Welcome from the New Department Chair

Dear Students,

As the new chair of the Department of Psychology and Child Development, I would like to welcome you to the 2020-21 academic year.

I’m glad you’re a part of our program and I’m looking forward to getting to know you! This year is shaping up to be unique, to say the least. Nevertheless, I am optimistic that we will rise to the challenge and support one another as we adapt to this rapidly changing and unpredictable world. For fall and winter quarters, all undergraduate and graduate psychology and child development classes will be online. Your faculty have been working hard to develop instructional approaches that will interest and challenge you. Some classes have synchronous components, others are completely asynchronous. We hope you will embrace the opportunity to actively participate in your courses whatever the mode. Doing so will help you gain knowledge, build skills, and cultivate meaningful relationships with fellow students and faculty. I also want to encourage you to join our departmental student clubs and visit faculty office hours so that we can continue to build community in this time of physical isolation from one another. Lastly, please check the Tuesday Newsday announcements each week on the Department of Psychology and Child Development website.

I understand that there are many pressing concerns in the world right now and that your attention will be divided among your commitment to your academic success, your personal priorities, and your attention to broader health and social issues. I am here to help, so feel free to set up an appointment to meet with me. The main thing to remember is that we are strongest when we respect and support each other. I hope you’ll join me in heading into this year with a positive mindset – we can and will be successful as we find a path through these unsettling times.

Here’s to working together to make the best of the year ahead!

Jennifer Jipson, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor of Psychology and Child Development
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0387
Tel: (805) 756-2320 
Fax: (805) 756-1134
http://psycd.calpoly.edu/