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Welcome to Winter Quarter 2021

I’m hopeful that this quarter will bring out the best in all of us and that we will, together, make a lasting difference.”

Dear members of the Northwestern community,

Welcome to Winter Quarter. I especially want to offer my warmest greetings to our many students who are arriving on campus for the first time. We want you to have the best possible experience this quarter, under some of the most challenging circumstances students have ever faced.

I thank our staff, who have done a fantastic job preparing for this return to campus. Few know how much effort so many staff members have put into setting up safety protocols, logistics, resources, support and procedures that can make Winter Quarter safe, meaningful and memorable for all.

I also thank our faculty for modeling flexibility, innovation and compassion during an ongoing pandemic and a time of social and political unrest that has tested our daily resolve. You have shown that the work of learning must always begin with understanding and empathy. You also have continued and even accelerated urgent scholarly efforts, across the vast expanse of disciplines, that can save lives and heal communities.

And, of course, thank you to all our students, parents and guardians for your patience and for placing your faith in Northwestern at this extraordinary moment in history.

I’m hopeful that this quarter will bring out the best in all of us and that we will, together, make a lasting difference.

Go ’Cats!