Back in July, I returned to my office in the Education and Business Administration building full-time after 16 months of working from home. Returning felt like opening up a time capsule: I found water still in my coffee pot (yikes!) and a plant in the corner that was — remarkably — still alive. It felt great to be back, even if the campus was still mostly empty. Today feels even better as San Diego State University is bustling with life once again on the first day of in-person Fall classes.
While we celebrate reuniting as a community, we are all keenly aware that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. But we should all take comfort from the fact that SDSU, with our community’s exceedingly high rates of vaccination, sensible masking policies, and other precautions, is one of the safest places you can be. Let all of us commit to doing our part to watch out for one another and stop the spread of the virus.
As we embark on this journey together, I am committed to making sure your voices are heard. Students: I look forward to meeting with you every month for Coffee/Tea with the Dean, which you can find listed on our events calendar. Faculty and staff: Be on the lookout for information on upcoming sessions of Fireside Conversations and Water Cooler Chats. You can join either in-person or virtually via Zoom.
As we reach this milestone, I would also be remiss if I did not recognize the inspiring accomplishments of our college in the past year. In the face of previously-unimaginable adversity, our faculty, staff and students showed an incredible commitment to positively impacting lives. I invite you to read more about the success of the past year in the College of Education’s 2021 Yearbook and Impact Report.
I am so excited for the promise of the 2021-2022 Academic Year, and the continued difference we will make through our collective effort. I wish you all a happy, healthy, and productive year.
And — once again — welcome back!
Y. Barry Chung, PhD
Dean