Dear Students and Colleagues –  

Students – you’ve received an important communication from Angela Salas, V.P. for Academic Affairs/Academic Dean, regarding the opportunity to convert the letter grade in one of your Spring 2021 courses to a Pass/Fail notation. Review carefully that information Dr. Salas sent and ask if you are unsure about how to proceed. Your faculty instructors and/or your Academic Advisors will assist you with questions about your particular situation. Dr. Salas, in consultation with faculty and other faculty leaders, is taking this step in support of students – both undergraduate and graduate level – who have worked hard under these difficult circumstances. This is not a “one size fits all” approach; if you have questions about your grades or academic standing please ask. 

Even as we move closer to the end of this semester, we also look ahead to a Return to Better this Fall. An important piece of that is the health and well-being of our community as a whole. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is an excellent way to support that. I encourage all who are able and eligible (in Wisconsin, that’s ages 16 and older) to get a vaccine. Recently we’ve seen some questions and issues raised in the public sphere about the ethics of the vaccine, especially in the context of the Catholic Church. This week, I received a communication from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (we’re a member) that provides information about the available vaccines. I encourage you to review these resources, and I remind each of us of the importance of acting with an informed conscience.

We have started to make small adjustments to our on-campus protocols, based on the success of Dane County’s vaccination efforts, and our own efforts to keep the spear of Covid-19 in check. While these changes are minor, they represent real progress. When outside, masks are no longer required as long as we keep the six-foot rule in place. Keep six feet apart from each other, and you can forgo the mask while outside. And we’ve made the decision this week to resume use of the hymnals at Mass on Sundays in St. Joseph Chapel. Each step forward (however small) gets us closer to a Return to Better. 

Last August, I identified the two viruses we face: COVID-19, and a living legacy of racism. Many of us are keeping up with the ongoing trial of Derek Chauvin, accused in the murder of George Floyd. And as we approach the first anniversary of Mr. Floyd’s death, we were again shocked and saddened to learn of the death of yet another unarmed African-American, Daunte Wright, at the hands of police. The protests over Mr. Wright’s death continue as of this writing. Just as we must not let our guard down in our efforts to combat the invisible virus, we will never turn a blind eye in our commitment to become a truly anti-racist Edgewood College. We do that through study, reflection, and action – action that builds a more just and compassionate world. And we do that together, through active engagement in our community. 

Be well, keep going, and hold each other up. A more just and compassionate world need not wait. We can build it now with our study, our hearts, and with our lives. 

Cor ad cor loquitur.

-Andrew P. Manion, Ph.D.
President