Update and spring break greetings

 Dear students, faculty, and staff,

While many of us will still have items on our to-do list, I understand that next week, the campus will be quieter with spring break. I hope you can find some time to relax and recharge for the final push through the academic year.

I am aware of the mix of uncertainty and stress that many members of our campus community feel given the recent federal communications and executive orders. I want to echo what University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham said in her message earlier this week. While there are many unanswered questions, we will hold true to our mission and values to fuel discovery and provide valuable learning opportunities today and into the future.

The federal landscape continues to evolve and we are closely monitoring activity to understand impacts and be prepared with scenario planning. I recognize the challenges that come with this uncertainty and that there is a desire to know what the effects of those decisions may look like on our campus. Our intention is to approach any updates methodically while staying true to the university’s mission of research and discovery, teaching and learning, and outreach and public service.

You may not hear from university leadership weekly. As mentioned above, there are teams monitoring information continuously. For the latest information and continued updates, please visit our Rapid Response website. This website covers a range of issues, including diversity, equity and inclusion, research funding, immigration, and activity within the Department of Education.

Thank you for your understanding as we navigate this together. I want you to know that the work we do matters, in the region, state, nation, and world. You matter. And together, we will continue to make a difference.

Sincerely,

Charles Nies Chancellor

System strategic planning 3/31, campus conversation 4/7, awards and recognition 4/17

 

Dear Colleagues, I wanted to share a few dates with you and hope that you are able to join us. Please mark your calendars. System Strategic Planning - Maroon, Gold, and Bold listening session - March 31 President Cunningham is working to set the stage for a bold future at the University of Minnesota—one that pushes boundaries and redefines what is possible. Your participation will help ensure our systemwide strategic plan reflects the many voices that make up our University community. Please let us know if you can join us on Monday, March 31 from 10-11:30 am in the Kirby Student Center Ballroom to share your thoughts, ideas, and perspectives on your vision for the University’s bold future as part of the Maroon, Gold and Bold strategic planning process by submitting your RSVP and adding to your calendar. During the session/meeting we will discuss several key questions: From your vantage point, what will distinguish the University of Minnesota System as a leader in higher education in 2035? How has the University of Minnesota System (as distinct from each campus) impacted you? What do you see as the University of Minnesota System’s biggest strengths? What can the University of Minnesota System do better? In what fields of research do you imagine we could most make an impact? How should we aspire to serve our nation, world, and/or state differently across the next decade? What do you think the University of Minnesota System should do to improve and excel in its educational offerings and opportunities? What barriers prevent the University of Minnesota System from accomplishing its full potential? What changes in the world should the University of Minnesota System meaningfully influence? I encourage you to visit president.umn.edu/maroon-gold-and-bold to learn more about the University’s strategic planning process. Campus Conversation - April 7 Members of the Senior Leadership Team and I will host a campus conversation on April 7 at 9:00 am in the Kirby Ballroom. This will serve as a follow-up to our fall conversation around values and provide other updates as we make our way through the academic year. Faculty, Staff and Years of Service Awards - April 17 Please join us for the faculty, staff and years of service awards on April 17 at 3:00 pm in the Kirby Ballroom. I’m looking forward to engaging, inspiring and productive discussions. Best,

Charles Nies Chancellor

Updates from Campus Leadership

Dear Campus Community, On Monday, President Cunningham sent a message to the University of Minnesota community about the University’s efforts to assess the implications to our operations following rapidly changing federal policies. In that and previous messages, she emphasized our ongoing commitment to all campus community members and reaffirmed the University’s longstanding commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment that supports the needs of every individual across the System. She clarified that the University of Minnesota has not rolled back diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and we are not making any preemptive changes to our existing programs. My leadership team and I echo these sentiments at UMD. This message to our campus community represents a collective conversation with senior leaders at the system level and leaders across campus. We highly value the people who support diversity of thought and inclusion, which are integral to our engaged learning and discovery. Our support, guidance, and advocacy extends to all identities represented by all members of our community. Faculty, staff, and students who have questions about support and resources around federal immigration policies can consult this UMN website, which will continue to be updated with information and guidance. A University of Minnesota team has been created to review executive orders and policy changes to develop guidance for the university and our community. We will keep you updated as this information is made available. As we navigate through these dynamic times, it is essential to reaffirm our commitment to the values that define our University. We know these must be more than words in messages. They must be practiced by all of us and reflected in how we learn, work, and interact in our community. At UMD, we seek to build a community in which every individual is valued and respected as we work together to prepare students to thrive as lifelong learners and globally engaged members of our communities. I urge each of you to engage in open, respectful dialogue and to listen with empathy. We can strive to understand one another, even when we disagree. Now, as always, our strength lies in our ability to come together, to support one another, and to learn from our differences. Let us build a community where everyone feels a sense of belonging and where every voice is heard. Thank you for your support in advancing our mission and holding steadfast to our values, as we focus on student success and lift up the diverse voices and perspectives that make UMD such an incredible place. Sincerely,

Charles Nies Chancellor

 

Semester greeting and Innovation Grants

 

Dear Colleagues, I hope your spring semester is off to a good start. It is exciting to feel the campus come to life again with a sense of renewal. Being part of this university is incredible and, as I wrote in a recent piece for the Duluth News Tribune, I’m motivated every day by our work to advance student success and generate knowledge that improves our world. In my role, I often hear from UMD’s creative and committed faculty, staff, and students about how to strengthen what UMD offers to its members and our community. To surface and support your good ideas, I am pleased to call for Innovation Grant applications. These grants will support collaborative projects that integrate programs, services, or experiences across different departments and academic disciplines. The grants will be supported by the Chancellor’s Excellence Fund, a philanthropic fund that supports the university as we advance excellence that is aligned with our mission. This one-time seed funding is intended to develop innovative initiatives that are cost-neutral, or that could provide cost savings or generate new revenues. Please read the guidelines and connect with your colleagues to consider how to leverage this opportunity. The deadline to apply for innovation grants is Friday, February 21. I am looking forward to a busy and inspiring semester. We will continue to have conversations around our values, enrollment, and academic programs. We will also continue to strengthen our partnerships on campus, across the system, and with external stakeholders as we work together to deliver on all aspects of our mission. Thanks for your commitment to advancing the university’s mission and values. Best,

Charles Nies Chancellor

End of semester greetings

 

Greetings students, faculty, and staff, Wow–it is finals week! I can’t believe how quickly this semester has gone. I’ve learned a lot in my first semester here as chancellor, and I trust that each of you has expanded your knowledge as well. To our students graduating this semester, congratulations! We are so proud of you, your determination, and your hard work. Please stay engaged with UMD and know that you’re always welcome back to campus. I hope that you all have a great winter break. To help kick off this season, I’d encourage you to take a few minutes to watch this restful video. Thanks for a great semester. Enjoy a restorative semester break. Best, Charles Nies Chancellor

Reminder End of Semester Buffet - December 3

 

Dear colleagues, Reminder: join us for the Faculty and Staff End of Semester brunch buffet on Tuesday, December 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Seating is available in Kirby Ballroom and Rafters. We wish that we could include student workers but unfortunately we are unable to due to space limitations. The menu will be soup, salad and slider buffet and includes options for gluten free, vegetarian, vegan and dairy free. If you would like to donate to Champ's Cupboard, please bring a non-perishable food item (specific needs are listed below).   Champ's Cupboard Needs: Mac & cheese  Peanut butter Organic and gluten free items Dry pasta, rice and pasta sauce  Lighter meals/snacks: granola bars, trail mix  Canned tuna, chicken chicken Dry breakfast cereal and oatmeal packets Packaged meals Toilet paper Note: to make disability-related accommodations or dietary requests, please contact Carlee Williams prior to the event.   We look forward to seeing you there!

Charles Nies Chancellor

Updates and recap of campus conversation

 

Dear colleagues, Thank you to those of you who were able to make the campus conversation gathering last Wednesday. I appreciate your participation in what I felt was a productive engagement and start to the discussion around our values. In the meeting, and through my sketch, I connected our strengths and how they drive us forward. Those strengths include our campus and the Duluth community, our place in the U of M System that continues to grow, and our commitment to student success that is fueled by innovation and integration with the environment around us. We have a bright future and I look forward to building it with you. As for our values, the campus leadership team and I will continue to engage in conversations. We are looking through the input gathered at the meeting last week and will circle back with more information on next steps. I will also work closely with our campus shared governance structure. I wanted to also provide a quick follow-up to a handful of other topics we covered last week. Regents Visit - November 12 A few members of the Board of Regents will be on campus Tuesday, November 12. They will be tabling in the Kirby Student Center from 11:00 am -1:00 pm and are asking members of the campus community to stop by to talk with them. Please swing by as your schedule allows. Leadership Search Updates I recently announced our new VCFO Matt Massman who will start in December. The executive director for advancement position is posted and I want to thank Athletic Director Forrest Karr and Tracy Ketchem from the University Foundation for leading that search. I have also asked Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management Trevor Eagle and SGA President Remi Foust to co-chair the vice chancellor for student life search, which will begin in the next couple of months. I am also working on the executive vice chancellor for academic affairs search. I am working on leadership for that search and will use an executive search firm to support this effort. Once those pieces are in place, the search firm will meet with campus stakeholders to finalize a position profile that will be used to recruit top talent to UMD.  Chancellor’s Council on Campus Climate (4C) Core to UMD's values and priorities is ensuring a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive campus community. This last year, the Chancellor’s Council on Campus Climate (4C) worked to review previous and current campus climate efforts and prepare a recommendations report for campus leadership. These recommendations include an executive DEI position on the UMD leadership team, an expanded membership for the council, and intentional collaboration with campus commissions and committees that support DEI work at UMD. The 4C group will be holding feedback sessions with the campus community around the last campus climate survey results, including a Campus Conversation (formally known as the Lunch-n-Learn series) open to everyone on November 26, 2024 from 9:00 - 11:00 am in Griggs Center. You can find the campus climate survey reports on the Office of Equity and Diversity Campus Climate website. Student Success Initiative (SSI) Last academic year, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Life Jeremy Leiferman and Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management Trevor Eagle led a team of faculty, staff, and students to review best practices, examine previous data and efforts, and identify areas of exploration that will ultimately lead to better student outcomes in and out of the classroom. This work resulted in a SSI report of recommendations, which was recently presented to the senior leadership team. Moving forward, I am asking the group to consider how we expand our student scholars’ access to high-impact practices that lead to transformative education and student success, build upon some promising practices in advising already deployed at UMD, and consider ways to build strong and intentional collaborations across the campus to advance student success. I also hope they will recommend professional development opportunities that orient us to see all students through an asset-based lens, with a focus on the strengths that every student we admit brings to their learning and our community.  Academic Program Array Analysis Building on the extensive work done last year, we are engaging in a two-pronged approach to strengthen and focus our academic program offerings. Four priorities guide our efforts. Our academic programs will: 1) align with the mission and identity of both UMD and the U of M System 2) use effective and innovative practices to advance student success 3) meet student and community needs 4) be fiscally responsible In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, deans will propose changes that meet these priorities through consultation with UMD colleagues in and outside their units, the Academic Leadership Team, and, where appropriate, colleagues throughout the U of M System. In each case, they are focusing on foregrounding student success by incorporating ideas that are intended to improve retention, graduation rates, and boost undergraduate and graduate enrollments. They are using a “MEDIC” framework to consider what to Maintain, Eliminate, Decrease, Increase, and Create as we fine-tune our dynamic academic programs. Additionally, the Academic Revisioning Committee (ARC) will establish a process that current and future leaders can use to make mission-driven, student-focused, community-oriented, and fiscally responsible decisions about our academic programs. With ARC’s guidance, we will establish a process that will be transparent, predictable, and normalized as a regular part of academic decision making. This process will be established by an outstanding committee, including Jen Mencl and Erik Brown from Academic Affairs, as well as representatives from each of our colleges and from the faculty senate. In order to grow and innovate, this broadly consultative process will help us invest in academic programs that align with our current strengths and future aspirations. End of Semester Buffet - Save the Date! Please mark your calendars for the annual End of Semester Buffet on Tuesday, December 3 from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm in the Kirby Ballroom. Have a great day,

Charles Nies Chancellor