As UA’s campus community responds to the challenges arising from a global viral threat and stay-at-home mandates, we are all learning new skill sets. We are often surprised at our capacity to manage change.

For instance, who knew that Microsoft Teams would become an indispensable resource for collaboration? Who knew that we would be inviting our colleagues into our homes and making them witnesses to our daily routines? Who knew that blurring the background our cluttered, impromptu home offices could make the 8:30 a.m. group meetings less intimidating?  Who knew that we would all become adept at virtual conferencing?

Who knew that the bulk of our work resides in the “cloud” and is available day or night, or that we would need to summon the discipline to establish clear boundaries between our personal and professional lives?

These are things that we all now know.

What we always knew is that The University of Akron campus community is resilient, dedicated, and determined to focus our collective efforts on our most important goal, preparing our students to meet the monumental challenges of an interconnected global society. In support of our students, we keep rising.