It goes without saying that 2020 has been an unusual year, but we’ve weathered these unprecedented times together. Across UTA, we came together to face challenges and build new opportunities. This spirit of resiliency and determination that fills me with great pride was especially strong among our faculty and Academic Affairs staff. While the difficulties are not over, I want to pause to recognize and thank you for all that you’ve done and overcome. 

This year, you radically adjusted normal operations to make sure teaching and learning continued; ensured our students received a rigorous education, while also showing understanding and compassion for their specific hardships; followed health and safety protocols on campus so that there were few, if any, classroom transmissions of COVID-19; opened communication channels with students and colleagues on social injustice; even showed compassion toward my office and me as we’ve done our best to implement and change policies in the best interest of the University; and many, many more commendable acts, all while facing challenges in your personal lives.

Through deans, chairs, staff in my office, and the department visits President Lim and I have made, I continue to learn about your extraordinary teaching, research, and scholarship efforts and accomplishments. Thank you for your commitment and continued engagement—your generous and resilient Maverick spirit is truly inspiring!

We will continue the spring semester in a manner similar to the fall, offering a mix of face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses; following public health guidelines; and remaining flexible in meeting the needs of our students, faculty, and staff. As we look forward, I have hope for a bright future. I do not foresee us going back to normal. Instead, I envision us being Mavericks in creating a new normal by taking everything experienced in the last year and using it to continue to innovate a new and better future.  

Again, thank you for all that you do. Warm wishes to you and your family for a safe and happy holiday!