Notes from Dept Head 📝
Friend,
Welcome back to those returning and a hearty welcome aboard to those that are joining us anew!
As we begin our fall semester here in ENVS, we are all adjusting to novel approaches to our teaching, learning, research, and extension activities as COVID-19 remains active.
Our faculty, staff, and graduate students worked tirelessly over the summer to prepare for this semester so we can continue to teach engaging classes, conduct environmental research, and deliver Cooperative Extension programs, all in a way that is consistent with maintaining a healthy workplace.
The University of Arizona has preemptive “test, trace, and treat” approach, intended to limit the spread of the virus as many of us return to campus. Key to our collective success will be that we all: 1) Get Tested 2) Mask Up 3) Download Covid Watch 4) Sign up for Wildcat Wellcheck. Visit https://covid19.arizona.edu/ for details and updates.
Some of our faculty, staff, and graduate student team engaged in a facilitated, multi-week intergroup dialogue that focused on issues of race, justice, and equity in our department, university, and society. One outcome of this work was the development of an ENVS action plan – a “living document” – to guide our equity and justice actions going forward. You will hear more on this in the coming months.
