Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Message from the President

Dear Faculty and Staff, 

Ever since I have been a faculty member (and even before that as a student), the period between the end of spring break and the end of the spring semester has reflected the best of times—honors ceremonies, research symposia, commencement, and spring concerts—and the worst of times—looming project deadlines, final exams, scores of recommendation letters in the rush to help students secure placements in graduate programs or jobs, and the competition over “yielding” new students for the fall semester. While I’m still learning the terrain at the University of New Orleans, I’m predicting that the same rhythms will mark the period between now and the beginning of May. 

Student mental health and physical wellness continue to be a challenge since the end of the pandemic, and faculty and staff can play such an important role in helping our students to know that they are supported and valued. However, we must first attend to our own needs and receive at least some training in order to help others. I am very happy to share that the University of Louisiana System has invested in providing free virtual sessions to support all faculty and staff in three areas: managing anxiety, financial wellness, and suicide prevention. You can register for these sessions here. 

I would be so grateful if you could go out of your way to smile, greet, or ask a few students that you don’t already know how they are doing. This can go a long way toward helping students to know that they matter and that our community cares for them. I would also encourage you to join me in dressing in (comfortable!) UNO gear on Fridays as a way of conveying our school spirit and pride in our university and the students we serve.

UNO Proud,

Kathy Johnson, Ph.D.
President
The University of New Orleans