Dear colleagues,
I hope you have all been enjoying the variety of
weather lately. I spent the week visiting with several alumni and donors
in California. I also attended the American Council on Education annual meeting
and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education
conference where Susana Woodward, Paula Pedersen and I presented and discussed
UMD's campus climate change processes.
Speaking at the conference was a great
experience and it reminded me of our strategic priorities, campus climate, and
core values. We have made great progress but still have opportunity for
more growth and development. I often refer back to UMD's core values, as
they also resonate with my personal values. I'd like to remind all of us
about our core values and ask we be mindful of how we practice them, especially
in times of transition.
UMD Core Values
To promote student success and
to enrich the educational experience, students, staff and faculty at UMD strive
to learn, work, and live in accord with the following core values:
- Learning. We educate students through an integrative learning-centered environment that fosters a lifelong pursuit of wisdom.
- Discovery. We discover, create, and share knowledge.
- Engagement. We actively collaborate with each other and the larger community to identify and achieve common goals.
- Inclusiveness. We respect and embrace the diversity of individuals, perspectives, and ideas and promote social justice.
- Sustainability. We balance current environmental, economic, and social needs with those of future generations.
- Integrity. We adhere to the highest ethical standards and take responsibility for our ideas and actions.
- Excellence. We achieve excellence through creativity, continuous improvement, and innovation.
In regards to the budget discussion, we have
presented our proposed framework to U of M administration and it was well
received. We are continuing to move ahead with the restructuring task
forces. Both the faculty and staff task forces have been asked to perform
very important work and I am grateful for the individuals who are generously
providing their time and talent. The task force membership consists of:
Restructuring faculty task force:
Facilitator: Brian
Levin-Stankevich, Interim EVCAA
Jefferson Campbell, Music,
SFA
Priscilla Day, Social Work,
CEHSP
Roxanne Gould, Education,
CEHSP
David Gore, Communication,
CLA
Morris Levy, Applied Human
Sciences, CEHSP
Jim Klueg, Art & Design,
SFA
Jennifer Mencl, Management
Studies, LSBE
Marc Seiger, Physics, SCSE
Julie Slowiak, Psychology,
CEHSP
Maureen Tobin Stanley,
Foreign Languages & Literatures, CLA
Rebecca Teasley, Civil
Engineering, SCSE
Rajiv Vaiyanathan, Marketing,
LSBE
Restructuring staff task force:
Facilitator: VCFO Steve Keto
Curt Albertson, CLA
Tracey Bolen LSBE
Sue Bosell (co-leader),
Controller's Office
Stacy Crawford, SFA
Colleen Dennie , SFA
Jennifer Gilles, Academic
Affairs
Joseph Grant, LSBE
Michelle Hatcher, SCSE
Lynne Hegrenes, CEHSP
Geraldine Hughes, CLA
Nancy Kienzle, SFA
Frank Maragi, SCSE
Ann Miller, CEHSP
Lori Roberts, CLA
Connie Rosandich, SCSE
Greg Sather (co-leader),
Office of Budget and Analysis
Sanna Shields , SCSE
Georgina Spears, LSBE
These groups jointly met for
the first time Thursday. They have been given a goal to present me with a
potential framework for moving forward with the restructure by the end of the
semester. Work will continue over the next year and we are just starting
to lay out a timeline and process with these teams.
In closing, I want to talk
quickly about legislative advocacy. The legislative session kicked off
last week and we have had a solid presence of UMD faculty, staff, and students
at the Capitol making meaningful connections and advocating on behalf of UMD.
SCSE student Alex King joined President Kaler earlier this week at a
press conference to promote our Chemistry and Advanced Materials Science
building.
These efforts will continue.
Next week is Duluth-St.Louis County at the Capitol, where we will have a mix
of campus and community members participating. Tuesday, March 29 is
Support the U Day, a systemwide legislative advocacy event. On Wednesday,
April 13 is Bulldog Lobby Days, an event organized by Student Association.
Being an advocate for UMD and
supporting our legislative priorities helps to further enhance and support our
mission. Therefore, the university supports your involvement in these
efforts. The expectation is that employees interested in attending the
event should contact their supervisor ahead of time to see if arrangements can
be made to participate. If you are interested and have approval to
attend, please complete the Bulldog Lobby Days sign-up. Transportation is provided.
Have a safe and enjoyable
weekend,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
