Greetings all,

These are tough times we find ourselves in.  As of this writing, the coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc across the globe.  The College has moved to remote learning during the crisis and you are all going above and beyond in making the transition.  This says a lot about the fine faculty and staff of Miami Dade College.

I think this also says a lot about our interconnection—with each other, our students, and the world around us.  And so, I think it is important that we keep this interconnection, these relationships, close to our heart, for at the end of the day it is these relationships that will endure.  We are all part of something bigger than ourselves, and from this we can take comfort.  From this we can find meaning. We are all in this together. 

Over the first weekend in April we held the Earth Ethics Institute Advisory Board meeting via video conference, with many of the EEI faculty council participating.  It was a challenge having our annual meeting in this format; we had a lot on the agenda, but we did the best we could under the circumstances. We heard from some longtime faculty participants as well as from faculty new to EEI, and it was clear that there is a lot of passion regarding our work. Again, this speaks of the quality of the relationships—the communion—that has flourished in the EEI community of practice.  Obviously, a lot of you really care about what happens with EEI. 

During this time of crisis, Earth Ethics Institute is here to support the faculty and staff of Miami Dade College.  We have compiled and continue collecting resources (see below) for you to use in your classes and are exploring alternate means of presenting our content.  Please let us know how we may serve you better. 

Earth Ethics Institute hopes that you all stay well, and we are very much looking forward to seeing you all in person again soon. 

Yours in Earth Literacy,

Mike Matthews
Director, Earth Ethics Institute at Miami Dade College
mmatthew@mdc.edu