A Semblance of Normalcy

Happy Spring to you all! I hope this message finds you all healthy and well. With the pandemic starting to loosen its grip on us, the university is beginning to take its first tentative steps toward normalcy. Nothing epitomizes this more than our recent live Commencement ceremonies to honor both the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021. It was thrilling to be back on campus, resplendent as it is this time of year with flowers and budding trees, and to see our students (albeit from six feet away and masked) in the flesh. The ceremony was nothing like our usual Crisler Center spring event but in many respects, it was all the sweeter because of that. Unlike virtually all our peer institutions, UM-Dearborn decided to hold live ceremonies (there were ten in total), with students, two guests each, and a handful of university officials attending the event. Held outside, in the parking lot behind the Fieldhouse (I suggested to the students that the parking lot, their perpetual nemesis throughout their time as students, might become a favored spot as a result—they didn’t buy it), the event was both a celebration of our students but also a celebration of life and of the fact that we are nearing the end of a very dark chapter. The students and their guests were so appreciative of the effort taken to give them a live ceremony and I was reminded of just how transformative a UM-Dearborn education is for our students and their families. It was so very inspiring! These ceremonies mark but a first step in the campus’ march toward a post-COVID reality. Planning is underway for a fall academic year that will look much more like the pre-pandemic academic terms, with live classes, on-campus activities, and athletics. Faculty and staff are eager to return to greet our students, especially those who are new to campus (both our incoming class and last year’s students who spent their freshman year learning remotely). Students, of course, are equally excited about the prospect of meeting new friends or meeting friends made remotely, in person. I am very proud of the work that both the college and university did to ensure the continuation of a quality education for our students. Our faculty and staff have been amazing, and UM-Dearborn is often pointed to as an example of a university that responded to the crisis of pandemic efficiently and robustly. I am certain that the transition to our post-COVID reality will be as exemplary!