As we move into week 3 of distance education, I hope you are well and settling into the new format of your courses. While it is difficult to replace in-person education, I am amazed by the creativity and support of the Haslam College staff and faculty to support each other and you. I hope you feel the care and concern that I am witnessing behind the scenes (or screens, given the circumstances :-) ). Many of us have additional responsibilities at this time, whether it be caring for others or ourselves, so it is important for us to continue to openly communicate with each other, so we know how to best support each other. Your finance faculty have or will be sending out brief surveys to assess how online learning is going, so be open and provide constructive feedback. Some of you have let us know that you are having trouble signing in with Zoom authentication. Try the following link: https://tennessee.zoom.us/signin. This should take you to the SSO sign-in where you will use your netid and password.

As we all look for ways to stay healthy, positive and make the most of our current environment, make sure to take some time for yourself and your loved ones.

If you are living with family and friends, find ways to enjoy each other and make memories. As my family looks for ways to stay active and healthy during our breaks, my teenage son is enjoying being the “expert” and training me to strengthen my triceps and hamstrings, while my daughter is explaining the health benefits. Apparently, those are not muscles I use on a day-to-day basis, and the health benefits are particularly important for someone my age!

If you are living by yourself, make time to write to or spend time virtually with those in your sphere of influence. We can all have a positive influence on someone.

If you are uncertain about career options going forward, I have included a few links if you would like to consider whether graduate school is right for you:

Should You Go to Grad School Right After Undergrad?

MS Finance vs. MBA in Finance: Which One is Right for You?

Should You Go to Graduate School?

It is a privilege to be a Volunteer. Let’s live it out.
Go Vols!

Tracie Woidtke, Ph.D.
Finance Department Head & David E. Sharp/Home Federal Bank Professor
Neel Corporate Governance Center Research Fellow