RECAST | What will your graduating seniors remember about Spring 2020?

From: Academic Deans <deans@evergreen.edu>
Date: Apr 20, 2020, 2:20 PM -0700

Dear colleagues,

Forgive me for asking a provocative question whose answer is weighty and complex.

I do so because I want to encourage us to think about our students’ futures, including their lives after graduation. We cannot buffer them from all of the hardships they are experiencing right now, but we can help them create the best possible memories of their Evergreen experience by supporting them in writing a strong Academic Statement.

As you all know, a well-written Academic Statement is a tribute to the student’s learning; a hastily written one can overshadow all the wonderful things you write about them in your evaluations.

With that in mind, the deans encourage you to dedicate some extra attention this quarter to your graduating seniors. The deadline for their Academic Statements has been extended to June 30, but many students will still be feeling overwhelmed about the prospect of trying to complete this important document under the current conditions.

You can help by:  

• Dedicating time to Academic Statements in your 5^th week conferences
• Sending students to the Writing Center webinar, which will be held this Wednesday, 4/22, 1:30-3:30 (flier attached) — all are welcome but registration is required. Sign up via: tinyurl.com/TB9D2FF 
• Encouraging them to make appointments at the Writing Center by contacting schedule.evergreenwritingcenter@gmail.com
• Sending students to Academic and Career Advising to talk about how they might frame their work at Evergreen. Luis Apolaya Torres (Luis.Apolaya_Torres@evergreen.edu) has particular interest and expertise in this topic
• Offering students in-class opportunities to reflect on their academic choices and experiences 

There are great resources for organizing your support of students’ Academic Statement writing on the Mentoring and Academic Statement Canvas site.

Thank you for everything you do for our students!

    Elizabeth (on behalf of the Academic Deans)

The Evergreen State College is open. We are modifying operations to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The Academic Deans Office deans and staff are working remotely in order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). We are checking email daily and phone messages regularly; however, due to the high volume, there may be a delay in answering your questions. Please know we will do our best to answer you in a timely manner.

Please check the college homepage at www.evergreen.edu for the latest information on college operations and spring quarter instruction.