As 2020 comes to an end, our world, nation, and state continue to struggle with the short- and long-term effects of an ongoing pandemic. I hope by the time I write you in the spring semester we are well into the distribution of a vaccine that will alleviate the suffering and sickness of so many.
It has become clear since our lives changed in March that we will never go back to “normal.” There will truly be a “new normal” even following the arrival of a vaccine. We have been changed, challenged, and pushed to rapidly innovate and evolve in ways that will remain with us. We have learned so much. This is a positive side of what we’ve been through together.
Just the other day, I was talking with my Student Advisory Board via Zoom. This group represents the fifteen areas of the Eskenazi School. I asked them how the semester has been going, from the student perspective. Their answers were inspiring to me – they are resilient, positive, and adaptive. Their main concern was quite simple but so very fundamental and vital. They miss personal, spontaneous connection with their Eskenazi School community – small things like the informal talk before class with their teacher or out-of-class gatherings over food.
We’ve learned so much about teaching and connecting virtually, but the importance of in-person connection has been wonderfully reinforced as well. We are moving into 2021 with a larger vocabulary of ways to teach, work, and research with one another, and this learning will enhance and enrich our community in the future.
In addition to the coronavirus pandemic, the push for social justice has been at the forefront of our discussions and attention. Over the summer we worked toward the creation and endorsement of our inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan which established a DEI Committee as part of our governance documents. In addition, our new Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, Sachet Watson, begins her work with us on December 1. The position is shared with the Jacobs School of Music and we look forward to collaborating more closely across the arts. Please see the DEI updates on our website.
As we move into December, our campus will fall quiet again with classes moving fully online until early February. You can find more information on IU’s COVID site. Our end-of-semester events such as the BFA exhibitions, Scholarship Awards Ceremony, and guest speakers will all be held online. I’d like to thank the entire Eskenazi School community for their dedication and innovation during this challenging time. Their super-human efforts are greatly appreciated by me, and by our colleagues and students.
Lastly, I have a request. As you might imagine, some students are facing difficult situations right now—from food insecurity to unexpected medical expenses to needs for housing or technology. I understand that many of you might be in similar situations, but for those that are able, I’d like to share an option to provide emergency support to our students – our new Eskenazi School Student Emergency Relief Fund. We have processes in place to ensure that funds raised will flow quickly to the SoAAD students in urgent need.
I hope you and yours are well. Please stay in touch with us, either virtually, or hopefully in the near future, in person.
Health and peace,
Peg