Dear Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars,

I write to you as we near the end of our 8th week of sheltering-in-place in the Bay Area with the heartfelt hope that you are continuing to stay healthy, remain connected to your family and friends, and find ways to stay intellectually engaged. What for many of us was unthinkable just a couple months ago—being separated from loved ones, restricted in so many of our normal activities, and unable to access classrooms, libraries and laboratories—has now become our daily reality. One perspective that I personally have found helpful is recognizing that this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event, and accepting that, as much as I wish otherwise, I can’t force this to revert to an “ordinary” year.

Rather than focusing on the loss, I find it helpful to shift to what we can do. This pandemic is likely to be the defining societal challenge of our lives. Yet human resilience is amazing. I feel confident knowing that we have the opportunity to not only meet this challenge, but to come out of it stronger, more compassionate, and more resourceful. And remember that while unusual and disruptive, this is a global pause that has affected all of us. I know it’s been hard for you and your families and friends, but it will not define your ultimate academic or research success or aspirations.

Stanford is a complex community with a deep commitment of caring for its people, now and in the future. So many people at this institution—from the president and provost to our newest postdocs and students—are working to help the Stanford community through this immediate crisis and to position the university for a strong recovery in the future. Below I have shared a few details of some of these activities, including ramping up research activities and planning for the next academic year. But here, I would just like to express how privileged I feel to be part of this community with you.

I also welcome your suggestions and ideas for how we can continue to serve our mission of research, teaching, and learning and support you, our graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, during this challenging time. Please send suggestions via this form or by email to vpge@stanford.edu.

With appreciation for all you are doing,
Stacey

Stacey F. Bent
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs
Jagdeep and Roshni Singh Professor in the School of Engineering
Professor of Chemical Engineering
Professor, by courtesy, of Materials Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Chemistry

Ramping Up Research

Many committees and people are working actively on plans for ramping research back up. With Kam Moler, vice provost and dean of research, I’m co-chairing the Research Continuity Planning efforts of the Academic Policy Group, which is rapidly developing plans and polices to guide a gradual, safe ramp-up of the university’s research activities. Sofie Kleppner, associate dean and director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, will lead a subcommittee of graduate students and postdocs who will confer with the other subcommittees covering specific aspects of the research enterprise. You can expect more information from this committee in the next month or so.

Planning for Next Academic Year

Many of you are wondering whether Autumn courses will be offered virtually, in-person, or in a hybrid format (Provost Drell previously announced that summer courses and programs will be virtual). In parallel to the above research committee, the Academic Continuity Planning Committee is exploring different scenarios for next year that will balance the safety of our community with our commitment to teaching and learning across the undergraduate and graduate student populations. This is a multifaceted problem for which there are still many unknowns, given the uncertainty of the pandemic. We anticipate more guidance about next academic year in the coming weeks.