Dean's Corner | January Issue: Our community of neighbors, new and old

Dear CSSW Community, 

Welcome back to the spring 2026 term. We want to extend a warm welcome in particular to our incoming class of students in the 16-month program who started in January. We are thrilled that you are new members of our community, and we look forward to the fresh ideas and insights you will bring to our classrooms and hallways. 

We learned this week that more welcomes are needed. By now, all of you have likely heard that Dr. Jennifer Mnookin, a scholar who currently serves as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, will join Columbia on July 1st as our new University President. I invite you to read her welcome message to us here. I want to bring your attention to this statement in her note: “In my experience, progress comes not from arriving with ready answers, but from creating space for dialogue grounded in shared respect and a willingness to listen.” I see that as a very encouraging start, and remarkably consistent with the core values of social work. We will be sure to share more updates as they become available. 

Turning attention to the state of our world, I suspect many of us were hoping for improvements in the news cycle with the arrival of the new calendar year. Those, unfortunately, have not materialized; and the pictures we see in the media are bleak and frightening. There is so much pain and suffering throughout our world and around the country. 

It has been especially dispiriting to watch the violence in Minneapolis. While the tragedies there continue to unfold, so does the response. The local community has been galvanized to come together in astonishing ways to support each other, despite their very different backgrounds and opinions. I think this is a reflection of a basic truth of our world: in the words of my colleague Jelani Cobb, Dean of Columbia Journalism School, “In a democracy, the fundamental civic unit is neighbor.” And neighbors stand up for one another. 

Similarly, we are all neighbors in the CSSW/Columbia community. So many of you are doing work that is crucial to our future, despite the immense challenges. It makes a difference, even when it doesn’t feel like it. YOU are making a difference, even when it doesn’t feel like it. Your persistence translates into hope. It is heartening. 

Having said that, it’s natural to feel down given what we face. We should just acknowledge that reality and not skip over it. What is ignored cannot be fixed. When the going gets tough, please remember to reach out to your peers, your colleagues, your friends, your classmates, and our amazing staff in the Office of Advising, the Office of Student Affairs, and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We are all here to support you. 

The month of January brings the opportunity to commemorate notable figures and events in history. Tuesday marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The date was chosen because it is the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. To commemorate this date, 81 Auschwitz survivors gathered at the site to share testimony and bear witness. I share here the moving words of Bernard Offen, who was separated from his father as he was led to death: “I ask you today, let memory not be a burden. Let it be a light that guides us in the darkness. We, the witnesses, will soon pass away, but I believe this light will remain with you.”

In addition, last week we honored the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on January 19th. He led a remarkable life, cut too short by hatred. Although he was only 39 when he was killed, he left an indelible legacy and his words and actions still inspire us today. Reading his texts I can’t help but wonder whether his words served him just as powerfully as they serve us – perhaps as a way to (re)build his own strength for the challenges ahead. It makes me think that our greatest heroes are not without fear or anxiety – rather, they courageously push through it. That’s important for all of us to remember. 

Throughout this academic year, we’ve kept two thoughts front-and-center. First, we’ve embraced one of the core values of social work: the dignity and worth of every person. Not the people we like, not the people we agree with – but everyone. This is not easy, particularly in moments of stress and strife. But we can do it. It’s a choice. The second notion is that of co-creating the community we want at CSSW. We can build it together. And along the way, we will make (and have made) mistakes. The work is messy and necessary. With grace and understanding, and recognizing the dignity and humanity of all, we will get through it. 

This brings to mind a beautiful quote from Coretta Scott King: “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” I believe this is a metric that we can all get behind. It’s an idea that aligns perfectly with the social work code of ethics. 

I have recently shared with my colleagues here an adage I came across in December: “In a crisis, do what you do best.” Lean into your strengths. Even when you are feeling defeated, please keep in mind that each of you offers so many strengths and talents. Our community is immeasurably enriched by your diverse experiences and backgrounds. Thank you for choosing this community. Thank you for committing to make the world and CSSW better. Thank you for striving to ensure that all can reach their full potential. 

In community, 
 

Melissa