Jonsson School Mission 2022: L.A.U.N.C.H

Leveraging our Attention to Undergraduate and Graduate Student
Needs, Challenges and Hopes

Dr. Stephanie G. Adams

The priority for the 2021-2022 academic year in the Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas is to improve the educational experience of our students. For our faculty and staff, as you prepare lessons, as you teach, as you respond to emails, think about the students’ needs, what challenges they might be facing and how you can support their hopes for the future, both today as they successfully complete your assignments and tomorrow as they become engineers and computer scientists.

Remember again when you were 17 to 24 years age and the mistakes that you made but more importantly, the grace people extended to you. Their positive responses allowed you to persevere and accomplish your goal, instead of giving up in discouragement. Please, I encourage us to LAUNCH and extend that same type of grace to our students.

As we begin a new year and the new semester, our mission continues. I remember how joyful I felt to greet students in person, and I look forward to doing so again soon. While we will begin the Spring 2022 semester remotely as we respond to the omicron variant of COVID-19, we remain vigilant of students’ safety while considering their mental health needs. The pandemic has been a marathon, not a sprint, but as I shared at our recent Fall 2021 commencement ceremonies, I am confident that the resilience students have developed will enable them to address and overcome major challenges throughout their careers.

At the start of the academic year, we focused on students in our orientations. School leaders stressed building an environment of openness and understanding toward students at our inaugural new faculty member orientation and our graduate student teaching assistant orientation.

Dr. Amy Walker, our associate dean for undergraduate education, and her staff kicked off Jonsson School welcome week activities to help students begin developing a sense of belonging that continued with activities to support students as they managed stress through finals. The paletas and cookies ran out fast! Allan Mathew, our assistant dean for graduate student enhancement, is also making strides to improve our students’ experience. Please look for more opportunities to support their activities throughout the calendar year.

Let’s all continue with MISSION 2022: Leveraging our Attention to Undergraduate and Graduate Student Needs, Challenges and Hopes.

And for our students, please know that we believe in you, and we are here to help you accomplish your goals.

Stephanie G. Adams, PhD, F.ASEE
Dean and Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair
Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science
The University of Texas at Dallas

For the most up-to-date news, please see the University’s official COVID‑19 information webpage.