February 2, 2021
Colleagues,
Welcome back to a new semester. I hope you had the opportunity to step away from work for at least a short time.
As you know, we have identified two wellness days for the spring semester—February 23 and March 24. Instructors are not to hold classes or assign work on those days. I encourage you to prioritize your own health and wellbeing by enjoying this time away. Like me, I imagine you are pandemic weary, making the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine even more welcome and encouraging.
On the wellness days identified, the campus has asked that deans and other leaders limit meetings and emails. This offers each of us the opportunity to step away from work and do something that gives us joy or helps us find peace and contentment. To help you take advantage of wellness resources, we have assembled resources here. These links offer access to mindfulness resources, professional counseling and referrals, including tools to identify child, elder, and backup care. The Division of Student Affairs is also creating a listing of wellness day activities for students, faculty, and staff. The webpage will be launched soon, and you can watch for it here.
Those of you teaching on campus this semester can find a description of your classroom in this database. It includes social distancing classroom caps and images of the normal classroom setup. If you would like to visit your classroom in person, buildings will be open starting on February 1 until 5 p.m. Buildings will return to normal campus operating hours beginning February 8.
You, your students, colleagues, and friends and families have all been through a lot over the last year. The possibility of a return to something akin to normalcy in the next few months is within our reach. In the meantime, please take some time to focus on your own wellness and wellbeing.
Sincerely,
Margaret R. Ferguson, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Professor of Political Science
