
Michael Trick

March 4, 2026: Scheduled update

Dear CMU-Q students, staff and faculty,

Today’s message is quite lengthy based on feedback we received at yesterday’s webinar and information we received today. Please take a moment to read through today’s update.

Updates for today: March 4, 2026

  1. The slides from yesterday’s webinar are now available on Scotty and Andy. You will notice a new yellow notification banner at the top of the page where we have posted the link.
  2. We have prepared an expanded FAQ document based on questions from yesterday’s webinar. Please take a look at that document for more detailed answers to questions like voluntary departure, mental wellbeing, academic continuity and operations and logistics. This document is available on Andy and Scotty.
  3. While we maintain our recommendation to shelter in place, we have prepared a guide if you are considering voluntary departure. This document is available on Andy and Scotty. 
  4. We are aware that some other institutions are offering basic logistical support for voluntary travel for international students. We continue to recommend that sheltering in place is the safest, best option at this time. 
  5. We understand that some embassies are contacting their nationals to arrange transportation outside of Qatar and to their home country. This is being arranged by embassies directly. Should you be contacted by your embassy, it is at your discretion to depart. If you are a student, please inform Student Affairs. Once we resume in-person classes, our expectation is that you return to Qatar. 
  6. We are working with Qatar Foundation to determine the process for returning to the building to retrieve items. We will share details when we know them.
  7. If faculty and staff members would like dependents and family members to receive emergency SMS messages from CMU-Q, please log in to Workday and add secondary contact numbers. As well, we are updating the qatar.cmu.edu/updates page at the same time as the email updates are sent out—please pass this link to family and loved ones if they would like to stay up-to-date.

Current safety status: March 4, 2026

  1. Classes and operations will remain online until further notice.
  2. We recommend that the CMU-Q community shelters in place. 
  3. We strongly recommend that community members do not access the CMU-Q building.
  4. Please follow instructions and alerts from official sources, including the Qatar government.
  5. CMU-Q messages will be sent through the following channels: email, SMS, and the Rave Guardian app, depending on urgency. 

Your health and wellbeing

Please stay connected with our community, and your friends and family. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or isolated, here are some places you will find support:

  • Students may reach out to anyone on the Student Affairs team, Education Office team, or individual faculty members. If you feel that you need additional support, Dr. Atorina Benjamin is available and you can email her to schedule a confidential counseling appointment.
  • Staff and faculty can access the Employee Assistance Program for counseling and mental health resources.
  • If your families would like to see the messages from the Dean’s Office, please share this link with them: http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/updates. We will continue to post updates as the situation continues and until it is resolved. 

Wishing you a quiet and peaceful evening.

Kind regards,
Michael Trick

March 3, 2026: Scheduled update

Dear CMU-Q students, staff and faculty,

Thank you to everyone who attended today’s webinar. We have some very important action items following this meeting:

  1. We will make the slides available to the community through the usual places on Andy and Scotty. 
  2. We have recorded your questions, and thank you to everyone for submitting them. We will prepare an extended FAQ based on these questions and send them to you tomorrow. 
  3. We will be receiving guidance soon from Qatar Foundation on accessing the building to retrieve items. We will share a process when we have it. 

Thank you again for your questions and feedback. This is very helpful to the Crisis Team as we continue to meet and plan. We will schedule another webinar soon so we can hear more from you.

In the meantime, I will continue to send the Scheduled Update by 4:00 pm, including weekends, until the current situation is resolved. All Scheduled Updates and Special Updates from me will be posted here for your reference: http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/updates. 

Updates for today: March 3, 2026

Today’s update is a summary of the information we shared at the webinar. 

  1. Until further notice, we will continue online operations. 
  2. We believe that sheltering in place continues to be the safest course of action for our campus community at this time.
  3. We continue to consult with our security advisors, assess the current logistical situation, and meet as a Crisis Team to plan and prepare.

Several factors inform this decision:

  • Airspace limitations: Regional airspace remains largely closed. Attempting movement under these uncertain conditions could expose travelers to additional risk.
  • Operational realities: Commercial travel options are limited, and travel in an active conflict environment carries inherent safety concerns.
  • Current threat trends: Based on security briefings and ongoing monitoring, the intensity and frequency of recent Iranian attacks on Qatar appear to be decreasing. 
  • Information assessment: Based on input from our security firm, as well as messaging from the various embassies in Qatar, we are carefully balancing recommendations and guidance.

Current safety status: March 3, 2026

  1. We recommend that the CMU-Q community shelters in place.
    1. Do not go outside. 
    2. Find a secure location away from windows, close your curtains, and stay within your residence or another safe building.
    3. Have a supply of food, water, medications, and other essential items. 
    4. Keep your phone charged and maintain communication with family and friends to let them know you are safe.  
  2. We strongly discourage community members from entering the CMU-Q building.
  3. Please follow instructions and alerts from official sources, including the Qatar government.
  4. CMU-Q messages will be sent through the following channels: email, SMS, and the Rave Guardian app, depending on urgency. 
  5. Please check that your contact information is updated:
    1. Students should make sure your mobile numbers are on SIO.
    2. Staff and faculty, please login to Workday and double-check that your current mobile number is in Workday.
    3. Faculty, staff and students should all have the Rave Guardian app on your phones, registered with your Andrew IDs. 

Plans for tomorrow: March 4, 2026

  1. Dr. Atorina will be offering an online Community Support Session: Staying Grounded in Uncertain Times. This session will focus on understanding stress and anxiety during periods of uncertainty, learning practical grounding and breathing strategies, and providing space for questions and support. We recognize that current events may be particularly distressing for members of our community with personal or past experiences of conflict or instability. All faculty, staff, and students are welcome. We encourage anyone in our community who may benefit to attend. 

March 4, 2026
1:00 to 2:00 pm

A calendar invite will be sent to you directly.

Your health and wellbeing

Please stay connected with our community, and your friends and family. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or isolated, here are some places you will find support:

  • Students may reach out to anyone on the Student Affairs team, Education Office team, or individual faculty members. If you feel that you need additional support, Dr. Atorina Benjamin is available and you can email her to schedule a confidential counseling appointment.
  • Staff and faculty can access the Employee Assistance Program for counseling and mental health resources.
  • If your families would like to see the messages from the Dean’s Office, please share this link with them: http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/updates. We will continue to post updates as the situation continues and until it is resolved. 

Wishing you a quiet and peaceful evening.

Kind regards,

Michael Trick
Dean
Carnegie Mellon in University

March 3, 2026: Special update

Dear CMU-Q community,

We are fully aware of the U.S. State Department’s advisory to U.S. citizens. While this message has been widely circulated by the media and other channels, we are awaiting further clarification.

I strongly advise you to remain sheltered in place. We have been in meetings and are working with Qatar Foundation and our international security consultants to get more information, which we will share at today’s webinar or later in the day. 

Michael Trick
Dean
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar

March 2, 2026: Scheduled Update

Dear CMU-Q students, staff and faculty,

I hope that this second day of remote classes and operations has been going smoothly, and you are also taking some time to stay in contact with friends and loved ones.

Updates for today: March 2, 2026

  1. For those who are new to the CMU-Q community, I want to reassure you that we have an experienced Crisis Management Team made up of faculty and staff leadership. This team undergoes regular training and simulation exercises to ensure that we will gather information, make decisions, and communicate with the community in a way that is helpful, accurate, and calm.  The CMU-Q Crisis Management Team draws from resources that include our international security consultant, the U.S. Embassy, and the Qatar Foundation Crisis Management Team. Tomorrow we will hold a webinar for the community so we can share what we know, what we are looking out for, and how we see the next few weeks unfolding. Please look out for a calendar invitation.
  1. Students: if your families would like to see the messages from the Dean’s Office to the community, please share this link with them:http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/updates. We will continue to post updates as the situation continues and until it is resolved. 

Current safety status: March 2, 2026

  1. Everyone in the CMU-Q community should shelter in place.
    1. Do not go outside. 
    2. Find a secure location away from windows, close your curtains, and stay within your residence or another safe building.
    3. Have a supply of food, water, medications, and other essential items. 
    4. Keep your phone charged and maintain communication with family and friends to let them know you are safe.  
  2. We strongly discourage community members from entering the CMU-Q building.
  3. Please follow instructions and alerts from official sources, including the Qatar government.
  4. CMU-Q messages will be sent through the following channels: email, SMS, and the Rave Guardian app, depending on urgency. 
  5. Please check that your contact information is updated:
    1. Students should make sure your mobile numbers are on SIO.
    2. Staff and faculty, please login to Workday and double-check that your current mobile number is in Workday.
    3. Faculty, staff and students should all have the Rave Guardian app on your phones, registered with your Andrew IDs. 
  6. Qatar airspace remains closed. If you are travelling, please monitor your airline for any changes to your flight and continue to follow official guidance from the authorities.

Plans for tomorrow: March 3, 2026

  1. Tomorrow we will continue online operations. 
  2. Some students and faculty may continue to have difficulties with their connection or attendance online. We leave it up to faculty members to decide what works best for their classes. 

Your health and wellbeing

Sheltering in place can be challenging, and I encourage you to stay connected with our community, and your friends and family. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or isolated, here are some places you will find support:

  • Students may reach out to anyone on the Student Affairs team, Education Office team, or individual faculty members. If you feel that you need additional support, Dr. Atorina Benjamin is available and you can email her to schedule a confidential counseling appointment.
  • Staff and faculty can access the Employee Assistance Program for counseling and mental health resources.

Stay safe, and I will see you tomorrow on the webinar.

Kind regards,

Michael Trick
Dean
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar

March 1, 2026: Scheduled Update

Dear CMU-Q students, staff and faculty,

I hope this message finds you well. It has been a stressful 24 hours, and I hope everyone is staying home, keeping in contact with friends, classmates, coworkers, and family, and taking care of yourselves.

Updates for today: March 1, 2026

  1. We would like to establish a regularly scheduled touchpoint with our community until the situation is less uncertain. We plan to send a message daily out to the community before 4:00 pm each day with three areas of focus: non-urgent updates, current safety status, and our plans for the next day. 
  1. We will send any urgent updates out if and when they arise.
  1. We have created a page on the website for our community where we will post the latest scheduled update, as well as any urgent updates. Please bookmark www.qatar.cmu.edu/updates to access these updates.

Current safety status: March 1, 2026

  1. Everyone in the CMU-Q community should shelter in place.
    1. Do not go outside. 
    2. Find a secure location away from windows, close your curtains, and stay within your residence or another safe building.
    3. Have a supply of food, water, medications, and other essential items. 
    4. Keep your phone charged and maintain communication with family and friends to let them know you are safe.  
  2. We strongly discourage community members from entering the CMU-Q building.
  3. Please follow instructions and alerts from official sources, including the Qatar government.
  4. CMU-Q messages will be sent through the following channels: email, SMS, and the Rave Guardian app, depending on urgency. 
  5. Please check that your contact information is updated:
    1. Students should make sure your mobile numbers are on SIO.
    2. Staff and faculty, please login to Workday and double-check that your current mobile number is in Workday.
    3. Faculty, staff and students should all have the Rave Guardian app on your phones, registered with your Andrew IDs. 
  6. Qatar airspace remains closed. If you are travelling, please monitor your airline for any changes to your flight and continue to follow official guidance from the authorities. If your flight operates as scheduled, you may travel and proceed directly home upon arrival.

Plans for tomorrow: March 2, 2026

  1. Tomorrow we will continue online operations. 
  2. I would like to emphasize that some of our students and faculty might have difficulties with their connection or attendance online. 
  3. While our expectation is to operate online, we understand that the situation is challenging. We leave it up to each faculty member to decide what works best for her/his class tomorrow (e.g. run online, provide asynchronous options, or cancel and make up class). 

Your health and wellbeing

Sheltering in place can be challenging, and I encourage you to stay connected with our community, and your friends and family. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or isolated, here are some places you will find support:

  • Students may reach out to anyone on the Student Affairs team, Education Office team, or individual faculty members. If you feel that you need additional support, Dr. Atorina Benjamin is available and you can email her to schedule a confidential counseling appointment.
  • Staff and faculty can access the Employee Assistance Program for counseling and mental health resources.

Wishing you a safe and peaceful day,

Michael Trick
Dean
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar

February 28, 2026: Classes and campus operations will be remote beginning tomorrow

Dear CMU-Q community,

This morning there were confirmed missile attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, and retaliatory missiles from Iran that have been intercepted over Qatar. The U.S. Embassy and the Qatar government are strongly recommending that Qatar residents shelter in place until further notice. 

Our crisis management team is closely monitoring this situation, and we will share updates and information to ensure our community remains safe.

As of February 28, 2026, 1:45 pm:

  1. Everyone in the CMU-Q community should shelter in place.
    1. Find a secure location away from windows, close your curtains, and stay within your residence or another safe building. 
    2. Do not go outside. 
    3. Have a supply of food, water, medications, and other essential items. 
    4. Keep your phone charged and maintain communication with family and friends to let them know you are safe.  
  2. Please follow instructions and alerts from official sources, including the Qatar government.
  3. All classes and campus operations will be remote beginning Sunday, March 1.
    1. Students, please check with your professors for details about your classes and assessments. 
    2. Faculty members should contact Computing Services through [email protected] or +974 4454-8440 if you need assistance in moving your classes online. Supervisors should contact their staff members with a plan for remote operations.
    3. Faculty members will receive further instructions about assessments and mid-semester due dates.
  4. Messages will be sent through the following channels: email, SMS, and the Rave Guardian app, depending on urgency. Please check that your contact information is updated:
    1. Students should make sure your mobile numbers are on SIO.
    2. Staff and faculty, please login to Workday and double-check that your current mobile number is in Workday.
    3. Faculty, staff and students should all have the Rave Guardian app on your phones, registered with your Andrew IDs. 
  5. If you are travelling, please monitor your airline for any changes to your flight and continue to follow official guidance from the authorities. If your flight operates as scheduled, you may travel and proceed directly home upon arrival.

Since this is a fluid situation, classes and campus operations will remain remote until further notice.

Our crisis management team is very closely monitoring this situation and we will update you as we learn more. We urge everyone to stay home, remain calm, and please only rely on official sources of information, including the U.S. Embassy and Qatar government.

Kind regards,

Michael Trick
Dean
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar