Common Ground Begins Here
The following message was sent to all students on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021
“They embraced. They squeezed. They swayed.”
— from Laura Zornosa’s ‘1, 2, 3 … Exhale Together’: Broadway Families, Reunited at Last (definitely worth spending time with this)
Friends,
As we make our own journeys, we have completed, together, another trip. Welcome to those of you who will be joining us in-person on campus for the first time, especially the members of the Class of 2025! A hearty shoutout to those of you who made a path within the unknown – your flexibility, innovation, and strength are most appreciated and – dare I say – legendary. Welcome back!
The hard, collective work of community begins again.
In the last year, I realized how much I miss serendipity. I gained a new appreciation for pausing and planning my commuting, meetings, exercising, and listening to music. I write to remind you of a few important items and ask that you pause, review this information, and incorporate it into your academic, social, and personal plans.
First things first. We’ve shared and you’ve received lots of information to get you back to BU and to bring back BU. To date, you have received a lot of information via email. In addition to any messages you received from your professors and deans, I insist that you take time to visit the Back2BU website and thoroughly review pertinent portions of the posted guides.
I have sent you lots of information that involve expectations, policies, and guidance for us to live with COVID-19. In addition to these policies, please take a look at the Code of Student Responsibilities – the standards for how we keep ourselves safe and maintain a community of people engaged in their good works. Please also take the time to review the University’s policies for academic (especially the academic policies of your school or college) and non-academic conduct. As you engage in activities in and around the campus, you have to be diligent about so many things. Please remain diligent about your safety. I encourage you to review our website on personal safety, especially the content within the sections on sexual misconduct and fire safety. Feel free to ask questions of people and departments here to respond to your concerns and to help you find solutions to problems. Let’s also continue to do what we do best – look after each other.
The last year has also taught me the importance of taking a pause to focus on personal restoration. – to break my pace, routines, and workloads so I can re-connect with friends and others and tackle life-maintenance tasks. I look forward to working with you as we safely bring ourselves back together and make the common ground compelling again.
Do contact us with questions.
Fondly,
Kenneth Elmore
Associate Provost and Dean of Students