The semester ahead (January 20, 2023)

The semester ahead (January 20, 2023)

Jan. 20, 2023

Dear Yale College students,

Happy new year, and welcome back for the new semester. I know that for many of you living on Old Campus, the week got off to an abrupt, even frightening start with the police presence in Bingham early on Tuesday morning. You know from the messages you received from Chief Campbell and me that Yale and New Haven police officers were responding to what turned out to be a false report, and that the incidents are now under investigation; I am grateful to public safety leaders for their efforts to protect our campus, and to you for cooperating with the police on Tuesday. Your parents and guardians also receive these messages if you have provided their contact information in SIS. If you need to update that information, please make those changes now.

Now, as the semester starts and with classes begun, I know that many of you are turning your attention to finalizing your schedules and planning your semester. As you do, I would like to fill you in on some important updates.

Medical leaves of absence

I wrote to you Wednesday to announce medical leaves of absence, a new option if you ever want to take time off to focus on your mental or physical health. The medical leaves of absence, which replace former medical withdrawals, offer new flexibility and the option to retain medical insurance through Yale Health. You can find those details here.

Dean’s Dialogue Series

In the fall, I started a "Dean's Dialogue" series, where invited faculty members speak to a group of around 50-100 undergraduates, followed by a discussion, which I lead. Speakers address contemporary and sometimes challenging topics, and one of the series's goals is to model conversation about them. The events are hosted by the Schwarzman Center, which will be advertising these events throughout the semester, so you will be receiving more information about them in the weeks ahead. At the first event this semester, on February 1 at 4:00 p.m. in the Presidents’ Room, Professor Jing Tsu will join me to discuss “Being a Humanist in a Time of U.S.-China Conflict.” Professor Tsu is the John M. Schiff Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures & Comparative Literature.

Departing Heads of College

We have been very fortunate during the Covid period to have continuity in the Heads of College, whose leadership has anchored their respective college communities, particularly during the uncertainty at the start of the pandemic. I would like to thank four heads who have recently notified me that this is their last year in the role: Charles Bailyn of Benjamin Franklin, Stephen Davis of Pierson, Laurie Santos of Silliman, and Margaret Clark of Trumbull. Next week, I will be writing to each of these communities to launch the searches for their new Heads. If you know a faculty member who might be good in this role, please write to me at ycd@yale.edu.

Housing

Many of you have started to think about next year's housing. Although the lotteries and room draws don't come until later this semester, you will be receiving information soon about the overall housing process, which has been streamlined this year. I am grateful to Saybrook Head of College Thomas Near and a committee that he chaired for developing a new system that will be more centralized, allowing a similar timeline across all residential colleges and better visibility as to which rooms and suites are available at any given time. In order to give time for the transition to the new system, the time frame for housing selection this year will be longer than in previous years, with the goal of making the whole process more orderly.

Athletics

The winter season is off to a great start. You know how much I like to beat Harvard, so I was so happy to see the women’s and men’s basketball teams do just that on Saturday, January 7. The women’s team dramatically came from behind in the last few minutes to win in overtime 71-70 in Cambridge. The men’s team was here in New Haven. It was a close game, but in the second half Yale pulled ahead 41-39. (I took this photo of Isaiah Kelly scoring those crucial points from my courtside seat.) Harvard kept the pressure on, but the Bulldogs went on to win 58-54