Campus community,
Academic Planning and Fall 2026 Academic Programs
Throughout this past year, I have been grateful for the inspiring conversations we have had as a community. We have discussed our mission, vision, and values in the context of a changing federal and state landscape. We have considered how to improve processes and become better stewards of existing resources while seeking to support all members of our community. We are now positioned to chart our path so that we can create a powerful learning community that is distinctly UMD.
Strategic Roadmap
President Cunningham recently shared the University of Minnesota's collective Strategic Roadmap during NEXT: Forward to Our Future. It was an inspiring event celebrating the University of Minnesota.
I had the privilege of co-chairing the development of the Strategic Roadmap alongside Dean Andrew Alleyne of the Twin Cities campus’ College of Science and Engineering. When this process began, I was still in my first year as Chancellor, and it proved to be an invaluable opportunity to deepen my understanding of the University’s strengths and its powerful partnerships across the state.
Many of you contributed your insights through town halls, surveys, and feedback sessions. Thank you for your thoughtful engagement—your voices helped shape this bold and ambitious plan to build on decades of excellence and propel the University forward.
It’s exciting to see our campus reflected throughout the roadmap. Educational programs like SAIL and the Hub for Integrated Learning and Leadership, interdisciplinary research initiatives supported by the Large Lakes Observatory and the Bureau or Business and Economic Research, and important community partnerships such as those we have with Tribal Sovereignty Institute, which provides Tribal-State Relations Training for the entire state of Minnesota, or the Robert F Pierce Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, which offers free services to the community, illustrate how we are already leading in many areas and have opportunities to grow and innovate even further.
As we move ahead, our campus will make thoughtful decisions about how we prioritize and steward the resources entrusted to us. These decisions will be guided by our mission, values, and shared commitment to our developing campus strategic roadmap.
In the upcoming months, Provost Ropers will lead the campus through a strategic planning process that will highlight the University of Minnesota Duluth’s excellence and identify our opportunities to advance the University of Minnesota’s strategic priorities.
Our research mission remains a key strategic priority. Beginning December 1, 2025, Shashank Priya, vice president for research and innovation, will take on a new role at the University of Minnesota. Part of that role includes serving as an advisor to me, supporting research growth, and helping advance the University of Minnesota Duluth’s research enterprise.
This is an exciting time for us to expand our potential.
I invite you to join a Campus Conversation at 1:15 pm on Wednesday, November 5, in the Kirby Ballroom. This gathering will serve as the first of several engagements to guide the development of our campus strategic roadmap as we build on our future.
As I mentioned at the campus celebration in early September, now is the time to draw upon our 130-year history of excellence to create something even more remarkable: a place filled with curiosity that nurtures people and ideas, where engagement leads to more just and healthy communities, and where education creates opportunities for individual and collective transformation.
I look forward to collaborating with you in this critical work to elevate the extraordinary at UMD and throughout the entire University of Minnesota. |
