• The federal government’s recent guidance forcing the immediate exit from the United States of international students enrolled entirely in online or remote classes is cruel, unfair, and misguided. This is a reversal of guidance issued at the onset of the pandemic that had created helpful flexibility for international students when universities rapidly adjusted curriculum delivery to respond to COVID-19.
• As we conclude this academic year and prepare for the next, we want to congratulate Vice President for Research and Innovation David Conover on his retirement and express our thanks for everything he has done to serve the University of Oregon.
• This past Saturday’s commencement was like none other. While we are immensely proud of all our graduates and were pleased to be able to offer a meaningful ceremony, albeit remote, we know we are all looking forward to the day when we can get back to in-person activities—both on and off-campus. And as we continue our planning for an eventual return, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for all your work, energy, creativity, and dedication to our students through this very difficult time.
• This has been quite a term! For many, many reasons, it wasn’t easy, but you made it. I am profoundly proud of each one of you for the way you responded in the face of unprecedented adversity and a rapidly changing and uncertain world. For those who are not graduating this weekend, we are excited about welcoming you back in Eugene in the fall.
• There is no question we are living in a moment when our nation is painfully coming to grips with the reality of systemic racism that has been woven into the fabric of our society for generations. Racism exists despite the bloody battles of the Civil War, despite protections guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments, despite the hard-fought victories of the Civil Rights movement, and despite more recent efforts of individuals and institutions to consciously promote diversity and inclusion.
• The recent, tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of white policemen, coming soon after a spate of other senseless murders of black men and women, has refocused our attention on the racism that affects our black community. Racial disparities touch virtually all aspects of American life, from infant mortality rates, access to health care, residential and educational opportunities, incarceration rates, employment, and life expectancy.
• As leaders of this university it is important to speak out against these and other less publicized atrocities inflicted against people of color in our nation. We call on our entire university community and nation to recognize that these are not isolated events, but instead reflect a society deeply in need of transformation and healing.
• I wanted to take a moment in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month to both acknowledge the stress and anxiety you have experienced due to the coronavirus and share a number of resources available to you throughout your time as UO students.
• We all recognize the profound impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on both the University of Oregon and the national higher education landscape. The simple truth is that the coronavirus is an invisible disruptor that suddenly and harshly threatened what has been the UO’s foundation for nearly 150 years—the ability to fulfill our mission of excellent teaching, research, and service as a residential campus.
• Let me begin by observing that our community’s immediate response to the COVID-19 crisis was inspiring. I want to sincerely thank all of you—faculty, staff, administrators, GEs, and students—who are working tirelessly to keep our community strong and deliver on our mission of teaching, discovery, and service during this extraordinarily difficult time. It has truly been awe-inspiring and humbling. Now we must turn our attention to the future, to think about the next school year and beyond.
