Your extraordinary support for our students

Dear Colleagues,

As we enter the last full week of instruction, I want to express my deepest appreciation and admiration for your extraordinary efforts during this semester. When the decision was made to transition to alternative modes of instruction, our hope was that it would be a temporary measure. But, as with so many plans, we adjusted our expectations, and then adjusted them again. Your resilience, adaptability, and dedication ensure that we are continuing to deliver the high-quality education that is at the core of our mission and to support our students’ success.

If you have a moment during your final few class sessions, please recognize and congratulate your students for their persistence and commitment to their education in the face of this crisis and the personal stresses that it created. If you have graduating seniors in your class, I know it would mean a lot if you congratulated them on that accomplishment as well. This was not how anyone imagined they would be completing their degrees, and our graduating students are feeling the loss of a traditional commencement ceremony acutely. A short word from you can have a great impact.

When our students look back on their time at the University of Minnesota, what they will remember most are the human connections they made, with their fellow students and with you, their faculty. I thank you again for staying connected with them in this time of distancing, and wish you the best as you wrap up the last of the spring semester.

Sincerely yours,

Rachel Croson
Executive Vice President and Provost

email sent to all Twin Cities faculty and instructors on April 28, 2020