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A Reading Week Note from the Dean

Submitted on Friday, February 12, 2021

February can be a difficult month at the best of the times, but one of the things I like about it is how it brings the return of light. The days get longer as our early mornings and late afternoons get brighter Seeing the extra light is a daily reminder that spring is on the way.

I’m starting to feel that we’re in a similar place with the pandemic – we can see the light, in this case, at the end of the tunnel. Or to mix up the metaphors and use one I’ve heard from some of the experts at the University’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, we are on the downside of the pandemic curve. Every pandemic has a beginning, middle and end, they say, and we are past the middle.

As we go down that pandemic curve, the University has already announced that classes will stay online for the spring and summer of 2021. Once again, the spring Convocation ceremony will be remote. As for the fall, planning is underway. We are looking at the different possible scenarios and will prepare accordingly. You can expect to hear more details from us in March.

In the meantime, I want to wish you all a wonderful Reading Week whether you choose to read and contemplate, or wander through the snow, or do both those things. And just in case you want to try something completely different, don’t forget about the wonderful virtual tours guide available in the Virtual Inforum. You can check out that AGO, the British Museum, Ripley’s Shark Cam and much more.

As always, I’d love to hear from you with your suggestions and concerns. Over and over again this past year, I’ve been so impressed by the resilience and spirit of our community and everything we’ve managed to accomplish in spite of the difficult times. The light has always shone through.