Annual Letter to College of Social Work Alumni
Dear Alumni,
From our home offices, kitchen tables, and living room chairs, my College of Social Work colleagues and I offer you and yours our best wishes during these challenging times. We hope you are well—and perhaps making good use of your social work skills as we collectively navigate the uncharted waters of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Normally, this is about the time we would mail you a letter requesting support for regular things—student scholarships, new programs, exciting research. While all of these efforts are important and ongoing, nothing about this time is normal. Not even how we feel about mail. So, we’re adapting the annual letter for the times—as we have adapted many other activities in our lives. Delivered to your inbox rather than your mailbox, this message is about what we can offer you.
We hope the learning and engagement opportunities listed below show that we are still “on the move” during quarantine. We also hope they prove useful to you professionally, personally, or as welcome distractions in a day. Please “join” us when you can for:
- QuaranTalks with Teasley—We adapted our Talks with Teasley series into a QuaranTalks with Teasley series for the summer. We will offer several online faculty presentations in the coming weeks that provide ways to virtually engage with fellow social workers and to earn CEUs for free, courtesy of the College. [Update: Watch videos from the QuaranTalks with Teasley series by clicking here.]
- Talking Telehealth—Inspired and propelled by our Community Advisory Board, we will offer a series of three telehealth webinars that address the technicalities of telehealth, techniques for quality care through telehealth, and a discussion of the future of telehealth beyond this crisis. Again, I have waived our normal fees for CEUs to these electronic events. [Update: Watch videos from the Talking Telehealth series by clicking here.]
- Convocation 2020—Our students just finished a semester like no other. Their lives were shaken as they moved unexpectedly to online classes, abruptly shuttered in-person practicum experiences, and literally hung on through weeks of earthquakes and aftershocks . . . during a pandemic. Celebrate the success of this graduating class by viewing our 40-minute recorded convocation, complete with inspiring student speeches and the smiling faces of our newest graduates. (We’re not asking, but if you suddenly can’t resist supporting College of Social Work students, you can give here. Gifts to the U of U student emergency fund are also appreciated.)
As we look for silver linings in this crisis, we truly hope one is the opportunity to engage with you more often and perhaps in new and innovative ways. We invite you to let us know how you are and if there are ways we can support you now. We aim to get through this together!
Stay well and stay in touch,
Martell Teasley, PhD, MSW
Dean and Professor
