Dear Colleagues,<\/p>\n
We clearly live in interesting times. The past six months have been medically challenging and anything but normal. Nevertheless, in the spirit of “never waste a good crisis,” we have learned a number of new skills, because we had to, which turned out to be more effective than we ever would have imagined.<\/p>\n
Many thanks to faculty, staff and students for your creativity, patience and persistence as curricula were redesigned and faculty and students pivoted to remote teaching together over a two-week learning curve. We graduated our medical students early at the governor\u2019s request so they could assist on the front lines. Research ramped down and then back up. Buildings have been reconfigured for physical distancing, and discovery and learning continue, in the great tradition of universities over the last thousand years, despite pandemics, natural disasters and wars.<\/p>\n
Facilities, IS&T, HR, Student Health, Environmental Health & Safety and Educational Media, building coordinators and others have been appropriately recognized for working to provide the safest possible environment for our community.<\/p>\n
The disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on Black and Latinx communities and then the senseless deaths of Black Americans in altercations with the police led to heightened awareness of systemic, structural racism in our society and a second crisis over the summer. We are committed to working together as a Medical Campus and University community to be diverse, equitable and anti-racist, building on our history of inclusion and commitment to social justice.<\/p>\n
As we begin the next academic year and faculty and students return to the labs and classrooms, I\u2019d like to summarize our progress in the 2019-20 school year.<\/p>\n