Welcome Back to Campus
Welcome back! After more than a year of working remotely, I am happy the fall quarter has begun and our campus community is alive with energy and in-person activity once again. I want to echo the words of Chancellor May, who shared in his message on Monday, “We are ready.” Our campus is 99% compliant with our vaccination policy, and now is the time to come together as a community with renewed Aggie spirit and fresh ideas.
Last Friday, I presented to more than 4,000 new Aggies at Orientation, and it was exhilarating to see the excitement in their eyes. As the college serving the most UC Davis students, of whom 34% are first-generation and 38% are underrepresented minorities, we have a critical role in ensuring student success for the university. More than half of our students are stepping onto campus for the first time this month. I know your guidance, compassion, teaching and support will propel them toward success.
We also have impressive new faculty joining our ranks this fall, and I hope you will give them the same warm welcome shown to me in my first several weeks as dean. I look forward to continuing to meet many of you and completing my listening tour with all departments in the coming months.
This fall, the highest priority for the Dean's Office remains the health and safety of our community, and we stand ready to support you however necessary.
If you have questions or concerns that are not answered by the Campus Ready website, the FAQs for instructors or by submitting feedback through the campus’s fall feedback form, please contact the Dean’s Office and we will work to find answers as quickly as possible. The Keep Teaching website remains the best source of up-to-date information on instructional technology topics.
For the following areas, please reach out to:
- Undergraduate student matters — Associate Dean Carlos Jackson
- Graduate student matters and research — Associate Dean Lori Lubin
- Academic personnel — your relevant Associate Dean of the Faculty
- Staff personnel — Personnel Director Jenni Mattheis
Thank you again for all of your hard work. If we exercise flexibility, understanding and compassion as we navigate the next few weeks together, I am confident we can make this a successful and safe fall quarter.
Sincerely,
Estella Atekwana, Dean