Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. communicates with the TCU community through videos during the pandemic. Photo by Amy Peterson

Information on COVID-19 spread as quickly as the virus itself, and sweeping measures had to be enacted: distance learning, working remotely and the cancellation of the gatherings that make being a Horned Frog so meaningful.

This historic season tested not only life here at Texas Christian University, but life as we know it everywhere. The global coronavirus pandemic suddenly challenged the way we live and learn, radically altering the way we relate to each other.

Or did it?

What sustained me through the worst of these unprecedented times was the incredible way the TCU community came together. Alumni instantly flooded my inbox with offers of assistance. I witnessed parents — total strangers from different parts of the country — reaching out to help other people’s children. Employees organized free meals for essential personnel as the campus prepared for the uncertain days ahead. Our faculty sprang into action to prepare for a new way of teaching, supported by staff dedicated to making sure the university didn’t miss a beat in fulfilling its mission.

When our beautiful campus resembled a ghost town, the tulips kept right on blooming, and the sharing of ideas and resources flourished right along with them. I watched with gratitude as a new normal unfolded for a spirited Horned Frog family that can never truly be separated, even when apart.

Working together from distant corners is nothing new for TCU; in fact, our academic reputation thrives because of it. No matter where they are or what departments they are in, TCU helps put the right people in the right places for the greatest good. For example, dance professor Nina Martin recruited honors students and chemistry and kinesiology faculty to turn interpretative dance into therapy for cerebral palsy. When history professor Alex Hidalgo partnered with the chemistry and biochemistry departments, students discovered how to make the same inks used to pen the Declaration of Independence.

Working across disciplines is so ingrained in our academic culture, we have an entire college devoted to it: TCU’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies, which is allowing undergraduate students to create customized degree plans. The students who come out of this new frontier will be critical thinkers, prepared for anything. And when it comes to working together, they’ll learn by superb example.

Despite our extraordinary circumstances, we are committed to delivering TCU’s high-quality academic experience, as well as the stories that keep us connected and inspire us, found here in TCU Magazine. Your unwavering support of TCU makes me proud to be a part of this family.

Lead On!

Victor J. Boschini, Jr.

10th Chancellor

v.boschini@tcu.edu