"It turns out that feeling grateful for our Mountain Lion community is the easiest thing in the world." — Chancellor Venkat Reddy

Dear members of the UCCS community,

As Thanksgiving approaches during the most unusual year of our lives, gratitude is on my mind. 

2020 certainly hasn’t been the easiest year to be grateful for. Since March, we have all made sacrifices to protect ourselves and others, and yet we continue to see COVID-19 cases rising across the country once again. Many of us are choosing not to see our families this Thanksgiving, in order to keep them safe.

But the most important part of gratitude is recognizing the blessings in our lives. In the face of each challenge we experienced this year, I have been grateful to witness the strength, resilience and connectedness of our UCCS community. 

When we moved to remote and hybrid instruction, I felt gratitude for our faculty – who found innovative and creative ways to deliver new teaching and learning experiences. As we continually updated our plans to keep the campus as safe and healthy as possible, I felt gratitude for our staff – who built the foundation for a successful semester. Throughout this entire year, I’ve felt gratitude for our students – who committed to protecting themselves and others, and who continually push UCCS to become an even better institution. 

Even as we’ve experienced safer-at-home orders, I’ve been grateful to spend more time at home with my wife Lata, and to learn how to stay connected with campus even from far away. 

In the midst of an extraordinary year, we have shown that our community is the most extraordinary blessing of all. In this season of giving thanks, I am thankful for all of you. It turns out that feeling grateful for our Mountain Lion community is the easiest thing in the world.

Respectfully, 

Venkat Reddy
UCCS Chancellor