Reminder: Faculty, Staff and Years of Service event - April 28, 2021

 Dear Faculty and Staff,

Please join us for the Faculty, Staff, and Years of Service awards ceremony. Faculty and staff award winners from both 2020 and 2021 will be honored. You can find those names listed here.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021
3:00 - 4:00 pm

Awards include:
John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising (System Award)
Undergraduate Faculty Advisor Award
Graduate Faculty Advisor Award
Tezla Teacher/Scholar Award
Outstanding Staff Awards
Outstanding Staff Team Award
Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching
Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Research/Creative Activity
Faculty & Staff Years of Service Awards for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40+ (2021 only)

Please register at z.umn.edu/facstaff2021 and join us in celebrating the accomplishments of our UMD employee community!

Sincerely,

Lendley C. Black
Chancellor

Correction Regarding the Senior Advisor to the President for Native American Affairs

Correction to yesterday's message regarding the Senior Advisor to the President for Native American Affairs.

Last week, the University announced Karen Diver, Director of Business Development for Native American Initiatives at the University of Arizona, as a finalist in our search for the University's inaugural Senior Advisor to the President for Native American Affairs. Ms. Diver addressed her vision for the University of Minnesota and answered questions from our community in a public presentation last week. Please take a moment to provide your feedback on her candidacy, as your voice is critically important to the role and our work as an institution. The deadline to provide feedback to the Search Committee is Monday, April 26.

Thank you and we apologize for any confusion.

Updates: Vaccines, Sr. Advisor to the President for Native American Affairs, International Travel

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I have just a few brief updates for you today.

Vaccine Availability
All Minnesotans age 16 and older are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This news brings optimism for summer gatherings with family and friends, followed by a successful return to more typical in-person operations in the fall.

Locally in Duluth, both Essentia Health and St. Lukes have available access to the vaccine. As well, this list of weekly St. Louis County vaccine registration links is updated regularly. In the meantime, we must also continue the preventive measures we've embraced. We will continue to wear face coverings and rely on testing, physical distancing, avoiding large gatherings with those outside of our immediate family or friends, and staying home if we feel ill.

Find COVID vaccine information on the Safe Campus vaccine page. The UMD Safe Campus website continues to be a good source of information for campus-related pandemic information.

Senior Advisor to the President for Native American Affairs
The search committee for the University's inaugural Senior Advisor to the President for Native American Affairs recommended Karen Diver, Director of Business Development for Native American Initiatives at the University of Arizona, as a finalist. We will share a link to Karen's public presentation next week when she will address her vision for the Office of Indian Affairs at the University of Minnesota. As part of her presentation, Karen will also address questions from the University community. If you would like to propose a question for Karen to address, please submit your question online.

International Travel
The restriction on University-purpose international travel remains in effect until April 30, 2021. (Note: This restriction does not apply to personal travel.) Depending on the public health situation and guidance from state and national health experts, the restriction may be extended into the spring or early summer. An exception process for faculty, staff, and graduate students who must travel internationally as part of their University research or scholarship remains available. A similar exception process is now available for undergraduate students planning essential University-purpose travel to lower-risk international destinations (defined by University policy as those designated by the U.S. State Department as Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2). Guidance on international travel is available from the U.S. Department of State.

Sincerely,

Lendley C. Black
Chancellor

Derek Chauvin Trial Verdict

 Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Today’s verdict by the jury in the Derek Chauvin trial is an important step in the history of social justice in this country. I ask everyone on campus to take this moment to recommit to social justice and to working to end systemic racism.

We hope that the jury’s verdict represents a measure of accountability and comfort for George Floyd’s family, his loved ones, and the communities that have been impacted by his tragic death — and perhaps a welcome departure from instances where there has been no accountability at all. These tragedies stand as a stark reminder that no matter how much progress we may feel our society has made, we are still far from being a truly equitable and just nation.

I want to point out that today’s verdict does not eliminate or end the trauma that many members of our campus community continue to experience, particularly for those of us who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color. Please know that UMD is here to support you.

• Students: UMD Counseling Services - including Let’s Talk Drop-in counseling services
• Students: UMD Office of Diversity and Inclusion
• Students: UMD Disability Resources
• Faculty and staff: Supporting UMD Students During the Chauvin Trial - a comprehensive list of resources for supporting students during this time
• Faculty and staff: Office of Human Resources diversity and inclusion resources;  mental health resources
• The Office for Public Engagement on the Twin Cities campus Derek Chauvin trial website with useful resources, including a great section on past events, recordings, and scholarship that help individuals engage in dialogue about racial justice.

It’s important that we bring compassion and grace to our interactions. I ask each of you to find ways in which you can hold space with students, colleagues, and peers in your part of campus, to listen deeply and support one another.

We all have roles to play in maintaining a respectful and safe campus environment. If you experience or witness any incidents that undermine or damage a safe, respectful, and diverse campus environment, please report the situation.

Sincerely,

Lendley C. Black
Chancellor

UMD Statement About Daunte Wright Shooting

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I would like to echo the words from University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel and the email you received from her about the fatal police shooting in Brooklyn Center last night. As she stated and I wholeheartedly agree with, “Black members of our community face circumstances that put their lives at risk every day. This must stop, but will only end when each of us accepts that we all have a role to play in building a more equitable, safe, and welcoming community.”

As our campus community and our society continues to grapple with these painful realities, you may find yourself feeling discouraged and exhausted. It is a long and difficult road, and one that seems to be full of obstacles as these events keep happening. It is critical that we maintain our commitment to do all we can to address structural and systemic racism and rely on each other to persevere.

The events of last night combined with the ongoing trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin create a confounding space, with numerous uncertainties. While many things are outside of our immediate control, we can support each other, listen to each other, learn and grow, and take action in our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and peaceful responses.

I’d like to remind you of the support resources available and encourage you to engage these resources as needed.

• Students: UMD Counseling Services - including Let’s Talk Drop-in counseling services
• Students: UMD Office of Diversity and Inclusion
• Faculty and staff: Supporting UMD Students During the Chauvin Trial - a comprehensive list of resources for supporting students during this time
• Faculty and staff: Office of Human Resources Diversity and Inclusion Resources; Mental Health Resources
• The Office for Public Engagement on the Twin Cities campus Derek Chauvin trial website with useful resources, including a great section on past events, recordings, and scholarship that help individuals engage in dialogue about racial justice.

As always, if you experience or witness any incidents that undermine or damage a safe, respectful, and diverse campus environment, please report the situation. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor