Fall 2020

On-campus or Online...We're in this together!

Hello students!

I am delighted to welcome you to the fall 2020 semester!

As your chancellor, I put students first. You are why IU East exists.

I have spent my professional career as a professor, dean, provost, and now a chancellor. I passionately believe that a college education is empowering and will give each of you the tools to live a successful life.

You have made an excellent choice to attend IU East. I am now starting my 8th year as chancellor and I have found that our faculty, staff, and students care for one another – and, they rise to meet all kinds of challenges. We certainly saw this happen in the spring semester when we transitioned our face-to-face classes online because of the pandemic. You should know that our faculty are experts at teaching online—we have been doing it well for many years.

This fall, we will teach classes in a variety of formats—some traditional face-to-face, some fully online, and some in a “hybrid” format, which means partially online and partially face-to-face. Your schedules may reflect a mix of these types of classes.

I was recently reading about how the pandemic is predicted to permanently change the world of work—that many more people are likely to continue working and collaborating remotely rather than in person. So, as you participate in different classes and campus activities—some of which will be virtual or in a hybrid type of format—remember that this is good preparation for the future!

None of us expected to be in the pandemic situation in which we find ourselves--this really is an unprecedented time. There is no road map or playbook to follow. All of us are doing the very best we can to adjust and to keep moving forward.

As an institution of higher education, we are good at this! We formulate questions, we research issues, we challenge assumptions, we are open to learning new information and interpreting it, we can appreciate complexity, we know how to make connections, how to weigh different points of view and form our own opinions—and to change them as the situation changes. And we are certainly living in a time of constant change!

As college students, you have the opportunity to be at the forefront of seeking out new and creative solutions—of being an agent of change. Our world needs that more than anything at the moment.

So, Red Wolves, I wish you the very best for a successful fall semester—I am confident you will have a rewarding experience, and remember that our faculty and staff are here to help you along your journey. And, also please remember to be responsible and exercise good health and safety practices – we really are in this together --- and, we are Ready for YOU!

In the meantime, we know you may have questions. To help, we have provided a number of Frequently Asked Questions and answers on this site, so please browse through the pages linked to below.

I encourage you to check this website regularly for the latest information and developments regarding Fall 2020 and stay safe!

Sincerely,

Kathy Girten
Chancellor