Dear College of Education alumni,
Greetings not from Graham Hall or the NIU campus but from my home, where I am working remotely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
I hope that this note finds you doing well and, if you are one of the millions of us who are now working from our living rooms, bedrooms and home offices, that you are thriving with the technology available to you.
And, if you are an essential employee serving on the front lines of this situation, I wish you courage and strength. Thank you for what you’re doing.
My gratitude also extends, of course, to faculty in the College of Education who are proving their commitment, flexibility, innovation and can-do spirit.
Classes are meeting, students are learning, advisement is happening, meetings are taking place, forms are being processed, calls are being answered, and we are demonstrating that the adage “Huskies never quit” definitely applies to the College of Education.
While I miss seeing my NIU colleagues and our students, I must admit I have found a few unexpected benefits to working in my den. The commute takes less than a minute each day, I don’t have to pack my lunch, yoga pants are perfectly acceptable work attire, and through Teams meetings, phone calls and emails, I am still able to do my work and stay connected.
Thank goodness for technology and for the amazing support from our college’s technology team and the NIU Division of Information Technology, who helped all of us scale up to shift our teaching, learning and work to home.
Please stay safe and healthy, and if you’d like to share with us how you’re addressing the challenges of COVID-19, we would love to hear from you.
My best,
Laurie Elish-Piper
Dean, NIU College of Education
