End of year notes and fall save the date

Dear colleagues,

The end of the semester and commencement is here! Each year, I am surprised at how quickly our academic year progresses. We have many things to be grateful for and proud of this year. Thank you for your contributions to our success.

The end of the year events, ceremonies, and awards are a wonderful time to reflect and celebrate together. To get a snapshot of activity on campus this past year, please take a minute to watch this recap video.

I'm also pleased to share with you a new non-discrimination statement from the Campus Climate Leadership Team which clearly articulates our expectations, standards, and values. This statement furthers our Goal 2 commitment to create a positive and inclusive campus climate for all by advancing equity, diversity, and social justice.

This year was packed with impressive work from our students, faculty, and staff. Some examples include the creation and launch of the new Advanced Materials Center, the reopening of the beautifully renovated Cina Hall, and the opening of the new Securian Math Learning Lab. Our fine arts departments held numerous impressive performances and exhibitions, and the theatre department earned national awards for the One River production. We also gained national attention for the discovery of a new galaxy, led by our physics department, and for our mechanical and electrical engineering students winning the nationwide Air Force Research Lab Challenge. Bulldog Athletics saw broad-based success with national rankings, recognitions, and success, over 2,000 volunteer hours, and the highest single semester all athlete GPA ever at 3.19. 

Moving forward, we continue to look towards continued excellence and achievements. This includes an ongoing push for legislative bonding funds to hopefully start construction on our new Chemistry and Advanced Materials Science building. Watch for a celebration this fall for the 50th anniversary of the Alworth Planetarium. The Department of Communication is creating a new Communication Research Lab in Kirby Plaza. I'm sure our faculty and students will have a summer filled with impressive research. There are many other accomplishments I could mention, and I look forward to numerous additional achievements to celebrate in the fall. 

Please save the date and time for our faculty and staff welcome on Monday, August 21 from 8:30 - 10:00 a.m. in the Ward Wells Field House. This continental breakfast event will replace the previous afternoon welcome. 

I'd be remiss if I did not mention our budget, so I'll just quickly note that Vice Chancellor Steve Keto will provide an update on our budget and next steps after we get a clearer picture from the state legislature over the next couple weeks. We remain concerned about the proposed low funding for the University of Minnesota from both the Minnesota House and Senate.

Thank you all for a another successful year and congratulations to our 2017 graduates!


Sincerely,

Chancellor Lendley Black

Faculty and Staff Invite - World Cafe

We need YOUR input on a Strategic Plan for the future of the UMN system!

Wednesday, April 26

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Kirby Ballroom

Lunch Provided!

Please be sure to RSVP  by April 21st, so that we have enough food for everyone.

Please join us for a World Café to discuss the future of the University of Minnesota as a system. At this 90-minute interactive feedback session, you will hear from the co-chairs of the President's System-wide Strategic Planning Committee (Rochester Chancellor Stephen Lehmkuhle & Vice Provost Rebecca Ropers- Huilman) and have the opportunity to provide input on an emerging strategic plan for the system. All faculty, staff and stakeholders are strongly encouraged to attend! We need your voice in this process. Lunch will be provided.

Prior to attending, we encourage you to review the most recent version of the plan at: https://president.umn.edu/strategic-vision/system-wide

For more information about the system-wide strategic planning effort, please contact our representatives to the committee:

Abram Anders, adanders@d.umn.edu

Erik Brown, etbrown@d.umn.edu

Nathan Ernst, ernst187@d.umn.edu

Lisa Erwin, laerwin@d.umn.edu

Elizabeth Prokop, proko052@d.umn.edu

Save the Date and Update on Campus Initiatives

Dear Colleagues, I hope you were all able to have an enjoyable spring break. If you did not take time off, I hope at least you enjoyed a change of pace. As we head towards the last seven weeks of the semester, I wanted to provide you a brief update on a few on-going campus initiatives and get a few dates on your radar. As you've likely heard, we are looking forward to welcoming the Board of Regents to campus next Thursday and Friday, March 23 - 24. You can see the Board of Regents meeting materials online. Here are some events that are open and I invite you to attend: Thursday, March 23: Campus community reception with the Regents and President Kaler from 4 - 5 p.m. in the Tweed Thursday, March 23: Work session Meeting Minnesota's Rural and Native American Health Care Needs from 2:45 - 3:45 p.m. in the Kirby Ballroom Friday, March 24: Board meeting in the Kirby Ballroom from 8:45 a.m. - noon, which will include a UMD presentation on community engagement (see agenda for order) Please save the date for Tuesday, April 25 from 3 - 4:30 p.m. in the Kirby Ballroom for a new end of the year event to celebrate our accomplishments, recognize faculty and staff, and network with your colleagues. More information to come. You received an email earlier this week from Susana Pelayo Woodward and the Campus Climate Survey Working Group with an update on campus climate. The team has compiled the results from the idea sessions and starting next week will hold multiple sessions to discuss how those conversations map to the campus climate survey results. They will also discuss the next steps for our campus community to continue progress in furthering our mission of being a welcoming and inclusive campus community. Thank you to those who have participated in previous discussions, and I encourage you to find time to participate next week. Here is a copy of the text of that message with the session dates and times. With regard to the budget, we are working to finalize our budget compact request to the University of Minnesota for the upcoming biennial. This includes reporting how we were able to meet the budget reduction goals set forth fromPresident Kaler last July. We still need to identify $300,000 in savings beginning July 1, 2017 to meet our goal for the next fiscal year. That is in progress, and we will share more information once those decisions have been finalized. Strategic planning efforts are ongoing at both the campus and the system levels. Here at UMD, we are compiling feedback received from the campus community, identifying areas of completion or progress from the last plan, and working on an updated draft plan to share with campus. We expect to be able to share more information with you in the next month. Information on the system-wide strategic plan may be found on this website. We will be sharing a draft of the system-wide strategic plan and getting feedback from campus sometime in April. Earlier this week, I attended the American Council on Education annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Sessions with chancellors and presidents focused on the Trump administration's priorities and how those might impact higher education. As more information is released regarding President Trump's proposed budget, I am concerned about the multiple negative impacts many of the proposed reductions would have on our students, faculty research, the Duluth community, and many other areas. I will keep you informed about these potential cuts as the process moves forward. Also, at the ACE meetings, there was much conversation among university leaders about free speech, inclusion, and the university's role in encouraging balanced debate on sensitive topics. I will communicate more on this topic to you soon. There is much to celebrate on campus this spring, and I thank you for your great work. It may still look and feel like winter, but spring commencement will be here soon. Best wishes, Lendley Black Chancellor

Statement of Support for Transgender Rights

Dear UMD Campus Community:

Last evening President Kaler posted a statement regarding the University of Minnesota's support for transgender rights. Last week, I tweeted my appreciation of Governor Dayton's commitment to protections for transgender students and reiterated my agreement with the Governor and my continued support for a safe and inclusive environment at UMD.

I very much agree with President Kaler's message which states in part:

"Let me be clear. The University of Minnesota stands by our values of equity and inclusion and the right of transgender and gender nonconforming members of our campus community to learn, teach, and work free of any form of harassment and discrimination, including the dignity of being able to use the restroom that aligns with your gender identity. Our support for these rights will not change.

The University will not tolerate harassment or discrimination based on gender identity or gender expression. Furthermore, the Minnesota Human Rights Act provides that all students should be free from discrimination, including transgender students."

If anyone at UMD experiences harassment or discrimination based upon your gender identity, thiswebsite has information about making a report. There are many resources to support you and you can find them by reaching out to the Office of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity or the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. This website is also a great source for more information.

Sincerely,

Lendley C. Black

Chancellor

Save the Date: Board of Regents March 23-24

Dear Campus Community,

Please join me as we welcome the University of Minnesota Board of Regents to campus.  The Regents will be holding their March meeting on the UMD campus.  All campus community members are cordially invited to an informal gathering with the Regents and U of M System President Eric Kaler on Thursday, March 23, from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. in the Tweed Museum of Art.

You are also welcome to attend the Board of Regents Meeting on Friday, March 24, from 8:45 - 11:45 a.m. in the Kirby Ballroom.

Please mark your calendars and I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Lendley C. Black
Chancellor

Message in response to President Trump's executive order on visas and immigration

Dear students, faculty, and staff,

I am writing in regards to President Trump's recent executive order, which impacts students, refugees, immigrants, and permanent residents. I echo University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler's response and commitment to our campus community. Please take a minute to read his message. 

At UMD, we have students and faculty from the countries identified in the executive order. Our International Student Services staff have been in direct contact with these students and are providing on-going resources and support. Students with questions or those seeking further information are encouraged to contact International Student Services or the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.  UMD employees with questions regarding their status are encouraged to contact UMD's Human Resources department.   

UMD remains committed to our values of learning, discovery, engagement, inclusiveness, sustainability, integrity, and excellence. I am proud of our heritage and history of welcoming students, faculty, and staff from around the world. We will continue to prepare all of our students to be globally engaged citizens. We will continue to embrace diversity. We will continue to provide support to members of our campus community who are adversely affected.  We will continue to work against discrimination and hate on our campus and within our community.

As this situation continues to unfold, be assured that campus leadership is engaged and monitoring the situation. To members of our campus community who are directly affected, please know that UMD is committed to promoting social justice, and you will continue to receive our full support.     

Sincerely,

Chancellor Lendley Black

End of Semester Update and Buffet December 15

Dear colleagues,

Thank you for the conversations we have had over the past several weeks during the faculty and staff forums and coffee discussions  The vice chancellors and I will continue to follow up on the ideas and suggestions you shared during those meetings.  As we address our collective concerns, we should also find more opportunities to celebrate with each other the achievements of our students and colleagues.

We have had many successes this fall.  However, it is also a challenging and uncertain time.  The end of the semester and the end of 2016 will be here soon, and I send you my best wishes for a joyful semester break, holiday season, and new year. I'm sharing these thoughts now, because I have knee replacement surgery scheduled December 12 and will be spending most of the semester break recuperating. I will be out until the end of January and look forward to reconnecting with you then. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact the Vice Chancellors, Jean Conner, or another member of my staff if you need anything or have questions.

I regret that I will miss the End of Semester Buffet, but I hope you will attend on Thursday, December 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Kirby Ballroom.

Again, thank you for all you do for UMD.  I wish you much joy in the new year and hope 2017 will be the best year yet for UMD.

Sincerely,

Lendley Black
Chancellor