Welcome Back To Remote Learning In ARHU

A message from Dean Bonnie Thornton Dill.

Dear ARHU students, faculty and staff,

This coming Monday launches our journey into remote learning in ARHU and our university for the remainder of the term. Thank you to the entire ARHU community for your hard work and flexibility in preparing for this transition. It is encouraging that in the midst of this worldwide pandemic we can still safely continue our educational mission. The university is committed to supporting students, faculty and staff as much as possible through this new way of teaching, learning, creating and working—and to providing support and services to address the mental health and wellness of our entire community. These resources can be found here. 

As you know, the university remains open but with a series of restrictions. I am writing this email to you all, because the impact of COVID-19 represents a new reality for us. As we transition into remote learning during this difficult time, please practice patience. I know the college’s faculty and staff are committed to delivering high-quality online experiences to students. Nevertheless, the transition will take some time for all of us to adjust, and we can expect “glitches” in this process. Especially under these conditions please be courteous and kind to one another at all times. We are in this together and each of us can make a contribution and a difference. I thank you in advance for doing your part in this collective effort.

Important Campus Resources
Operating in a virtual environment offers particular challenges. Below I highlight some campus resources that provide very useful and timely information. Please take advantage of them.
 

• Keepteaching.umd.edu (remote instruction guidance, strategies and resources for faculty) 

• Keeplearning.umd.edu (remote learning guidance, strategies and resources for students)

• Keepworking.umd.edu (remote work guidance, equipment, technology and resources for staff) 

• Keepconnected.umd.edu (guidance and strategies for students to keep connected with UMD and fellow Terps while away from campus)

• Keepcreating.umd.edu (a new resource coming soon to make the arts and humanities available online to the UMD community) 

• Gradschool.umd.edu/coronavirus (a resource for remote thesis and dissertation defense, GA guidance and frequently asked questions)

• UMD Libraries, here to support you (Dean Adrienne Lim’s message on remote library support)

• umd.edu/virusinfo (the university’s resource and information hub on COVID-19)

• go.umd.edu/arhuvirusinfo (additional ARHU specific information on COVID-19)

Some Words of Advice...

1. Self-care. Please stay safe as we deal with the COVID-19 crisis. Continue to follow the CDC and UMD guidelines. If you have questions specific to UMD and coronavirus, you can email healthconcerns@umd.edu. If you have a medical question or concern, please contact your physician. As you work to care generously for others, also please take time to care for yourself. This will be a long journey so find time to eat well, exercise, sleep well, rest and do things that lift your spirits and clear your mind. Find ways to laugh; it is good for the soul. And, connect to others during this time of social distancing; we are wired for connection. 

2. Offer Grace. None of us have traveled this path before, so please start by assuming that people are doing their best. Know that many people are juggling challenges, often accompanied by great angst and uncertainty. So, do all you can to treat your family, colleagues, peers and friends well. Be patient. Be kind. Offer forgiveness, not judgement. Allow yourself to offer grace time and time again. I share here ARHU’s statement on civility. 

3. Keep Creating. The arts and humanities continue to serve our important educational mission through online spaces—artists, writers, designers, educators and administrators are innovating in wonderful ways to bring people together online through storytelling, cultural experiences, music, performance, dance, visual arts and more!  There’s a quote in the signature of my email messages that seems particularly pertinent now: “The arts and the humanities aren’t just there to be consumed and enjoyed whenever we have a free moment in our lives. We rely on them constantly.  We need them. Like medicine, they help us live.”-- President Barack Obama, July 28, 2014.  

In closing, I remind us all to lean on the Terp spirit of fearlessness, remaining strong and dedicated to one another and the communities that we serve.  

Sincerely,

Bonnie Thornton Dill

Dean and Professor, College of Arts and Humanities