Dear Students,

We hope you had a productive academic experience this semester. It was great to see you on campus and to watch you thrive as learners. One of the most important academic success goals for our students is increased exposure to a diversity of perspectives, experiences and thought, inside and outside the classroom. As we close 2021, we hope you can reflect with pride on the opportunities you took to do so.

In our message at the beginning of the semester, we asked for your help in promoting respectful dialogue in all aspects of your academic and social life at UVM. We described our responsibility to do so in a manner that reflects a firm commitment to Our Common Ground values. Over the course of the semester, we saw that commitment through small acts of kindness you showed to your peers and others. One recent example during this holiday season was initiated by UVM students who brought awareness to antisemitism by creating conversations on the slopes of Bolton Valley. We are counting on you to continue actions like this that inspire positive change. There are so many things we can do to create a healthy, safe, informed and inclusive community. Like our students who went to Bolton to warn about the dangers of antisemitism, let us engage one another with respect and purpose as we continue to build and maintain a campus that is courteous and kind.

We will be celebrating the work and influence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when you return in January, so this is a good time to reflect on his example. Let us honor Dr. King through our commitment to creating an enlightened society that does not tolerate hate or bias on the basis of religion, ethnicity, race, sex, politics, or any other traits or belief system.

After you wrap up your classes, get some rest, enjoy your family and friends, share what you are learning, and model inclusive engagement with members of your home community. We are proud of the courage and conviction you, our students, have demonstrated throughout this semester to be the best you can be.

Good luck on your final assignments and exams. We look forward to welcoming you back in the new year.

Sincerely,

Suresh V. Garimella, President
Patricia A. Prelock, Provost & Senior Vice President