LETTER FROM THE CHAIR LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

DEAR STUDENTS, CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING ANOTHER YEAR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO! YOUR FACULTY ARE SO PROUD OF THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE, AND WE HOPE THAT THIS YEAR HAS BROUGHT NEW KNOWLEDGE, NEW FRIENDS, AND NEW POTENTIAL FUTURES FOR ALL OF YOU.

AFTER LONG PANDEMIC YEARS OF BEING APART, THIS YEAR

BROUGHT US BACK TOGETHER FOR THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND ENGAGING EVENTS LIKE THE REMEMBERING HIROSHIMA SYMPOSIUM, THE WOMEN’S CENTER 50TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS, BASKETBALL GAMES IN UI’S NEW ARENA, THEATER PRODUCTIONS, THE STUDY ABROAD AND CAREER FAIRS, AND, HOPEFULLY FOR MANY OF YOU, OUR UPCOMING COMMENCEMENT CELEBRATION. FOR ALL OF YOU WHO JOINED THESE EVENTS AND CLASSES AS DISTANCE STUDENTS, WE ARE THRILLED THAT TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS US TO SERVE YOU WHEREVER YOU CALL HOME. WE VALUE YOU AS A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR CLASSES AND MAJOR.

AMIDST OUR GREAT JOY, OUR COMMUNITY SUFFERED A TERRIBLE LOSS THIS YEAR WITH THE TRAGIC DEATHS OF MADISON MOGEN, KAYLEE GONCALVES, XANA KERNODLE, AND ETHAN CHAPIN. AS VANDALS, OUR COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THESE YOUNG LIVES, GRIEVE WITH THEIR FAMILIES, AND FIND WAYS TO HONOR THEIR LEGACIES. MANY ASPECTS OF THIS TRAGEDY WERE HARD TO ENDURE BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR FINDING WAYS TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND TO SUPPORT YOUR FACULTY. I FEEL VERY LUCKY TO BE PART OF SUCH A GENUINELY COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITY.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN ON ALL OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS. WE HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A RESTORATIVE AND RESTFUL SUMMER, AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN SOON. GO VANDALS, -DR. SCOFIELD-