加里·韦恩·吉尔伯特
Speaking September 2 at a 大学召开 reimagined for the pandemic era, 太阳城网赌平台’s senior leadership expressed confidence in the University’s ability to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19, 以及其他引人注目的教育, 经济, and social issues—and to help others do so as well.
Reflecting on the past six months, University President 威廉·P. 莱希,年代.J., said he had been “very impressed” with how the 太阳城网赌平台 community had responded to the obstacles and hardships imposed by the pandemic: 教师 and students working together remotely; offices and departments keeping essential services functioning; teams of planners collaborating to create a safe environment for students and employees alike; and 教师 and 工作人员 volunteering to assist in BC’s COVID testing program.
Yet BC did not neglect its mission to reach out to the wider community, Fr. 莱希还说, noting that 公元前餐厅 Services agreed to take on surplus food from vendors, 并用这笔钱捐出了150个,000 meals to the needy in the Greater Boston area. 当另一个, 同样重要的需要变得明显起来, the University took action by donating thousands of diapers.
“We are not a narrow, isolated little group in Chestnut Hill,” said Fr. 莱希. “We know what is going on around us, and we seek to make a difference.”
Befitting the pandemic’s effect on routines and signature events at BC and elsewhere, 大学召开 took place via Zoom. The format also was different: Rather than deliver prepared remarks, Fr. 莱希, along with Executive Vice President Michael Lochhead, and Provost and Dean of Faculties David 奎格利, participated in a conversation with Vice President for Student Affairs Joy Moore, who posed questions and solicited comments on University matters but also national events and trends.
引起关注的原因, 无论是短期还是长期, 对BC社区来说是丰富的吗, the speakers agreed: the pandemic and its impact on the economy as well as the nation’s health and wellbeing; continued unrest over long-simmering racial issues and violence in some communities; and a presidential election marked by severe political polarization.
“We all need to recognize that we are living in an extraordinary time,” said Fr. 莱希, “and 太阳城网赌平台, like all of higher education, is very much affected by what is happening. Clearly, there are changes afoot, and there also are risks that we must take on.”
“We are not a narrow, isolated little group in Chestnut Hill. We know what is going on around us, and we seek to make a difference.”
看看不列颠哥伦比亚省悠久的历史, which includes surviving the Great Depression and two world wars, 将当前事件置于上下文中, 他说. 学生, 教师, and 工作人员 should seek comfort and support, 无论是来自内心的信仰还是其他来源, 包括和朋友的对话.
“Don’t be isolated or bound by fear,” said Fr. 莱希. 寻求建议和观点. It can help tap inner resources we may not realize we had. 我们可以处理好这件事，继续前进. 我们以前做过.”
奎格利同意, recalling the Great Recession of 2008—which began at the time he started his tenure as dean of the Morrissey College of 艺术s and Sciences: “Somehow, we not only survived but emerged stronger than before. 然后, we drew on the support from friends and colleagues, and that will be critical now and in the months ahead.”
Lochhead said he looked to his four children, 其中两个是BC的学生, 保持一种比例感. “It’s important to see the world from their vantage point, 为了理解这种隔离, 缺乏联系, 还有其他的焦虑, and to help them to sort out what’s important.”
The convocation speakers pointed to encouraging institutional developments. 奎格利 noted that of BC’s 49 new full-time 教师, 57 percent are women and 39 percent are AHANA, and that student assessment of remote learning last spring had been positive. Lochhead said the University’s strong financial position had enabled it to avoid lay-offs while also moving forward on some key strategic investments, including construction of the integrated sciences building.
“[K]eep working for the good of the community and wider society. We want to be a place where solutions are brought forward.”
Fr. 莱希, 奎格利, 洛克黑德说，坚持BC的耶稣会, Catholic legacy—balancing individual formation with a commitment to the wider world—will be more important than ever during the 2020-2021 academic year. This mission will be reflected in two new initiatives, the Forum for Racial Justice in America—a series of events to address issues of race and racism—and the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success, 摩尔是执行董事, which will oversee outreach and academic support programs for underrepresented, 第一代, 来自低收入家庭的学生.
本着这种精神，Fr. 莱希敦促全体教员, 工作人员, and students to “keep working for the good of the community and wider society. We want to be a place where solutions are brought forward.”
恰当地说, Moore concluded the virtual event by reminding viewers to wear face masks and practice social distancing where appropriate, and to engage in a daily check for COVID symptoms.
Sean Smith | University Communications | September 2020