Holiday message from President Peter CohenView in browserPeter Cohen, President4035 S Riverpoint Parkway,Phoenix, AZ 85040Dear Students and Alumni,It is an incredible honor to lead University of Phoenix and work together with people who are champions of you — our students and alumni. Your experience, your successes and triumphs, no matter how large or incremental, are celebrated by me and the entire University of Phoenix team. As we move into the holiday season, we encounter opportunities to practice kindness, to exercise an attitude of thankfulness, and to embrace family and loved ones. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. My family has made this a special time when we all gather in one place and simply enjoy each other’s company. My wife often starts cooking the day before so she can spend more time engaging with the family, and Thanksgiving dinner is usually served midafternoon, followed by an afternoon of chatting, music, sometimes a movie, and often a modest but warming fire. With two grandchildren now in the mix, it also involves keeping them occupied with games, walks to a park, or other activities. Up until we were interrupted by the pandemic, we bought and collected food and sundries for a local soup kitchen and spent time together packing them into bags for those in need.Most importantly to us, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the positive aspects of our lives and what we are thankful for.The University recently published our 2020 Annual Academic Report, which is a reflection on a year that changed everything about modern learning, work, and life, and which adds our story to the global narrative. In the spirit of being a Phoenix, ours is a story of adaptation, innovation, and community. At University of Phoenix, we sharpened and expanded our focus on dual fronts — the pandemic and systemic injustice. We adapted and aligned with the evolving needs of our students, so many of whom are working adults with families and children. We also turned inward as an institution and reflected on how we were approaching systemic racism, and today, we continue to take steps forward and establish actions to implement change. Much of this is highlighted in the report. I hope you find some time to review.The challenge of returning to school as a working or parenting adult is daunting. I was reading a Facebook post from one of our online students, this past week, sharing how scared they were to face a “classroom” again after being out of school for 10 years or more. The encouragement they received from current students, saying “you can do it,” “we got your back,” and “the support from the university is so helpful” reminded me that we are a community, of students helping students, alumni helping alumni, and faculty and staff supporting students and each other, collectively, to help you succeed when faced with the worry and stress of adding a 20-hour-a-week commitment to an already busy life.When we consider our voyage together in the last year, I hope each of you are taking heart in your own journeys as students and alumni. I wish for each of you this year to experience success in all you do, to feel gratitude, to show someone else support, and to be with those who matter most to you.Good tidings,
Holiday message from President Peter Cohen – University of Phoenix
