Dear Students,
It feels like we just got started, but I'm afraid we are already at the time of the semester when the novelty can start to wear off and anxiety about exams can set in. If you that's where you are this week, hang in there, and know our student support page has an array of available resources for you related to academics, study skills and mental health.
I want to thank the many students who responded to my survey last week. I read all of the hundreds of comments you wrote. Many students said they enjoy the flexibility of hybrid or remote classes. Many said they love in-person classes. But many also remain concerned about safety. Most students expressed an interest in having a mix of in-person and remote offerings for the remainder of the fall.
As we have been planning, over the next couple weeks, we will move toward having more in-person classes and other activities. In an email this week President Hartzell outlined some of the steps the University is taking to ensure that this can be done safely, like ramped-up proactive community testing (available at multiple sites, including now at the Texas Union). And, I've said it before but I'll say it again: two of our best strategies are to get vaccinated and wear masks indoors. Here's our own Professor Ilya Finkelstein on KUT discussing the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines, and here is good scientific evidence about how masks reduce spread of COVID-19.
I hope you're having a great week, and good luck preparing for those exams in the not-too-distant future.
Best,
Dr. Drew
Joke: Q: What was the name of the first satellite to orbit the Earth?
A: The Moon.
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