February 5, 2021 Updates

Dear UMD Students, Faculty, and Staff, 

I hope your semester is off to a good start. We will be dealing with extreme cold weather this weekend and next week, so please be sure to take extra precautions to stay warm and safe. 

I am writing with a few brief updates of importance to our campus. 

Each February our nation celebrates Black History Month. This year we recognize and grieve for the very visible reminders of racism and bias that continue to haunt our nation and our community. As the University examines our own role in perpetuating inequities and injustices, we also celebrate, admire, and champion the very real work of those among us who are making a difference. 

Diversity and Inclusion Updates
In July, I shared seven priority diversity and inclusion action steps for the academic year. I am pleased to say that we have continued to make progress on all of them. You can find a list of the action steps and their progress on my website. 

Linked to this work, I would like to note that as of February 1, 80 percent of our faculty and staff have completed the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Managing Bias online modules. Seventy percent of students enrolled in UST 1000 completed the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion module as well. Training by itself is not enough, but it is an important piece of addressing equity, diversity, and inclusion issues on campus. Training continues with a new Preventing Harassment and Discrimination module that will roll out over the next few months. I would like to give a special thanks to Susana Pelayo-Woodward for her continued work and leadership on this initiative.

As well, my leadership team and I continue to engage with various groups around campus, including the Employees of Color and American Indian Group and the Anti-Racist Committee, to help support their efforts and address their recommendations. 

Each year the Campus Climate Response Team (CCRT) conducts a review and analysis of how incidents are handled on campus and to identify trends and patterns occurring over time. After such a review, the CCRT makes recommendations to the Campus Climate Leadership Team (CCLT). Reports on the frequency of campus climate incidents (as well as the annual reports to the CCLT) are available on the CCRT website for the campus community to review. 

UMD’s Annual Summit on Equity, Race, and Ethnicity is scheduled for March 2-4. Organizers of this event have an excellent lineup of presenters again this year. If you’re available to participate I encourage you to register for the summit. 

American Indian Advisory Board
I am pleased to announce that UMD will be reestablishing our American Indian Advisory Board. The board will serve as a liaison between American Indian communities and UMD. It will have a strong focus on campus programs and services for American Indian students and will seek to address their concerns and barriers to success. Creating this board is part of a systemwide effort to establish similar advisory boards on all campuses across the University of Minnesota. Our goal is to form the UMD advisory board by the end of the spring semester. As well, CEHSP is currently moving forward with hiring key positions in the American Indian Learning Resource Center.  

COVID-19
New, emerging variants of the COVID-19 virus are much more transmissible than earlier versions. We have done very well as a community by not coming to work or attending class when sick, maintaining physical distancing, and wearing masks, but testing is also extremely useful as these variants emerge. The University and the state are providing widespread and easy access to free testing. Whether you feel ill, believe you have been exposed to COVID-19, or are simply concerned about your current health status, we encourage all members of our community to use any of the testing resources available to you.

• Students can call UMD Health Services at 218-726-8155.
• Get tested at any of the hundreds of community test locations across the state.
• Order your free, at-home saliva test.  

COVID has brought about many changes to how students live and learn. Last semester, Student Life conducted an “Ask Our Students” survey to learn more about students' experiences during the pandemic. Student participants responded to questions about COVID-19, technology, campus resources, and their overall wellbeing. Student Life created several action items as a result, including a campaign to encourage students to continue their good work in supporting their wellbeing. For more information, view the summary report on the student life website. 

Have a nice weekend and stay warm.

Sincerely,

Lendley C. Black 
Chancellor