Dear colleagues,
I regret to inform you that Human Resources and Equal Opportunity Director Melissa Honkola, after serious contemplation, submitted her resignation last week. I respect her wishes and have accepted the resignation, effective January29. In her time here Melissa demonstrated incredible dedication, leadership, and knowledge. I was impressed with her ability to jump into the position, bridge connections with the Twin Cities, and set a vision for our human resources and equal opportunity operations. We have learned from her expertise and will continue to focus on and enhance our HR/EO capacity.
Melissa asked me to share this message with you:
Coming back to UMD in the Director of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity position had been a professional goal of mine for 15 years. The decision to resign was extremely difficult but necessary for me to balance work with personal obligations. I want to express my sincerest appreciation to the many UMD campus community members who trusted me with their HR issues. I am honored to have had the opportunity to serve the UMD campus community.
Melissa informed her team of this news this morning. She will also reach out to the HR liaisons and union representatives. I will continue discussions with the Vice Chancellors and the Twin Cities Office of Human Resources as I work to identify an interim leadership plan. I will update you as that develops further.
I wish Melissa the very best and am very grateful for the experience to work with her. If any of you have questions, please feel free to contact me
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Chancellor Black's Message to Campus January 14, 2016
Good afternoon,
As we start the new semester, I want to provide you a quick update on discussions happening around campus. We are continuing conversations on how to address the remaining $3.3 million budget deficit. Today we had a very productive conversation about our strategic priorities and possible budget scenarios during a Faculty Town Hall meeting. I want to thank those who participated in the thoughtful discussions.
Next week, we will continue this conversation during the Staff Town Hall meeting on Thursday, January 21 from 1-2:30 p.m. in the Kirby Ballroom. It is important to receive input from the campus community, and I encourage staff members to participate.
After the town hall meetings, we will discuss next steps with the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee and bring our plans back to the campus. We will then make decisions in a few months to balance the remaining deficit.
If you have questions, please contact me or the Vice Chancellors directly. Thank you for your input, and I look forward to working with you this semester.
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
As we start the new semester, I want to provide you a quick update on discussions happening around campus. We are continuing conversations on how to address the remaining $3.3 million budget deficit. Today we had a very productive conversation about our strategic priorities and possible budget scenarios during a Faculty Town Hall meeting. I want to thank those who participated in the thoughtful discussions.
Next week, we will continue this conversation during the Staff Town Hall meeting on Thursday, January 21 from 1-2:30 p.m. in the Kirby Ballroom. It is important to receive input from the campus community, and I encourage staff members to participate.
After the town hall meetings, we will discuss next steps with the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee and bring our plans back to the campus. We will then make decisions in a few months to balance the remaining deficit.
If you have questions, please contact me or the Vice Chancellors directly. Thank you for your input, and I look forward to working with you this semester.
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
Friday, January 8, 2016
Chancellor Black's Message to Campus January 8, 2016
Dear Faculty and Staff:
Welcome to the 2016 spring semester! I am writing to provide you updates on our EVCAA search and on the upcoming town hall meetings. As I indicated to you in December, I am working with the Registry to identify candidates for the interim EVCAA position. During the winter break, I spoke with Registry staff about our particular needs and interests in an interim EVCAA. They will have resumes for me to review within the next few days, and they are working with me to reach our goal of having an interim in place by the first of February. Dr. Schokker will remain in the EVCAA position until the interim is on campus, and as I communicated previously, she will complete the promotion and tenure recommendations for this academic year.
I am also planning the search process for a permanent EVCAA. At this point, I have developed a preliminary search calendar that includes interviewing candidates on campus in April prior to the end of the semester. I am working on building the search committee and I will ensure opportunity for significant campus input in the interview process. We will conduct a thorough national search, with assistance from Academic Search, and I encourage you to network with your national and international colleagues you feel will be right for this position. Our pool of candidates will be stronger if we have nominations and contacts from UMD faculty and staff.
I encourage you to attend the town hall meeting for your group. The faculty meeting is January 14, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in the Kirby Ballroom and the staff meeting is January 21, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. also in the Kirby Ballroom. We will use a format similar to the retention and student success town hall last semester. During the first half of the town hall, you will sit at tables and discuss the faculty questions or staff questions I distributed in December. The second half of the meeting will consist of a discussion of the ideas generated at the tables and discussion of possible scenarios for change.
The goal of the town hall meetings is to develop recommendations for how we will move forward within our current resources, and whether our administrative and academic structures best support our strengths and opportunities. Results of the town halls will be shared with the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee, and I will consider their recommendations prior to making decisions about next steps. It's important to me and to the campus to have, within the next few months, a specific action plan which will be implemented over the next few years.
Here are links to two documents to assist our discussions at the town hall meetings: a summary document of the UMD expenditure budget by unit over the past three years and enrollment trends by college/school over the past five years.
You have my best wishes for a productive semester. I look forward to seeing you at the town hall meetings.
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
Welcome to the 2016 spring semester! I am writing to provide you updates on our EVCAA search and on the upcoming town hall meetings. As I indicated to you in December, I am working with the Registry to identify candidates for the interim EVCAA position. During the winter break, I spoke with Registry staff about our particular needs and interests in an interim EVCAA. They will have resumes for me to review within the next few days, and they are working with me to reach our goal of having an interim in place by the first of February. Dr. Schokker will remain in the EVCAA position until the interim is on campus, and as I communicated previously, she will complete the promotion and tenure recommendations for this academic year.
I am also planning the search process for a permanent EVCAA. At this point, I have developed a preliminary search calendar that includes interviewing candidates on campus in April prior to the end of the semester. I am working on building the search committee and I will ensure opportunity for significant campus input in the interview process. We will conduct a thorough national search, with assistance from Academic Search, and I encourage you to network with your national and international colleagues you feel will be right for this position. Our pool of candidates will be stronger if we have nominations and contacts from UMD faculty and staff.
I encourage you to attend the town hall meeting for your group. The faculty meeting is January 14, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in the Kirby Ballroom and the staff meeting is January 21, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. also in the Kirby Ballroom. We will use a format similar to the retention and student success town hall last semester. During the first half of the town hall, you will sit at tables and discuss the faculty questions or staff questions I distributed in December. The second half of the meeting will consist of a discussion of the ideas generated at the tables and discussion of possible scenarios for change.
The goal of the town hall meetings is to develop recommendations for how we will move forward within our current resources, and whether our administrative and academic structures best support our strengths and opportunities. Results of the town halls will be shared with the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee, and I will consider their recommendations prior to making decisions about next steps. It's important to me and to the campus to have, within the next few months, a specific action plan which will be implemented over the next few years.
Here are links to two documents to assist our discussions at the town hall meetings: a summary document of the UMD expenditure budget by unit over the past three years and enrollment trends by college/school over the past five years.
You have my best wishes for a productive semester. I look forward to seeing you at the town hall meetings.
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
Friday, December 18, 2015
End of Semester Thank You!
Dear Campus Community:
On behalf of Chancellor Black, many thanks to those who were able to join us at the End of Semester Buffet. Again this year, you were generous in your donations at this celebration and community fund raiser. You contributed $726.17 to the Union Gospel Mission, 266 pounds of food to Champ's Cupboard and 265 pounds of food to the CHUM Food Shelf.
Thank you so much for your generosity. Have a wonderful end of semester.
Sincerely,
Chancellor's Office and Dining Services
On behalf of Chancellor Black, many thanks to those who were able to join us at the End of Semester Buffet. Again this year, you were generous in your donations at this celebration and community fund raiser. You contributed $726.17 to the Union Gospel Mission, 266 pounds of food to Champ's Cupboard and 265 pounds of food to the CHUM Food Shelf.
Thank you so much for your generosity. Have a wonderful end of semester.
Sincerely,
Chancellor's Office and Dining Services
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Chancellor Black's Message to the Campus
Dear Campus Community:
I hope you are having a good finals week and looking forward to a well-deserved break. There are a few information items I wish to share with you as we wrap up the fall semester and look forward to next semester.
I am making good progress identifying an interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and hope to have someone in place by the first of February. I appreciate the feedback and suggestions I received about the interim appointment. Based upon those comments and conversations I have had with the vice chancellors, deans, and the Faculty Council, I have decided to use the Registry, a national organization that identifies experienced senior leaders to serve interim appointments like ours. I will seek someone who has the experiences and skills to address our specific UMD needs. Since the promotion and tenure recommendations are due from the EVCAA by February 8. I have asked Dr. Andrea Schokker to complete those recommendations before she leaves her position. I am also initiating a national search for a new EVCAA. During the first week in January, I will send you additional information about the interim appointment and the search process.
You will see two lists of questions for faculty and staff related to our need to have robust discussions about UMD's strategic priorities and how to best position our campus for the future. The faculty questions will be the main topic of conversation at a faculty town hall meeting January 14 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in the Kirby Ballroom and the staff questions will be discussed at a staff town hall meeting on January 21 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. in the Kirby Ballroom. These questions were developed with the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee. We need a clear sense of how we will move forward and whether or not our current administrative and academic structures best support our strengths and opportunities. Prior to the town hall meetings, I will send additional information about possible models for us to consider and additional information about the UMD budget.
A separate set of questions was developed and shared with the UMD Student Association. I look forward to receiving their input in this important conversation, too.
Finally, I wish you the best during the semester break. Unfortunately, I have to fly to Boston for a family funeral and will not be able to join you Thursday at the End of Semester Buffet. I hope you will attend and take advantage of this opportunity to visit with colleagues across campus and have valuable social time together. Thank you for all you do to make UMD an outstanding educational institution. I especially appreciate the great work you do for our students. I've had a number of meetings with students recently and they always impress me.
Best wishes to you all!
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
I hope you are having a good finals week and looking forward to a well-deserved break. There are a few information items I wish to share with you as we wrap up the fall semester and look forward to next semester.
I am making good progress identifying an interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and hope to have someone in place by the first of February. I appreciate the feedback and suggestions I received about the interim appointment. Based upon those comments and conversations I have had with the vice chancellors, deans, and the Faculty Council, I have decided to use the Registry, a national organization that identifies experienced senior leaders to serve interim appointments like ours. I will seek someone who has the experiences and skills to address our specific UMD needs. Since the promotion and tenure recommendations are due from the EVCAA by February 8. I have asked Dr. Andrea Schokker to complete those recommendations before she leaves her position. I am also initiating a national search for a new EVCAA. During the first week in January, I will send you additional information about the interim appointment and the search process.
You will see two lists of questions for faculty and staff related to our need to have robust discussions about UMD's strategic priorities and how to best position our campus for the future. The faculty questions will be the main topic of conversation at a faculty town hall meeting January 14 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in the Kirby Ballroom and the staff questions will be discussed at a staff town hall meeting on January 21 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. in the Kirby Ballroom. These questions were developed with the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee. We need a clear sense of how we will move forward and whether or not our current administrative and academic structures best support our strengths and opportunities. Prior to the town hall meetings, I will send additional information about possible models for us to consider and additional information about the UMD budget.
A separate set of questions was developed and shared with the UMD Student Association. I look forward to receiving their input in this important conversation, too.
Finally, I wish you the best during the semester break. Unfortunately, I have to fly to Boston for a family funeral and will not be able to join you Thursday at the End of Semester Buffet. I hope you will attend and take advantage of this opportunity to visit with colleagues across campus and have valuable social time together. Thank you for all you do to make UMD an outstanding educational institution. I especially appreciate the great work you do for our students. I've had a number of meetings with students recently and they always impress me.
Best wishes to you all!
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Message from Chancellor Black regarding EVCAA transition
Dear Campus Community:
As you know, Andrea Schokker submitted her resignation as Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to me on Monday. I wish to thank Andrea again for her service to UMD and for the many things she accomplished as Vice Chancellor. She will continue to be an important part of our university community as a faculty member and researcher, and I wish her the very best.
I am moving forward quickly to identify an interim replacement for Andrea, and I will soon begin the process of conducting a national search for a new EVCAA. My first priority is to find an interim who is a seasoned, academic administrator, and who can bring an experienced perspective to both the opportunities and challenges we face. While my intent is to seek an external person, I will also consider a local interim appointment.
As we move forward and focus on clarifying UMD's strengths and opportunities, I am continuing to work with the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee on a series of meetings with students, faculty, and staff at the beginning of next semester. More information about this process will be sent to you next week.
Meanwhile, I hope we will focus on how to move forward in a productive and collaborative manner. We need to find better ways to have constructive conversations and keep professional disagreements from becoming personal, and resulting in hurtful behaviors.
Please let me know if you have comments or would like additional information.
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
As you know, Andrea Schokker submitted her resignation as Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to me on Monday. I wish to thank Andrea again for her service to UMD and for the many things she accomplished as Vice Chancellor. She will continue to be an important part of our university community as a faculty member and researcher, and I wish her the very best.
I am moving forward quickly to identify an interim replacement for Andrea, and I will soon begin the process of conducting a national search for a new EVCAA. My first priority is to find an interim who is a seasoned, academic administrator, and who can bring an experienced perspective to both the opportunities and challenges we face. While my intent is to seek an external person, I will also consider a local interim appointment.
As we move forward and focus on clarifying UMD's strengths and opportunities, I am continuing to work with the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee on a series of meetings with students, faculty, and staff at the beginning of next semester. More information about this process will be sent to you next week.
Meanwhile, I hope we will focus on how to move forward in a productive and collaborative manner. We need to find better ways to have constructive conversations and keep professional disagreements from becoming personal, and resulting in hurtful behaviors.
Please let me know if you have comments or would like additional information.
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Chancellor's Message to the Campus
Dear students, staff, and faculty,
Like many of you, I have been moved and concerned by the acts of racism and senseless violence of the last several weeks happening around us in the world, across our nation, and close to home. As a UMD community and as individuals, we are all impacted by these events. There is undoubtedly a mix of emotions, fears, and opinions.
We are well aware that our community is not immune to the disparities, prejudice, and behavior that fuel these matters. Here at UMD, Goal 2 is a core component of our Strategic Plan. It states our desire to "create a positive and inclusive campus climate for all by advancing equity, diversity, and social justice." We have made good progress at integrating Goal 2 into our actions and activities.
Yet, we need to recognize and to support historically marginalized members of our community who still seek justice, or even feel threatened, right now. We must realize that we have a long way to go to reach the ambitious goal of a universally inclusive campus community. Meaningful diversity work requires both community and individual commitments to change, and it requires us all to honestly self-reflect on our own prejudices and shortcomings. We should also be aware of where we are on our journey of understanding and support each other. Each of us should seek actions that we can take to respond to injustice and to make UMD a welcoming place for all.
I am writing you today to ask that we encourage healthy dialogue, that we listen to multiple perspectives, and that we continue to demonstrate our core values and commitment to inclusive excellence. Universities are exactly where we should have these types of conversations.
We have a number of upcoming events that can help us, including this Wednesday, December 2 at 5 p.m. in Kirby Ballroom where Duke Professor Eduardo Bonilla-Silva is presenting "Color Blind Racism: Racism Without Racists."
As well, anyone who has experienced racial or other types of discrimination are encouraged to file an incident report with Office of Student Conduct or the Office of Human Resource and Equal Opportunity.
The path to ensuring an inclusive, respectful, and supportive environment starts with me and with all of us. We need to continue our commitment to equity, diversity, and social justice. We need to continue to encourage open dialogue and learn from each other. We need to continue to assess our campus climate and take action to strengthen it.
I ask you to join me and the Campus Climate Leadership Team on this journey.
Sincerely,
Lendley Black, Chancellor
Like many of you, I have been moved and concerned by the acts of racism and senseless violence of the last several weeks happening around us in the world, across our nation, and close to home. As a UMD community and as individuals, we are all impacted by these events. There is undoubtedly a mix of emotions, fears, and opinions.
We are well aware that our community is not immune to the disparities, prejudice, and behavior that fuel these matters. Here at UMD, Goal 2 is a core component of our Strategic Plan. It states our desire to "create a positive and inclusive campus climate for all by advancing equity, diversity, and social justice." We have made good progress at integrating Goal 2 into our actions and activities.
Yet, we need to recognize and to support historically marginalized members of our community who still seek justice, or even feel threatened, right now. We must realize that we have a long way to go to reach the ambitious goal of a universally inclusive campus community. Meaningful diversity work requires both community and individual commitments to change, and it requires us all to honestly self-reflect on our own prejudices and shortcomings. We should also be aware of where we are on our journey of understanding and support each other. Each of us should seek actions that we can take to respond to injustice and to make UMD a welcoming place for all.
I am writing you today to ask that we encourage healthy dialogue, that we listen to multiple perspectives, and that we continue to demonstrate our core values and commitment to inclusive excellence. Universities are exactly where we should have these types of conversations.
We have a number of upcoming events that can help us, including this Wednesday, December 2 at 5 p.m. in Kirby Ballroom where Duke Professor Eduardo Bonilla-Silva is presenting "Color Blind Racism: Racism Without Racists."
As well, anyone who has experienced racial or other types of discrimination are encouraged to file an incident report with Office of Student Conduct or the Office of Human Resource and Equal Opportunity.
The path to ensuring an inclusive, respectful, and supportive environment starts with me and with all of us. We need to continue our commitment to equity, diversity, and social justice. We need to continue to encourage open dialogue and learn from each other. We need to continue to assess our campus climate and take action to strengthen it.
I ask you to join me and the Campus Climate Leadership Team on this journey.
Sincerely,
Lendley Black, Chancellor
Campus Climate Leadership Team
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