Dear FAS Staff,
I write to you today in my capacity as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and, more saliently, as a fellow member of our FAS community. While I have met many of you in person, I have not met you all. But I know you in spirit: I am the grateful beneficiary of the important work that you do on behalf of the FAS every day. You manage our labs and administer our departments; you provide vital assistance to department chairs; you make sure that the business side of the FAS operates as it should. In short, you make it possible for the FAS to pursue our teaching and research missions.
At the best of times, the FAS cannot function without you. As we contend with the enormous disruption caused by COVID-19, your work matters to Yale even more. This week, as faculty and students are returning to classes that will take a radically different form than they did before spring break, it is you who have made it possible for teaching and learning to continue at Yale. Every day, FAS researchers are conducting vital work that helps us understand and combat the coronavirus, and you have made it possible for this research to continue.
I have been heartened to see the spirit of ingenuity, generosity, and caring with which FAS staff are confronting this unprecedented moment. In the past days, I have heard from department chairs about staff tirelessly helping faculty to move their classes and labs online; addressing student concerns ranging from degree timelines to safe housing; ensuring that staff have the tools and resources to continue their work; supporting the emotional and physical well-being of colleagues, and more. Know that your dedication is seen and deeply appreciated.
If practical questions arise regarding specific departmental procedures, please reach out to your lead administrator or operations manager. The latest information on FAS policies and procedures is available on our COVID-19/Coronavirus update page.
This is a time when communal needs must outweigh our individual preferences. As we work together to ensure the well-being of our community, we must continue to observe social distancing by staying home and avoiding gatherings, painful as that may be. As we unquilt the fabric of our familiar daily life, many of us are experiencing loneliness and stress. Do know that you can find resources and support through Yale’s COVID-19 Worklife Resources webpage.
These are challenging times, but I have been encouraged by unexpected moments of camaraderie and compassion. In my online class today, my cat Oberon paid a guest visit just as I was reaching the crescendo of my presentation. We have seen one another’s gymnastics medals, bunkbeds, laundry racks, and bottle collections. Thank you for greeting these moments with humor and kindness and for being flexible and understanding of colleagues who are now juggling childcare or eldercare with their jobs. I hope that you will look to such moments as reminders that we are confronting these challenges together and pursuing a common purpose.
Thank you again for all that you do for Yale.
Warmly,
Tamar Szabó Gendler
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Vincent J. Scully Professor of Philosophy
Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science