Welcome to the New Academic Year

The COVID-19 pandemic hit Northern Virginia and the DMV region quite hard, and despite closures and phased-in re-openings, our College rose to the occasion with many examples captured here.  Our faculty and students took on more, as evident by keeping some of our MAP Clinics open and adding COVID-19 testing services, expanding our Telehealth services in Virginia and also in developing a new telehealth (HAP 594) course available to anyone at Mason, serving on time-intensive University committees charged with developing Mason’s reopening plan, developing then implementing our College’s own Safe Return to Campus plan for instruction and research, and service to our communities.  Notable examples of our faculty’s service include:  GCH, HAP and Nursing faculty working to develop Mason’s COVID-19 Risk Assessment in early Spring, which serves as the foundation for the Mason COVID Health Check ^TM that is being used across Mason and the Commonwealth.  Others developed the surveillance testing and contract tracing protocols to inform Mason’s Safe Return to Campus.  Faculty shared their expertise in a series of four COVID-19 webinars.  In addition, our faculty and students volunteered throughout our communities by doing contact tracing, serving with Virginia’s Medical Reserve Corp and supporting food banks.  And to help keep stress at bay, faculty and staff enjoyed Suzie Carmack’s Let’s Move to Well-Being online workout, while others enjoyed their pets (not to mention pets needing to readjust to owners staying at home).  Also during this time, we had three successful summer sessions with record enrollments made possible by faculty willing to teach online, including those who participated in specific training to hone their online teaching skills.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the importance of public health and underlying structural barriers and deficiencies that have produced longstanding health inequities and disparities.  Our medically underserved and under-resourced communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 hospitalizations and mortality, and also by unemployment and unsafe work environments.  Our College has considerable expertise and resources in these areas, which we can bring to the University and our community.  In the near future, we will build a faculty expertise database to help foster such connections. 

Health equity is a key priority for the coming year, and I look forward to having conversations about our strategic future.  Many faculty members have expressed an interest in our College doing more to tackle health inequity and related structural barriers, such as racism and violence.  I couldn’t agree more that it is a time for action, so let’s use our expertise and commitment to advance a strategy.  As you may recall earlier this summer, faculty were invited to a conversation about how we might move forward.  Here’s a summary of possible next steps that have been suggested to date:  1) assess all course syllabi and identify areas for adding content or designing health equity courses;) offer implicit bias training; 3) develop formal leadership opportunities and mentoring plans that include inclusive excellence; 4) diversify our diverse faculty recognizing that not all underrepresented minorities are first generation; 5) design opportunities for students to tell their stories and lived experiences; 6) prepare students for negotiating and overcoming hostile work environments; 7) ensure wrap around services for students; 8) engage our community partners in advancing knowledge and interventions; and 9) design etiologic and interventional research to understand the biologic impact of racism and violence on health, and interventions to mitigate risk and promote health. 

As we begin the academic year, our enrollments and course registrations look promising after an initial sluggish start.  Currently, we have a 6.1% increase in enrollment and a 4.7% increase in registered credit hours compared to the same point in time last year.  Much of the increase is with the Mason-Wiley online degree programs, as these numbers fall to <1% and -1.4%, respectively, when excluding online students.  Through it all, the Office of Student Affairs has been busy with online student advising, orientations and career opportunities to ensure students have the support they need.

Lastly, I look forward to seeing many of you at the Dean’s Annual Address on August 20^th from 12 – 1 pm via zoom.  Here is a brief update on our metrics relative to Mason’s 12 Strategic Goals.  Many thanks to Carol Urban for summarizing our annual progress:

•       Growth of Wiley programs in HAP, SW, Nursing (Goals 1, 2)

•       Focus on student and career readiness through advising, coaching, and career networks (Goals 3, 4, 5)

•       Diversifying our academic faculty and expertise (Goals 8, 9)

•       Increase research productivity and support (Goals 10, 11)

•       Reaching out to our communities for COVID-19 response (Goal 6)

•       Supporting well-being through “Let’s Move” initiative (Goal 7)

•       Participation in Mason-INTO and study abroad (Goal 12)

A Safe Return to Campus means that each of us does his/her part to combat the community spread of COVID-19 both on campus and in our region.  We have come a long way but still there is more to do.  Keeping everyone safe and curtailing infections means changes in behaviors to include good hygienic practices (e.g., washing hands, sneezing into a tissue or your elbow, wiping down areas you touch), wearing a mask and keeping it clean and disposing of it properly, and maintaining at least 6’ between people.  Please complete the daily Mason COVID Health Checkä if you’re coming to campus, and do participate in the randomized surveillance testing if you are selected.  Public health and research are built, in part, on these principles with empirical evidence demonstrating they work.  Also, consider taking the stairs to avoid waiting for elevators that are restricted to 2 people while getting your steps in, and be sure your guests comply with best public health practices.  And please, don’t come to campus if you’re not feeling well.  As the health college on campus, let’s be role models and lead the way to keeping the curve flat and making health visible.  With most faculty and staff continuing to work remotely, remember to take breaks away from your screen and move, as we know sedentary behavior is not good for health.  Mason has all key information at one site, which is regularly updated, so bookmark it for future reference.  They say it takes a community to raise a child, and it also takes one to control COVID-19.

I look forward to seeing everyone and reconnecting face-to-face just as soon as possible.  We have much to celebrate – student, staff and faculty awards, promotions and tenure - to name a few.  In the meantime, feel free to reach out to me with any suggestions, ideas, questions, or comments you may have.  The Dean’s Office is physically open in support of our faculty and staff, though with limited staffing.  All services are available through virtual interactions.

Here’s to a great new academic year… it’s certainly one for the history books!  On a lighter note, you might enjoy this principal rapper’s video clip on COVID-19 and enforcing behavioral norms.

Warm regards,

Germaine