End of Week Update from Dean Slaughter
April 3, 2020
Dear Students,
Our decision last month to move to remote-only learning for the remainder of the spring term was without precedent for our school. And it raised some fundamental questions. How will the shift online impact teaching and learning at Tuck? What will virtual co-curricular programming look like? And, importantly, what becomes of our close-knit community during this time of physical distance that is so essential for public health?
Two weeks into the term, we are beginning to learn some answers. While there is no substitute for in-person learning at Tuck, I am gratified at how we are adapting to the possibilities of this new educational experience. These are early days still, but the feedback thus far is encouraging. Discussions in our virtual classrooms have been lively, and the trust and teamwork that characterizes learning at Tuck continues to thrive in this new format.
The shape of our remote-only co-curricular activities is also coming into focus. Next week, we kick off the first of four virtual leadership-development workshops. We will also be embarking on a diverse range of online center, club, and faculty-led programming—including workshops, speaker series, and faculty research chats. I look forward to sharing more on all this with you in a future message.
Not everything is different with Tuck, of course. Some of our greatest assets include our rich quality of life, community, and culture. These strengths continue to manifest in remarkable ways—in your creative reimagining of time-honored traditions, such as small-group dinners and Tuck ‘Tails; in the ongoing support our loyal alumni provide our school and our students; and in the empathy each of us brings as we go about our work during these challenging times.
Two weeks ago, I acknowledged the regret we were all experiencing over what cannot be this spring term. Yet I also shared my deep hope that you bring to this historic spring term a spirit of resolve and determination. So many of you have marshalled this spirit in abundance. It is clearly running through the affirming answers above. For all of this, thank you. There will undoubtedly be more questions in the weeks and months to come. More than ever, I am confident that together we will find the right answers.
Thanks and take good care this weekend.
Matthew J. Slaughter
Dean of the Tuck School of Business
Dartmouth has formed a high-level task force to plan for and manage possible disruptions related to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, monitor federal and state recommendations, implement guidance, and communicate with our community.