Hi.
My name is Bruce Suttmeier.
I’m the Dean of the College here at Lewis
& Clark.
I lead the faculty in making the decisions
about academic programming at the college.
I know you’re wondering what classes will
be like this fall, and what kind of accommodations
will we have in place for students who might
need to self-isolate.
Well, first, we recognize that classes will
look different this August – we’re partnering
with state health officials to ensure that
our classrooms follow social distancing and
other safety protocols.
But what won’t change this August is the
superior education your students will get
at LC, an education grounded in close collaboration
between students and professors.
Because what makes LC special, what I saw
this spring, and what I’m seeing this summer
is a commitment and a responsibility to students’
education.
Faculty working tirelessly to help students,
faculty who pushed and supported everyone
in their class.
I myself taught a seminar this spring – and
I don’t think I was alone in mid-March when
I gave every student in that class my personal
cellphone number.
I was talking to my first year advisees constantly
throughout the semester.
It is these relationships that we build with
students that are so important – relationships
that support and sustain students in their
education and career goals.
This summer, we’ve set up an intensive series
of workshops, training sessions, and planning
group for the entire faculty - all with one
goal: to ensure our classes are fully ready
for the fall.
Every class will have a hybrid component,
a way to fully access the class remotely – so
students who must be away from the classroom,
whether for self-isolation or other reasons,
can stay on track for the semester.
We fully expect to have in-person teaching
in the fall, but if the state moves us temporarily
into Phase 0, and all teaching must move online,
we’ll be ready for that as well.
The next few months will allow us to prepare
for this possibility.
Regardless of how the next year plays out,
I know that great education is about awakening
interest, about transformational encounters
with ideas and with people.
What gives me great hope and why I’m so
fortunate to work and teach at LC is because
we’re a community that takes this mission
of teaching seriously, as a commitment to
our students.
