As Spring 2020 Draws to a Close

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Congratulations for all you have achieved during the spring 2020 term, which has been one of the most challenging periods we’ve ever experienced on our campus and throughout the country and world. Since the coronavirus disrupted our lives in March, we have not only adjusted to learning, teaching and living in a digital world, we also have become aware of greater inequity and injustice than many of us had recognized in the past. And for millions of people across this country and beyond, we have found a common purpose in protesting these grave injustices and in working together for true change.

To our students, I wish you well on your final projects and tests. To our faculty and staff, I say thank you for your excellence, and for your compassion and dedication to our students’ well-being. Without all of you, our students could not have learned and grown as much as they did.

Finally, I hope you will join me and Corinne Lengsfeld, interim provost and executive vice chancellor, along with our academic deans and others, on Friday, June 12, for our virtual Day of Recognition. At noon on Friday, we will kick off the celebration with a video honoring our more than 3,300 graduates across our 10 schools and colleges. In the afternoon we will welcome about 250 graduates onto campus for a carefully orchestrated, safely distanced, lineup for commemorative photos.

Congratulations again—to all of you and especially to our graduates. Next spring, we will hold our formal Commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 and commemorate your collective resilience and achievements. Congratulations, graduates!

Sincerely,

Jeremy Haefner
Chancellor