A "thank you" to our students

Dear students,

We write today to acknowledge the challenges you have faced over the past two weeks as we switched to remote learning and final exams, and to express our sincere gratitude for taking the changes head on. These are not easy days, and you have demonstrated resilience and patience. Thank you.

As we face the enormous challenge of a global pandemic, we know that shifting to remote instruction will not be simple or seamless. But in accepting this change, you are helping us to reduce the density of people learning, living, and working on campus. That will ultimately help reduce the spread and intensity of COVID-19. The sacrifices you and all members of our campus community are making are crucial to efforts to quell this health crisis, and we are deeply grateful for your efforts in these unprecedented times.

Continuing to educate in the face of such uncertainty is not an attempt on our part to maintain normalcy. It highlights our commitment to you — our students — and to our community. Many of you depend on financial aid, and by helping you stay the course, we hope to keep you on track for graduation.

Crisis reveals the vulnerabilities of our systems and our ways of life. We are working to ensure our campus remains open to house those of you who need it, and to do so as safely as possible. We are only just beginning to understand the scale of this public health challenge and the changes needed to support our community. With that in mind, we also thank you for your engagement as these issues unfold.

This has not been an easy year for UC Santa Cruz. It has been and continues to be a privilege to face these difficulties and uncertainties alongside you. UCSC and our community will emerge from these challenges a stronger, more resilient campus.