Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

As we make our way together through these unprecedented times, I wanted to offer my heartfelt thanks to the truly extraordinary people who learn and work in our Faculty of Science.

In my 20 years as a professor, researcher and administrator at McMaster, I have never been more proud of our institution and humbled by the people I work with and serve.

First and foremost, thank you to our students for your patience, understanding and resilience. This is not how any of us wanted the final weeks of your semester to unfold, especially for the thousands of Science students who are set to graduate. Making sure that all students have the opportunity to successfully complete their term has remained the top priority for everyone who works in the Faculty of Science and across the University.

Thank you to our incredibly adaptive instructors in all our Departments and Schools. In just a matter of days, you found alternate ways to deliver the remainder of your courses and assess our students while working to “flatten the curve” through social distancing. I especially want to thank those who have generously shared their technical expertise with colleagues and worked collaboratively to put forward the best possible plans and practices.

And to everyone working behind the scenes, thank you for making our sudden transition to a virtual campus as smooth as possible for our students and instructors. You have listened carefully, communicated frequently and acted decisively in a coordinated and compassionate way.

We have made extremely difficult yet absolutely necessary and life-saving decisions. Together, we are helping to contain the spread of the coronavirus. There are people in our community whose health would be at grave risk if they were to contract COVID-19 or if our hospitals and healthcare system were to become overwhelmed.

Please take good care of your physical and mental health and well-being and let’s continue to be there for one another in the days and weeks ahead. Updates will be posted on McMaster’s COVID-19 website whenever there is news and information to share about what’s happening at our University.

You have all stepped up in extraordinary ways that are truly humbling and inspiring. While we live in uncertain times, I know with absolute certainty that you will continue to meet the challenges ahead with outstanding focus, resilience and compassion.

Sincerely,

Maureen MacDonald
Dean, Faculty of Science