Season's Greetings

Normally, this would be the blog post where I recount all the great things that have happened in CASL over the past year (and there have been many). But instead, I was inspired by something that I heard over the weekend to put my historian hat on and to talk briefly about something altogether different. While out running some errands recently I happened to overhear a mother talking to her daughter. The mother and daughter were dressed for the holiday season and as they shopped, they were taking turns reciting the lines from Clement Clark Moore’s famous poem, “The Night Before Christmas.” I am certain that most everyone is familiar with this most famous of American poems; “’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house…” What most are not familiar with, however, is the historical context in which the poem originated or how it was a first, and very powerful, step in the taming of the Christmas season. The poem (originally called “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” was first seen in 1823 and is believed by many to have been written by Clement Clark Moore. Moore, a New York City patrician, was the scion of a wealthy and well-connected family. He made his money in real estate (he sold a portion of the estate that he inherited and developed it into what is today the Chelsea district of New York City) but also held a post as Professor of Ancient Languages at the General Theological Seminary (which his money helped to found). Moore and his elite friends found themselves jostling uneasily with a burgeoning and disorderly (and not infrequently drunken) urban democracy in America at large but profoundly noticeable in New York City especially (the city’s population doubled between 1810 and 1830, jumping to nearly 250,000). That an increasingly large portion of these city dwellers were poor and that many were also of foreign birth who brought with them strange religious beliefs and cultural practices, made matters all the worse in the minds of people like Moore. The potential for unruly behavior (and thus threats to the social order) were increasingly a part of daily life in New York. At no time was this more pronounced than during the Christmas season as it was customary in many of the European countries where these new arrivals originated for the holiday to be marked by misrule, the upheaval of class norms, and aggressive begging (the traditions of wassailers and the wren boys offering two such examples). This begging often took a threatening tone that sometimes went as far as breaking and entering and the trashing of the homes of the well-to-do. Uneasy with the chaotic and less than deferential tumult of the Christmas season, Moore determined to “tame” the holiday through prose. Moore’s St. Nicholas, like his working-class compatriots in New York City, also breaks into houses. But whereas the members of the mob demanded tribute and destroyed property, St. Nick is, “a right jolly old elf” and instead leaves gifts. As Moore writes, “A wink of his eye and a twist of his head soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.” The middle-class imagery in Moore’s poem is both obvious and abundant: the nuclear family; the tidy and warm dwelling; the lawn; the single-family house. The contrast to the world that was increasing encroaching on his Chelsea estate (a world of crowded, drafty, run-down boarding houses with rooms occupied by multiple, often sick and always very poor families) could not have been sharper. Moore’s work was but an opening salvo in the effort to domesticate Christmas, but its impact was both immediate and long lasting, to the point where its familiar refrain is now deeply embedded in our culture and in the hearts and minds of many as they celebrate what we now know as perhaps the most family-oriented (and most domestic) holiday of all. So, like Moore’s St. Nicholas, as I approach the end of this brief history lesson, and ere I drive out of sight let me say “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”

Remembering

As the nation marked the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, I spent no little time reflecting back upon that day and what it was like to be on our campus as this horror played out in real time. Before doing so, I would first like to recognize a former student of mine from my time at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Scott Rohner (http://www.legacy.com/sept11/Story.aspx?PersonID=94827&location=1), whose life was cut short on that fateful day. I will forever remember his vivacious spirit, his intellect, and his magnetic smile. Rest in peace my friend. I recall vividly the events of that day and think back with tremendous pride on the way our campus community came together in support of one another. The day began like any other, with me dropping my daughter off at the Child Development Center. The equilibrium of the day shifted dramatically and quickly thereafter. When the first plane flew into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 AM I had just settled into my office in the old campus apartment complex. Quickly, faculty, staff, and students gathered around a small television set in the department office to watch the unfolding events. All gasped in horror at what they were seeing, and many turned away after the second plane flew into the South Tower just seventeen minutes later. There was nary a dry eye among us. The broader campus was quickly enveloped in an ominous silence and sense of foreboding and the anxiety felt by many of our students, faculty, and staff, especially those from the local Arab community, was palpable. In spite of the horror and confusion playing out in New York, in Washington DC, and in the skies above Pennsylvania, and the anger and finger pointing that quickly began to manifest across the country and, more notably, just beyond the boundaries of our campus (Dearborn’s Arab community quickly became the target of violence and hateful, ignorant, acts), the University of Michigan-Dearborn remained calm and united in its determination to offer a place of refuge, tolerance, and comfort for our students, faculty, staff and extended a supportive embrace to the local community. While many local businesses and schools closed in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, university leadership determined to remain open and to continue to promote the campus message of inclusiveness. It was inspiring to wander the campus and hear faculty and students engaged in emotional conversations about what was happening in their classrooms and to see everyone taking extra steps to make sure that everyone that they encountered feel safe and welcome. The day really showcased the very best of our campus and it made me incredibly proud of my alma mater. While the world has changed in many ways since that day and our lives will never be quite the same, I know that one thing has remained constant—that our beloved university remains a place of opportunity and that all are welcome here! I wish you all peace and contentment.

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!

One Year On

I hope that this missive finds each and every one of you both healthy and happy. It has certainly been an incredibly trying year. Having just passed the one-year anniversary of the cessation of most face-to-face instruction at the university, I can honestly say that I could never have imagined that we would all still be working and teaching remotely one year later. The pandemic, of course, has been very challenging for all of us. Many of us have grappled with COVID or have watched friends and loved ones battle the disease. Others of us have lost loved ones, such our own beloved Bernie Klein (former Chancellor and Professor Emeritus of Political Science), to this scourge. More still, including many of our students and their families, have experienced job loss and financial difficulties. Technology needs, spotty internet connectivity, and access to faculty and other campus supports challenged many more. And then there is the mental anguish, isolation, and loneliness that have become the norms for so many of us and that have inflicted much anguish and despair upon our community. There is absolutely no doubt that we have all undergone a (hopefully) once in a century trial by fire. In spite of all of that, however, I have witnessed and experienced so many incredible things over the course of our pandemic year. I’ve been inspired by the fortitude of the CASL faculty and staff and of our students. They have all dug deeply and have given every day their all, refusing to buckle in spite of the many, many, challenges thrown their way. Faculty came together to assist each other as they transitioned to remote learning, to step in when their colleagues became ill, and to continue the work of the college and the advance of our strategic plan all without missing a beat. Staff, in spite of the sudden shift to remote work, kept the university’s day-to-day operations running seamlessly and continued to support both faculty and students without any diminishment of service. Our students....well what can I say about them? We’ve long known that UM-Dearborn students possess incredible amounts of grit, determination, and fortitude; it is their calling card, it is drives them to succeed. The pandemic revealed this trait all the more as they dug in, adapted to new course delivery modes, found innovative ways to keep connected with each other and continued their research and university and community service. Many of our students, faculty, and staff did all of this while caring for/educating their children and siblings or while caring for ill relatives. I cannot begin to say how inspiring they all are. As I write this, the COVID infection rate is falling, and the number of vaccines administered here in Michigan is climbing by the day. In response to the improving situation, the university is planning for a fall semester that will look much more like things used to look prior to the pandemic (though things will never be exactly as they were). I remain hopeful that the worst of the pandemic is behind us and that we will soon be able to gather as a community again on our campus and to bask in the presence of one another. I, for one, cannot wait! In the meantime, if you happen to know any UM-Dearborn students, faculty, or staff please take a moment to thank them for a job well done and for keeping CASL moving forward! Stay safe! We are almost there!

No Compliments Here

With the holiday season well underway and the strangest year in living memory almost behind us (we got this!), I wanted to take a moment to offer my salutations to the CASL family (students, staff, faculty, alumni, and supporters) and to wish you all the best new year ever. I hope that you are feeling well and that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. The college is, fortunately, finishing the fall term strongly, with few cases of COVID impacting our community. Certainly, the continued separation and isolation that we are experiencing are taking their toll on many of us, but in the main, our community has been fortunate in avoiding the worst effects of this pandemic and many are eyeing with great eagerness the vaccines that are now within our reach. Having said that, however, now is not the time to let down our guard. As we are all too aware, this pandemic has had a devastating impact on us as a nation and as a global community. Sadly, many of us know family members and friends who have been afflicted with COVID and far too many of us know someone who has succumbed to this terrible disease. So please, please, please continue your efforts to keep yourself and others safe. As Judy Garland reminds us in her beautiful 1944 rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Someday soon we all will be together, if the Fates allow.” “Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow.” In the Eighteenth Century it was common for people to speak (in a sadly ironic way) of receiving “Christmas Compliments” from their friends and family members during the final weeks of the calendar year in recognition of the fact that the prevalence of diseases such as influenza, tuberculosis, and colds rose dramatically during the holiday season as families and acquaintances gathered together to celebrate the season. It is my fervent hope that all of my readers and the broader CASL community are spared “Christmas Compliments” during this COVID Christmas. Please accept in their stead my wishes for the Happiest of Holidays and a Healthy 2021!

Now More Than Ever

Recently, as I was running an errand and enjoying just being able to drive someplace in my car, I happened upon an old song by the Doors, Strange Days. The song begins with a lamentation, “Strange Days have found us. Strange Days have tracked us down. They’re going to destroy our casual joys. We shall go on playing or find a new town.” Though released in 1967, the words struck me as being especially relevant to our current circumstances. We are indeed living in Strange Days! The beginning of the new 2020-2021 academic year is like nothing that any of us have ever known. Our campus is largely dormant and still. Most faculty and staff are working remotely, the University Center is closed, there are no fall athletics, and only about 8% of our classes are actually meeting on campus—mostly labs and some specific courses tied to special equipment needs. For once, parking is not a problem at the Dearborn campus! All kidding aside, this new reality, is a trying one for many. The need to learn and master new technologies, erratic and/or no access to consistent internet, a lack of direct face-to-face contact and the isolation that can accompany virtual learning, the necessity of reimagining course curriculum and laboratory components, the demands on our community members resulting from the disruptions in our childcare and k-12 environments, the financial difficulties brought on by COVID, and the worries about the pandemic and the health and well being of one’s students, family and friends, are all weighing heavily on the minds of CASL community members. At the same time, however, the promise of a new academic year and the excitement of welcoming new students into the college offer us all a much-needed distraction from the worry and uncertainty. More important still in accounting for the enthusiasm I am seeing around the college, however, is the realization that, now more than ever, the things that the college has to offer in terms of curriculum and faculty scholarship, are of critical importance. Indeed, if one hopes to understand and really address the myriad problems confronting our state and our nation, one must begin with the arts, sciences, and humane letters. It is CASL that offers students the opportunity to understand the history of race relations in the United States and the ways in which racism is stitched into the very fabric of our being. Likewise, CASL courses help to explain the gender and racial determinants of health disparities and give students the chance to connect these disparities to public policy and structural economic issues. As hundreds of thousands flee their homes in the American west in advance of unprecedented fires, as the gulf coast is being hammered by hurricane after hurricane, and as local weather patterns become more extreme, courses offered in the college facilitate student understanding of environmental change and how to prevent/counter this change. And, of course, the novel coronavirus itself (and other disease) and the ways that it spreads and impacts human health, is also a core area of study in the college. These and so many other critical contemporary issues (the psychological consequences of the pandemic, the best ways to balance economic security and public health, the use of data to better understand/predict the path of the pandemic, the tools necessary to critically understand/analyze the flood of information (both valid and not) washing over us on a daily basis, etc., etc.) are all areas of study and research here in the college. The consequences of this current pandemic are profound and far reaching but the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters is very well positioned to help both our students and the world outside of our classrooms make sense of what has happened and to inform our choices regarding what course to chart going forward. It is this realization that fuels much of the enthusiasm that I am seeing this September. CASL embraces the challenge we are facing and is eager to help our students and our broader community with the myriad problems that they are confronting. Here’s hoping that the next song I hear when I am driving (if it must be from the same era) is Here Comes the Sun!

Our Position

I hope that this missive finds everyone safe and well! If you are anything like me you have grown weary of the constraints that the COVID-19 pandemic imposed upon our lives. While I appreciate spending the time near my family along with my vastly reduced commute time and not having to play parking spot roulette if I venture out for a mid-day meeting, I also find myself spending no little time worrying about my faculty and staff colleagues and about our students. I also worry about the future of higher education in the United States and about the future of institutions like the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Public regional universities are not wealthy places. They always operate close to the bone, serving the overwhelming majority of the nation’s college students. They do not possess multi-billion-dollar endowments (UM-D’s, for instance, stands at around $60,000,000) and the bulk of their operating budgets are allocated toward faculty/staff salaries and benefits and student aid/support. They tend not to generate millions of sponsored research dollars nor are they supported the way that they once were by state tax dollars; they are tuition-driven institutions. And yet, it is in these very schools that the vast majority of American college students, many of them the first in their families to ever attend college and an increasing number from underrepresented populations, study, learn, and earn their degrees. These universities are, in short, the primary driver of American social mobility and equity. The COVID pandemic, while posing but the latest challenge to these schools, may be the most deadly. Indeed, the nation is already seeing small colleges and universities shuttering their doors as well as even the nation’s best known and well-funded colleges/universities adopting severe cost-cutting measures. Higher education as we knew it, will never look the same.

While prospects for schools like ours may look ominous, UM-Dearborn is better positioned than many to not only ride out this storm but to emerge stronger. First off, campuses like ours are well acquainted with environments of scarcity and finding ways to make due with less. Indeed, recent campus initiatives around digital education, student support, and careful stewardship of scarce resources enabled a relatively smooth transition to remote learning and for the campus to quickly establish the necessary reserves to cover its immediate needs. Likewise, the lack of university housing, dining, clinical medical programs, and a big time athletic program, also positions the university well to weather this latest shock. Our history as a primarily commuter campus also benefits us and may, in fact, entice new students to study with us as they wonder about the efficacy of spending more money for a residential experience further from their homes in this uncertain time. Finally, our connection to one of the world’s great universities also stands as reminder of both the power of a Michigan degree as well as the durability of the university granting those degrees.

Don’t get me wrong, the immediate future is filled with a great many challenges for both the university and the college but I firmly believe that if any regional public university can survive this storm, this one can. Will it look the same as it did back in March of this year? Undoubtedly not. Still, it will continue to do what it has done throughout its history; provide access to the very best public education available to a population that deserves exactly that. There is lots of work ahead and I look forward to sharing our progress with you as the university navigates this most challenging of times.