I hope you are all safe and healthy during this challenging time. I know many of you are deeply disappointed to be spending the remainder of this semester away from campus, and now to have lost the opportunity for in-person summer classes as well. It has been difficult for all members of the BAS family – students, faculty, and staff – to adjust to a world in which we are not interacting on campus on a daily basis. We are all disappointed, but we will get through this, and we look forward to the day when we can all be back together again!

In the meantime, I want you to know that the BAS faculty have been working hard to make the rapid shift to online teaching as smoothly as possible. I am very grateful for the work that faculty have put in, and the flexibility that you as students have shown, as we endeavor to make this transition while maintaining the quality and rigor of our courses. Such dramatic transitions are never entirely smooth, and I realize that ours has not been without its hiccups. In fact, I am sure that there will be more challenges as we continue to adjust. But I truly appreciate everyone’s patience, grace, and understanding as we all do our very best in a difficult situation.

As you continue to make your own personal adjustments – involving everything from finding a reliable wifi connection, to adjusting to tight spaces and lack of privacy at home, to anxiety about social distancing and staying healthy, and countless others – I want you to know that the entire BAS family is here to support you. Challenging circumstances often provide opportunities for personal growth, and even transformation, but you don’t have to do it alone. Please reach out to your instructors, or to me directly, if you are struggling in any way. We are here to help!

Finally, I know that many of you face uncertainty, or even outright bad news, about your summer internships or post-graduation employment.  Please know that the placement officers at the Haslam College, along with the BAS faculty, are doing everything possible to find creative solutions for you, and to find everyone a meaningful experience this summer. As you consider your new reality for this summer, we are dedicated to giving you online course options in BAS. The goal is to give you the option to pick up some key courses – and marketable skills – in a flexible, remote format that might be workable in addition to internships, etc. Please stay tuned for the details, but our current plan is to offer, at a minimum, online sections of STAT 201, STAT 251, BAS 320, BUAD 341, and BAS 474 this summer. I hope these online courses will give you some needed flexibility as you continue to build your skills and experience as a business analytics professional.

Take care, be safe, and GO VOLS!

Dr. Michael Galbreth
Professor and Department Head, Business Analytics & Statistics
Pilot Corporation Chair of Excellence
galbreth@utk.edu