Dean's Message: Spring 2017

As we approach the first 100 days of our new President’s term I am reminded on the email that I sent to all of you faculty just after the election.  It ended with the request that “... as faculty and mentors, we have the responsibility to critique ... without being partisan. We are not seeking uniformity but unity. We are seeking respect for the plurality our nation represents. And, always, we are respectful of differences."

I hope that you have been able to listen and learn from your students and help them grapple with the new world we are living in.  I am amazed when I listen to the news how POTUS centric we are as a nation.  We are simply consumed by current events and it seems like the news outlets bend everything around so often it’s not even comprehensible.  What ever happened to art, design, music, theatre and dance?  Well, I’ll tell you - it’s happening here and I am proud of the eventful semester that you have had - and there’s plenty more to come - final projects, senior recitals, senior exhibitions and many other good things.

As this semester comes to an end, I hope you will reflect on what you've been able to achieve in your teaching, your research and your service. This newsletter has a lot of information about what's been happening. Your students have continued to be productive and creative.  I don’t believe in being uninformed or just dropping out but sometimes it’s just lucky to have our creative outlets to focus on to drown out the static we hear all around us. 

I congratulate you on everything you've done and look forward to more in the future.

All the best. 

- Gordon