A message from Department Chair Laura Lowes:
Many thanks to all who joined the CEE Town Hall meeting last Friday afternoon. Hopefully it provided an opportunity for you to learn more about COE and CEE faculty, staff and student efforts to advance JEDI issues within the department, college and university as well as to provide feedback on activities to date and input on future goals and projects. The video recording of the meeting as well as Poll Everywhere results will be posted to the CEE JEDI website in the near future. If you have additional thoughts about JEDI issues or activities to advance these goals within CEE, access to an anonymous feedback form as well as the email addresses for CEE JEDI committee chairs Professors Kaminsky and Marshall are provided on the CEE JEDI webpage; you can also email me at lowes@uw.edu.
Many important issues were raised during the town hall meeting. One issue that I wanted to respond to immediately is that of mental health. These are very difficult times. The isolation forced by COVID combined with the increasing visibility and awareness of the myriad challenges facing our world, from racial and economic inequity to climate change, is affecting all of us. The UW has responded by providing additional mental health resources for us:
For students:
- The Husky health & well-being webpage provides access to all student health services.
- The student Counseling Center provides access to resources for managing stress and anxiety.
For UW employees: the UW Carelink lists a wide range of resources for maintain health and wellbeing, and, with a few clicks, provides immediate access to ComPsych GuidanceConsultants.
For all, I encourage all of us to reduce the isolation brought on by COVID safety measures. Take time to socialize with colleagues in classes, research groups, and professional meetings. The five to ten minutes spent chatting at the beginning of a meeting, or even a class session, is time well spent on our mental health. Additionally, I would welcome suggestions on software or services that the department could employ for virtual social events, to increase our social engagement.