March 16 Update

Dear McCourt Community:

Welcome to the first day of virtual McCourt!

At its core, policy is about collective action and problem-solving. Many aspects of an effective pandemic response require collective action. Supporting our learning community also requires problem-solving–– defining the challenge, identifying who is affected by it, and using evidence-based tools to go about solving it.

Of course, problem-solving can also be messy. It requires regular communication, ongoing assessment, adaptation, and recalibration of your plan. I am grateful to the students, faculty, and staff of the McCourt School, who have stepped up to help us deliver the best educational experience in our new online context.

No doubt the path to success will not follow a straight line. But we have the elements for success in place— a strong and resilient community, committed partners in teaching and learning, and an approach that will allow us to course-correct as we explore our new online world together.

I am inspired by the energy and insight that have characterized the response of our community– from GU-Politics’ nimble transition to virtual programming, to our students’ and faculty’s quick response to the move to online instruction, to the work our research centers are already doing to respond to the public health issues.

Thanks for your problem-solving efforts, and your patience and good humor as we navigate the challenges of the coming weeks. Please share your feedback and ideas for making it better. You can email me at mcancian@georgetown.edu.

Best,

Dean Maria