Stay Connected

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faculty & staff have been hard at work this summer revamping courses & preparing for the uncertainty we know the Fall will bring.  We’ve all learned a lot–and even had some fun together with colleagues. But as we turn to Fall 2020, it bears repeating that we all need to stay connected, support each other in taking time to step back when needed, and hopefully approach each other with some extra compassion, generosity, and kindness.  Along with our students, faculty & staff have also lived the effects of COVID, anti-Black violence, and anti-immigrant sentiment during 2020:

• • An increasing number of campus community members have lost loved ones to COVID-19 and racist violence. Many have been unable to gather with family and friends to mourn those losses.
  • The impact of COVID has been particularly devastating in African-American communities, among Latinx populations and indigenous groups in the US, and has exacerbated inequities throughout the world.
  • Black students (and faculty & staff) are concerned about being asked to rehearse or respond to racialized trauma.
  • Some students studying remotely do not feel safe participating in conversations about culturally or politically sensitive topics with family members nearby.
  • There are queer & trans students who are not out at home and may want to use different pronouns or names than they do on Wooster’s campus.
  • Some students took on additional jobs to support their families, and may need to continue even as they return to classes.
  • Others have been called upon to take care of younger siblings or other family members (one student I spoke with had 8 cousins and siblings under the age of 8 with her all day, 7 days a week).
  • Many incoming students lost the opportunity to complete their senior year of High School and mark that milestone with family & friends.
  • People at high-risk for coronavirus are still being advised to stay at home to limit contact.
  • Some returning students and other members of our community are survivors of domestic violence that was exacerbated by COVID lockdowns, particularly among women, children, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
  • Some have been sick with COVID themselves, and others have had significant physical challenges with the increased time at computers and on screens.
  • Many have also been impacted by increased rates of anxiety and depression and substance abuse.

As our Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer Dr. Ivonne García aptly puts it, “The students who will return to us this Fall will not be the same as those who left.” Considering how our students’ (and our own) experiences have impacted us is an important place to begin as we approach to the 2020-2021 academic year.