Message from the Dean
Dear CUNY SPS community,
The last few months have been an unimaginable time for us all. The COVID-19 crisis has changed our world in a way that none of us could possibly have anticipated. As we navigate this ongoing crisis, I am thinking of you all—our students, faculty, staff, alumni, board, and friends—and I recognize the extraordinary amount of stress you are all going through.
Many of you are nurses or healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic, making huge sacrifices to help save lives.
Most of you have the overwhelming task of juggling working from home, completing your coursework, and taking care of your family. Some of you are learning to transition to a fully online format or to adapt to new technologies, particularly those of you in our three on-campus programs. Many others of you have lost your jobs, or are experiencing financial instability and preparing for an uncertain economic future.
And all of you—like all of us—are facing the threat of your own personal illness, or that of a loved one.
As dean of CUNY SPS, my top concern right now is to make sure you are able to continue your education safely and with as little disruption as possible. With that in mind, and after consultation with the University, CUNY SPS will be maintaining fully remote operations throughout Spring 2021.
For nearly all our students, this decision will not affect your classes in any way. As the leader in online education at CUNY, most of our academic programs were already fully online before the COVID-19 crisis. (Our three on-campus programs—Human Relations, Youth Studies, and Applied Theatre—will also remain online for Spring 2021.) I am so thankful to all of our faculty for their commitment and hard work in ensuring high-quality instruction for all of our students.
Even with this continuity, I understand that other life circumstances may make it harder to focus. To help with this, I am working with faculty and administrators to think of new ways to support you. I encourage you to visit our website to learn about the policies we’ve implemented and the resources we’ve compiled to help you.
Each day, I am inspired by the tremendous acts of devotion, kindness, and sacrifice that I see everyone making to support each other during this crisis. I have never been prouder of our community, and I know that we will get through this together.
Be safe and be well!
John Mogulescu, Dean
