Walton MBA Director Adam Stoverink shares a welcome message for the start of the Fall 2021 semester.
I would like to extend the warmest of welcomes to all Walton MBA students, faculty, and staff, as we begin the 2021-2022 school year!
Fall has always been my favorite time of the year. It’s a time of change—a time marked by a great energy shift. Following the quiet summer months, the University of Arkansas campus bursts back to life as students return to the classrooms with a renewed and refreshed drive to learn and grow, faculty jump back into teaching mode, and staff flip the switch on the infrastructure of success. Fall is an exciting time for everyone in the academic community.
This year is especially exciting, for the changes are greater than usual. The 2021-2022 academic year brings a shift back to in-person learning. After a year in which many of our classes were held remotely, all Walton MBA classes have now returned to the physical classroom. Students and faculty alike have missed the face-to-face interaction that has been a central fixture of higher education since its inception. We’re thrilled to once again offer this in-person educational experience.
It’s in this spirit that I want to reinforce a message I’ve communicated before, and one I’ll continue to communicate long into the future: as the director of Walton MBA Programs, nothing is more important to me than the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff members. As such, I strongly encourage everyone to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Make no mistake about it: the vaccine is the reason we’re able to offer face-to-face classes this fall. The vaccine is proven to protect against serious infection. A vast majority of COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths are among the unvaccinated. Simply put, the vaccine works.
I’m encouraged by reports that thousands of Arkansans are getting vaccinated every day. If we are to enjoy the in-person educational experience we all want, this must be a team effort. Everyone must do their part. If you’re still on the fence about receiving the vaccine, I encourage you to ask your healthcare provider for guidance. I think the world of each of you, and I want more than anything for you to be safe.
Let me leave you with a promise. The 2021-2022 is going to be a transformative year for our students. Our world-class faculty and our outstanding staff have been preparing all summer to welcome you back, to support you, and to help you continue your growth into extraordinary businesspeople, extraordinary leaders, and extraordinary humans.
With great appreciation for each of you,
Adam Stoverink, Ph.D.
Director of MBA Programs
Associate Professor of Management
Sam M. Walton College of Business
University of Arkansas
