An Open Letter of Gratitude to My MSUM Colleagues

As we approach the Thanksgiving break, it seems clear the fall semester will not end the way we hoped. This year, what is normally a well-earned respite before the frantic final weeks of the term will instead mark the end of face-to-face classes on campus. And though we’ll close the semester by celebrating our December graduates with all the pride and enthusiasm they deserve, I know we all regret the cancellation of our in-person Commencement ceremony. In many ways, the pandemic has disrupted our cherished traditions along with our sense of safety and security.

And, yet, what I’m feeling most keenly as the holiday approaches is a profound sense of gratitude. I’m grateful to every one of you for all the ways you’ve risen to meet the challenges of the past nine months, over and over again, because it was what the circumstances required of us and, most importantly, what our students deserved.

Through an extraordinarily difficult semester, you’ve put our students and their well-being first. Because of you, our students have been able to pursue their hopes and dreams. They’ve had role models for how to respond to difficult circumstances with grit and grace. They’ve felt cared for and supported. They’ve learned lessons that will serve them for the rest of their lives. And they’ve discovered they have reservoirs of strength and resilience they never imagined.

The upcoming break is one you’ve surely earned. I hope it includes some well-deserved rest and the chance to reflect with pride and satisfaction on everything we’ve accomplished together over the past months. Your efforts have meant the world to our students. And we all know our students will chart the future of our world.

Happy Thanksgiving, colleagues, with my deepest gratitude and best wishes.