exterior of Huff Hall

Message from the Dean

AHS E-News Winter 2020

head shot of Dr. Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell

While there have been moments when I could not wait for this year to end, I also find it difficult to believe that we’re about three weeks away from 2021. This has been an incredibly taxing year, but almost overshadowed by the public health and social crises that have dominated the news on a daily basis is the fact that this also has been a year marked by tremendous growth and learning.

We have grown as educators, not only in overcoming the obstacles presented by taking our work into virtual classrooms, but also in developing even greater empathy for our students as they struggled to cope with a college experience that denied them many of the rituals of college life. We have grown as administrators, constantly seeking out new and creative ways to maintain and enhance the quality of the work of the college as well as the support we give to our faculty and staff to keep that quality high. During this time of uncertainty and change, we have never lost sight of our mission.

I like to think that we also have grown as individuals and as a society. We have been challenged to find reserves of strength and optimism demanded by the long months of upheaval in the routines of daily living. We have learned more about ourselves, what we are capable of, and what is truly important. We have learned more about the often tragic costs of social injustice in the past year, a lesson we are sadly presented with all too often and which we fail to heed at our own peril. I pray that many more eyes, minds, and hearts have been opened, and that we can move forward in the next year with positivity, respect, and love. We may never convince everyone that a rising tide lifts all boats, but if enough of us dedicate ourselves to living more mindfully and generously, we can make a difference.

The next several months will continue to present fearsome risks to our health and well-being, but the light at the end of the tunnel will become larger and brighter in 2021. Please stay safe until then. For those who celebrate, this holiday season will be different. I encourage all of us to take advantage of the quiet, to turn inward and reflect on everything we are grateful for, and to look forward to a better tomorrow. And as we head into the New Year, I wish you deep peace and great joy.

Sincerely,


Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell