Dear Colleagues,
As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, I choose to reflect and be grateful for the bounty we have in our lives.
This year, I am especially thankful for your efforts to ensure our collective success. Thank you for the hard work and sacrifices you make all year long to support and serve others. It is through your everyday commitment and actions that our college – its students, staff, and faculty – have maintained forward progress even in these unusual times.
For many, Thanksgiving this year may not look like ones of the past – or those that we are hoping for in the future. It may be smaller and may skip some of the traditional foods. My family – or at least those of us that will be physically together – will not be having turkey – a dish which several in our group believe exists simply as a delivery vehicle for the consumption of cranberry sauce (the jellied version straight from the can, of course), or gravy – or both!
Everyone has been working at full speed since March. With or without a turkey, I encourage you use this weekend as a time to step away from your work responsibilities and to recharge. Try to take your mind away from your work and do something completely different. Read a book. Take a walk. Bake something. Watch a mindless TV show. By taking a moment to recharge, you will be stronger and healthier for it.
Finally, I ask that you give your colleagues a break this week as well. During the Thanksgiving break, I ask that you not text or call your colleagues with work-related matters unless there is an actual emergency (if you don’t need to call 911, it might not be an emergency 😉) and don’t expect response to emails until next week.
May your Thanksgiving be happy, restful, and safe.
Stay Safe and Go Cougs!
Mary Rezac (she/her/hers)
Dean, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture
Washington State University
Email: mary.rezac@wsu.edu
Phone: 509-335-5593
Twitter: @VCEA_Dean
vcea.wsu.edu