The CDC issued new masking guidance across the country on Friday. Today the COVID-19 transmission level in Pima County remains high, although levels are waning in the rest of the state, and I am hopeful we will see the same in southern Arizona. Considering the high transmission levels, we are keeping our face covering protocols in place across campus. When we return to campus after Spring Break on March 14, we will determine whether to make changes to our protocols. 

The University of Arizona stands in support of those in our community affected by the unprovoked attack and invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine by Russian military forces this week.

We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Paula Balafas as the next University of Arizona Assistant Vice President and Chief of Police following a national search. She will assume the role in early March.

Yesterday, we shared with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee an update on the plans for acquiring UAGC and coordinating the operations of UAGC with UArizona. This change will be beneficial to the University and to the current and future students enrolled at UAGC.

Thursday, November 18, 2021, the University's leaders gave an update to the Arizona Board of Regents. It was my privilege to share with them the good work that is happening here in Arizona and around the world every day, and I was joined by Dr. Betsy Cantwell, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation, and Dr. Michael Dake, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences. 

PROCLAMATION: 

NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

WHEREAS, Native Americans were the original inhabitants of what is now Arizona as evidenced in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848; and

It has been a great first four weeks of the Fall 2021 semester. I have enjoyed seeing students back on campus, and, for those of you who are here, I hope you have as well. I appreciate your continuing efforts mitigating the spread of the delta variant and, more generally, for your care and compassion for all the members of our campus community. 

The University of Arizona is updating its Administrative Directive on Face Coverings in light of changing public health conditions in Southern Arizona and updated guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Pima County.
 

With the guilty verdicts announced in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin this afternoon, I want to acknowledge the emotional toll the events of the past eleven months, since the death of George Floyd, has taken on all of us, particularly Black members of our University community.