Dear Students and Families,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope that by now most of you are settled in at home or\nsomewhere else safe and are beginning to adjust to this new and strange\nreality. These past two weeks have been stressful and disorienting for everyone,\nand it seems that we will be living with this situation for some time to come.\nI want to thank all of you \u2013 students and families \u2013 for rallying last weekend\nand moving so swiftly and graciously to respond as the circumstances required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tomorrow, classes will resume, and I wanted to be in touch\npersonally to welcome you back to your Bates semester. Faculty have been hard\nat work preparing to convene their classes in new forms, and they are putting a\ngreat deal of thought and effort into this unexpected project that landed on\nthem, as it has on you, two-thirds of the way through the semester. There is\nmuch to think through on both ends: synchronous vs. asynchronous sessions to\naccommodate different time zones, how to complete a lab or performance course\nremotely, how to organize group work to build community when the texture of\nface-to-face interactions is no longer an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the starting bell rings tomorrow, I am sure we will\nencounter challenges and frustrations, as the entire education universe \u2013\nkindergarten through graduate school \u2013 moves to remote learning at once. Our\nwonderful, dedicated ILS staff have worked with many of you this past week on\nconnectivity and other technical matters, and they stand ready to troubleshoot\nany issues that arise. So call the Help Desk if you need to, and don\u2019t panic if\nyou don\u2019t immediately get through. Please know that faculty will be flexible\nand forgiving as everyone works to get comfortable with new modes of learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This global pandemic is an unprecedented event that brings each\nand every one of us face to face with profound uncertainty, with worry for\nloved ones, and with dislocation in all aspects of life. But this is also, by\nits nature, a shared experience, and it offers opportunities for growth,\npurpose, and generosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we hunker down for the weeks ahead, I hope that there are moments of joy and humor to be found in this different kind of time that has opened up for us, however unplanned. Some people will find themselves juggling frantically to work from home, while also trying to teach their children, keep a household together, and care for loved ones who may be vulnerable. For others, this will be a quieter time, where we spend more hours alone or with family than we have in our entire lives. Where boredom, rather than busyness, becomes the problem we manage around. Where nature becomes a treat to be cherished after hours cooped up on screens. Where our hunger for human connection becomes a reality so present that we are less inclined \u2013 forever \u2013 to take a friend or a loved one for granted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, even as we may be physically separated from one another,\nplease remember to reach out to the people you cherish, especially those for\nwhom this time may pose particular difficulties. And be sure to take good care\nof your minds, bodies, and spirits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The campus is a quiet and lonely place with most of you gone,\nbut the Bates community remains connected and strong. Please stay in touch and\ntell us how you are doing, and we will do likewise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My very best, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clayton <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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