R. Kevin Marbury, vice president for student life, offers an apology in message to campus:

Yesterday, the Division of Student Life issued a statement about the passing of one of our students, Dylan Pietrs, who died Saturday at Lake Shasta.  The intent was to quickly respond to a tragic situation and provide resources to support the community members affected by Dylan’s passing. That statement should have reflected that our focus was and remains on assisting Dylan’s family and friends as they deal with this news.

We have heard from a number of you and greatly appreciate your perspective that the statement came across as insensitive.  As the leader of the Division of Student Life, I offer my apology. While I didn’t know Dylan personally, he was a member of the Duck family and right now we should be focused on responding on the loss of a member of our family. 

We have updated our statement and again express our condolences to Dylan’s family and friends.  The Division of Student Life remains committed to assisting members of our community in dealing with this tragedy. 

Sincerely,

R. Kevin Marbury

Vice President, Student Life

Students seeking counseling support can contact the University Counseling Center or drop in at the dean of students’ office between 1-5 p.m. each business day on the 4th floor of Oregon Hall. Faculty and staff can contact the Employee Assistance Program. (Added Monday, May 21 at 11:20 a.m.)