Photo by Cydney Scott

David Chard

Dean’s Message

Dear Alumni and Friends

Over the past two years, we have faced a combination of challenges that have also tested our college and university community—COVID-19, a tumultuous presidential election, a deadly attack on the US Capitol, and the ongoing struggle for racial, eco­nomic, and environmental justice. And, of course, many members of our BU Wheelock community have suffered tragic losses of family and friends—we grieve with them. What we’ve been living through—and continue to live through—is unprecedented.

Some of the ways the past two years impacted and changed us are obvious—like the need to be routinely tested for COVID-19 and to wear masks. Others we may not know or understand for months or years to come.

We learned new ways of being, such as how to greet each other with an elbow bump instead of a handshake. We got used to learning, teaching, and working remotely.

New words and expressions quickly became part of our daily lexicon, such as “stop the spread,” “lockdown,” and “Zoom,” to name a few. One of these terms was “social distancing.” Our campus had to be “de-densified,” requiring us to move furniture to stor­age, and many signs were installed to remind us to stay six feet apart or which direction we should walk. All of these measures were designed to keep our community safe.

While we did our best to remain physically distant, there was nothing socially distant about our community last year. Our social interactions continued, whether you were a student attending classes, a faculty member delivering a lecture, or a staff person joining a meeting. In an odd way, we were social and isolated simultaneously.

Despite these challenges and the isolation we have all felt, we have continued to work together and made tremendous progress toward the goals we had set for ourselves in the strategic plan we finalized just as the events of 2020 began to unfold (you can read that plan at bu.edu/wheelock/strategic-planning). We are thrilled to report that enrollments are up significantly for our undergraduate and graduate aca­demic programs, our research productivity has hit new heights, we are launching new academic degree programs and developing exciting new partnerships in Boston and beyond, and we have welcomed an exciting new group of faculty and staff members.

In March 2021, I was honored to be named the permanent dean of BU Wheelock. It is my distinct pleasure to be able to continue to both serve and lead the college as we make our way forward. One of our overarching objectives for the next year will be to measure our progress against the strategic goals we developed for the college before the pandemic struck. In the coming years, we will be sharing our progress with all of you through our website (bu.edu/wheelock), social media, and our regular alumni communications.

As COVID-19 remains a part of our reality, the return to campus this fall is not without complications. However, we are clearly better equipped to face the virus this year—with vaccines, regular testing, and yes, continued masking. Whether the events of 2020 remain unprecedented is yet to be determined. What is not debatable is the incredible commitment, strength, and heart of the BU Wheelock community—and all of BU—in rallying together at this time. I am proud of the way our community has supported its members in learning, teaching, and all that we do.

 Sincerely,

David J. Chard

Dean