Gratitude

Dear colleagues,

As we approach the end of an extraordinarily challenging academic year, I want to take a moment to recognize the many ways in which staff have kept the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) moving forward. As we set priorities within tightened budgets, maintained the continuity of sponsored-research projects during an unprecedented funding interruption, and supported teaching and research confronted by transformative technology and intense public scrutiny, staff made it all possible. It is clear that the work of administrative staff is essential to the functioning of the FAS and to the academic mission we serve.

Every aspect of teaching, research, and student life depends on the expertise, care, and commitment of staff across the FAS. That work is not peripheral, and it is not expendable.

I know that recent public discussion has left some of you feeling that your work has been disregarded, diminished, or misunderstood. I regret that. That is not how I view the work of this community, and it is not how I want your work to be understood.

The workforce planning effort now underway across the FAS is grounded in a different premise: that we must strengthen how our administrative model supports the academic mission, not step away from it. The goal is to reduce unnecessary complexity, improve coordination, and make better use of the expertise that already exists within our staff community.

In the coming weeks, I will convene sessions across the FAS to describe in more detail the new administrative model we will adopt as a School and the transition timeline.

This work is challenging and unfolding amid real long-term financial pressures. But it does not rest on the idea that administrative work is unimportant. It rests on the recognition that it is critical, and that we must organize it in ways that are more sustainable and more effective.

I recognize that this is a difficult moment. There is uncertainty, and there are strong feelings about what is being said and what it may mean. That is understandable.

As we move forward, I am committed to being clear about the decisions being made and to approaching this process with care and respect for the people who do this work every day.

Thank you for everything you contribute to the FAS.

Sincerely,
Hopi

Hopi Hoekstra
Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
C. Y. Chan Professor of Arts and Science
Xiaomeng Tong and Yu Chen Professor of Life Sciences