UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, sent the following letter to the university community on Friday, Jan. 22.
It can be difficult to appreciate where you are going without reflecting upon how far you’ve come.
In March, UNMC made the difficult but necessary decision to transition to remote teaching, working and learning due to the rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, we have experienced the loss of loved ones, a historic economic downturn, and closely related social and political upheaval.
Through it all, we have remained truly proactive; we let science guide our decision making, cared for one another, explored growth opportunities, and led by example in our state and nation. We have been clear that our goal is to reunite safely on campus in full capacity and stronger than before.
In our collaborative spirit, we have worked hard to safely bring a vibrant and exciting learning and working environment to all of our campuses. We rolled up our sleeves and began putting in the work to bring that vision to fruition. In the past year we witnessed historic enrollment and retention marks, have emerged as an international leaders in infectious disease/biopreparedness, implemented numerous COVID-19 health and safety policies, and much more.
Just as we made plans to grow through our challenges in 2020, we have made plans now for building our future.
I write you today confident that we will safely return to a new normal with vibrant in-person teaching, research, learning and working operations beginning with the fall 2021 semester.
There are many reasons for the confidence that I share with student, faculty and staff leaders, there are several of particular importance.
First, the successful development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines through the spring and summer months will significantly limit the spread of the COVID-19 infection. Second, significantly enhanced COVID-19 testing accuracy and capacity means we will be able to more closely monitor any campus spread and make necessary adjustments to promote campus safety. Finally, the ability to very accurately track and respond to regional and campus COVID-19 transmission rates provides an opportunity for early and effective intervention.
As we move through the spring semester, we will continue to monitor and respond with our planning as we approach the summer and fall semesters. We will share updates and planning details as they evolve and change, beginning at our upcoming Jan. 26 UNMC forum.
Warren Buffett once quipped to a Bloomberg BusinessWeek reporter that, “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
The start of the fall 2021 semester may seem far away, but as the “Oracle of Omaha” noted, it is never too early to plan for our future. Thank you for all that you do to help make this plan a reality.