Announcements and Letters

Looking to the fall 2021 semester, we will soon begin phasing in the return of our employees. The intention is to have employees back in person by August 1 so we can prepare for the start of the new academic year.

An innovative leader in higher education, Brian F. Hamluk is deeply committed to student success, and he keenly appreciates that keeping our students at the heart of everything we do is fundamental to UB’s mission of excellence.

It is with mixed emotions that I announce that Michael E Cain, MD, whose leadership has dramatically transformed medical education, research and clinical care in WNY, is stepping down as vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, effective Aug. 31.

This landmark trial has been viewed as a referendum on police accountability and brutality against Black and Brown Americans—and, as such, it has been closely followed by millions of people demanding the abiding structural change that is long overdue in our country.

Against the backdrop of a fervent racial justice reckoning, demonstrations over police brutality against Black and Brown Americans, a pandemic that has magnified social injustice, and oppression that has persisted from our country’s founding, I understand that some of you may be feeling as traumatized in the retelling of this terrible episode as when you first learned of it.

As a global community of scholars grounded in ideals of social justice, we condemn, in the strongest of terms, anti-Asian harassment, hatred and violence—just as we condemn the ignorance, prejudice and bigotry at their root.

I am pleased to announce that we will be celebrating UB’s 175 commencement in person, with all ceremonies to be held outdoors. As always, we will follow UB’s health and safety measures to ensure a safe in-person celebration of UB’s Class of 2021.

The start of our spring 2021 semester marks a new beginning for each of us—an opportunity to reaffirm our mission of excellence, to envision new solutions and to serve as agents of positive change.

We are pleased to share that the University at Buffalo plans to resume our regular in-person instruction beginning with the fall 2021 semester.

As the fractures of the past several years extend into 2021, Dr. King’s exhortations of 53 years ago remind us of our imperative today—and every day: to commemorate his legacy by contributing to the ideals of justice and equality.

The lawlessness and chaos that erupted at the U.S. Capitol today are truly horrifying. As we watch the violent disruptions to the certification of the presidential election, we ardently hope for a swift and peaceful return to order in our nation’s capital.

We remain very grateful for our university community’s dedication to advancing our research mission and providing transformative academic experiences for our students as we continue to navigate the pandemic.

Over the past six months, the advisory council—comprised of faculty, students, staff and alumni—has identified, researched and reviewed best practices in four focus areas: the recruitment, hiring and retention of faculty and staff; the recruitment, admissions, retention and graduation of students; curriculum and teaching; and community engagement.

We are working closely with New York State, SUNY and our local health department on an orderly plan to wind down operations over the next several days pursuant to the Fall Semester Departure Guidance that was issued from the SUNY Chancellor.

Let me reassure you of this: Regardless of the result of this national election, UB will remain true to our strongly held values. You are, as always, a highly respected, appreciated and valued member of our UB family.

As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has created serious economic and financial consequences across the world, the nation and here at home in New York State. It is important that we have a shared understanding of these challenges and how we are addressing them.

Today, as I reflect on the remarkable life, groundbreaking career and outsized legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, my thoughts naturally turn to her unforgettable visit to the University at Buffalo last year.

I am writing to inform you that 22 students living off-campus are in isolation after having tested positive for COVID-19. This brings the total number of confirmed cases within the UB community, including employees, to 27.

Today, as our faculty, students and staff embark on a semester unlike any in our institution’s 175-year history, I would like to assure you all of this: Despite the unprecedented circumstances we face, nothing about UB’s mission and vision of excellence changes.