You’re Invited, May 12: Our Mission, Our Values, Our Community

 

Dear Colleagues, Now is a time to ensure UMD’s values and identity reflect who we truly are. Let’s build clarity and community—together. We invite all UMD faculty and staff to join us for a half-day retreat to shape UMD’s next chapter:   Our Mission, Our Values, Our Community May 12, 9 am to 2 pm (coffee served at 8:30; lunch included) Kirby Ballroom Please RSVP here and add to your calendar   This isn’t just another meeting. It’s a space to think big, listen deeply, and contribute to the evolving story of UMD. Expect engaging discussions, thought-provoking questions, and space to reflect and connect with colleagues about what makes our campus distinctive. We’re partnering with a seasoned facilitator and a graphic storyteller to help us harvest the insights and ideas shared to inform future planning and engagement with our broader campus community.  When grounded in purpose and a clear sense of who we are, we’re better equipped to set bold priorities, make thoughtful decisions, and stay true to UMD’s identity. A shared foundation will empower us to move forward with confidence and imagination—ready to shape what comes next, together. As we prepare to gather on May 12, we want to acknowledge the moment we’re in. News of federal funding cuts, rising costs, and shifting expectations for higher education are creating real disruptions, stress, and grief. We recognize the toll this may be taking on your mind, body, and spirit. Our intention is to offer a space that is energizing and grounded in care, a space where you are welcomed just as you are. If joining doesn’t feel right for you, that’s OK. We will share the outcomes of the day afterward and invite future participation. Sincerely, Charles Nies, Chancellor Rebecca Ropers, Interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Update on budget and system conversations

 

Dear Colleagues,   I feel the excitement of the campus community as we move to the end of the academic year and celebrate the many accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff. It is difficult to believe that I am nearing the end of my first year, as I am still learning daily about the remarkable efforts of UMD.    In my April 10 email update, I mentioned that we would present our academic/fiscal year 2026 (FY26) campus budget request to U of M System leadership in mid-April. I am writing with an update on that conversation.  First, I want to thank leadership from across campus who participated in our new budget call process earlier this semester. This process and these discussions allowed for intentional thinking around both reallocations and areas of opportunity. It was very helpful to hear and learn from colleagues, and we used that context to inform our presentation.  Last Friday, UMD leaders made a wonderful presentation to our U of M System leadership colleagues. In that presentation, we highlighted our accomplishments, strengths, and the essential role we play in fulfilling the university’s statewide mission. We advocated for increased resources to enhance student success, fund faculty and staff compensation, and maintain our facilities. We also discussed the ongoing legislative budget process that will determine state funding for the U of M for the next two years. Given the current budget proposals at the legislature, we are expecting no additional resources for the U of M.  While it may be several months before we have certainty on our budget allocations and related budget decisions, the conversation underscored that difficult budget decisions lie ahead for UMD, the U of M System, and higher education in general. We will continue to engage with partners locally and across the system to do all we can to enable and amplify UMD’s success. As we near the end of the academic year, I thank you for your dedication, passion for UMD and student success, and for going above and beyond. I anticipate with excitement how great it will feel to see each of our graduates cross the stage at commencement and leverage their talents and skills to positively impact the larger world. Sincerely,

Charles Nies Chancellor

Executive search updates

 

Dear colleagues, I am excited to share that we have launched the search for the executive vice chancellor of academic affairs (EVCAA). This important UMD leadership position serves as the chief academic officer and provides visionary leadership to advance the university's mission of excellence in education, research and creativity, and public/community engagement. The EVCAA is responsible for the overall academic integrity of the institution and plays a key role in strategic planning, policy development, and resource allocation. Vice Chancellor of Finance and Operations Matt Massman, has agreed to serve as chair of the search advisory committee. Joining Matt will be Faculty Senate co-chairs, Professor Kim Dauner and Professor Abel Knochel, Large Lakes Observatory Director, Catherine O’Reilly, and Director of University Honors Professor Ryan Goei. We are still working with the Staff Senate on a staff representative. Please share this posting with leaders who may be interested and who you think would be a good fit. Our goal is to have candidates on campus the first week of May. At that time, there will be opportunities for broader campus engagement.  Sincerely,

Charles Nies Chancellor

Updates from campus conversation

 

Dear Colleagues, Thanks to those of you who joined our campus conversation on Monday. It was good to be together, even if some of what we discussed was challenging. This message summarizes the information that was shared and provides additional resources and next steps. At the meeting, we described how our institutional values are guiding decisions related both to resource allocation and to the creation of a shared and distinctive identity. Budget: Campus leadership will present our academic/fiscal year 2026 (FY26) campus budget request to U of M System leadership in the second half of April. At that time, we will ask them to partner with us by investing in our student success efforts, our research enterprise, and our faculty and staff through a funded compensation plan. Each year, we balance our budget. However, we continue to use one-time carryforward funding to cover expenses that outpace revenues. We expect costs to increase again next fiscal year. As part of the U of M System’s annual budget process, all units were asked to create scenarios related to budget reallocations. UMD is planning for a 2.2% ($3.7 million) reallocation starting July 1, 2025. We also completed an exercise to identify potential changes in the form of a 7% budget reallocation. Our internal conversations and those with U of M System leadership will inform budget decisions, including potential areas of investment and reallocation, which will likely happen this summer. Registration for fall 2025 courses started before decisions on budget, staffing, and related university operations were finalized. Given this timing, some course offerings were adjusted to provide flexibility as we finalize plans in the next few months. When program offerings change, we are committed to working with current students to complete their degrees within a reasonable timeframe.  We want these decisions to be informed by our values and the collective wisdom of this campus. Many of you have been part of the budget process this year. Deans worked within their college to set a list of priorities for funding decisions. The  Academic Revisioning Committee (ARC) is providing recommendations related to academic programs. The budget, the efforts of ARC, and our strategic planning discussions are intended to work in concert with each other. For additional information about our budget process and specifics, you can refer to this budget FAQ document. Identity and Programming: Our program offerings will change over time to meet the needs of our students, the community, and our disciplines. UMD’s programs in 1970 were very different from what they are now. Our offerings in 25 years will be different than they are today. We are making decisions that will help us be sustainable and dynamic. In this process, we need to think creatively about what we do and how we do it. We must also think about partnerships across campus, the university system, and the region to ensure that the work we do is both effective and efficient in helping us achieve our goals. Aligning our work to our identity, mission, and values is critical as we address these challenges and make these important decisions. In discussions throughout campus, four core identities have begun to emerge: Environment and Sustainability Health and Wellbeing Community and Economic Development Cultural and Global Engagement The UMD community has built a strong foundation upon which we can build into the future. Collectively, we can find solutions to these challenges while we continue to celebrate our remarkable education, research, creativity, and scholarship. Our research is meaningful to our region and beyond. Our outreach programs inspire future scholars and leaders. Our students are thriving and have a transformational experience here at UMD. While we have difficult decisions to make, we will continue to foster, create, and invest in our continued success. We will be having more conversations throughout the spring and into the fall, and we hope you’ll be able to join us in this work as we co-create our future. Thank you for your attention and engagement in these important topics. Sincerely, Charles Nies, Chancellor Rebecca Ropers, Interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Matt Massman, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations

Campus conversation 4/7, Faculty and Staff awards 4/17 and thank you

 

Dear faculty and staff, As a reminder, please join us for the following events: Campus Conversation Monday, April 7, 2025 9:00 - 10:00 am Kirby Ballroom Add to calendar Members of the Senior Leadership Team and I will host a campus conversation on Monday, April 7. 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 ceremony Thursday, April 17, 2025 3:00 - 4:00 pm Kirby Ballroom ​​​​​​​Add to calendar Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of our UMD employee community! Refreshments will be served. For disability-related accommodations or dietary requests, please contact the Chancellor's Office at chan@d.umn.edu at least two weeks prior to the event. Awards include: Undergraduate Faculty Advisor Award Graduate Faculty Advisor Award Outstanding Staff Awards Outstanding Staff Team Award Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Public Service Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Research/Creative Activity Faculty & Staff Years of Service Awards for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40+ Horace T. Morse - University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (JEDI) - University of Minnesota John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising McKnight Land Grant Professorship Award And finally, thank you for participating in the Maroon, Gold and Bold listening session this past Monday. Together we came up with inspiring thoughts, bold ideas, etc. These ideas will be incorporated to shape the future of the University of Minnesota. You can find more information on the Maroon, Gold and BOLD website.  Sincerely,

Charles Nies Chancellor