To our academic community: I want to recognize and thank everyone who has worked so hard to bring this unprecedented spring quarter to a close. That our campus was able to remotely deliver a curriculum to tens of thousands of students with almost no advance warning or time to prepare is a testimony to the resilience of our faculty. I also want to recognize the many department chairs, deans, vice provosts, and vice chancellors who rose to the challenge by working around the clock to support our campus community. While it would be tempting to take a victory lap, the work is just beginning. We have a lot to consider as we begin the slow but inexorable path to “reopening” the campus, and more news on this from the campus leadership will be forthcoming soon.
I acknowledge that we are living through a time of social upheaval, and no one remains untouched by the tragedies experienced by African-Americans throughout the United States. As an office with a deep sense of and commitment to social justice, Academic Affairs stands with the many individuals who have provided eloquent testimony on the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’s Racial Trauma Resources as noted below. We will provide our own statement on this soon at our website, but please know that the work that Academic Affairs does to support diversity, equity, and inclusion continues unabated, with our resolve to make a difference and impact that grows even stronger.
Best wishes,
Phil
