VCFO Search Advisory Committee & Visit by Academic Search Consultant

Search Consultant Visit

Jessica Kozloff, Academic Search

February 18, 2020

Dear Faculty and Staff,

As we begin the search for a new Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations (VCFO), I am pleased to inform you that we have identified the membership of the VCFO Search Advisory Committee. We have also retained the search firm, Academic Search, to assist the Search Advisory Committee in its responsibilities. The Search Advisory Committee includes:

Lisa Erwin, Chair, Vice Chancellor for Student Life & Dean of Students 

Greg Sather, Director, Budget & Analysis 

Mark Yuran, Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources 

Susana Pelayo-Woodward, Assistant to the Chancellor for Inclusive Excellence and Director, Diversity and Inclusion

Wendy Reed, Dean, Swenson College of Science and Engineering 

Sean Huls, Chief, UMD Police Department 

Andrea Schokker, Professor of Civil Engineering      

John Rashid, Director, Facilities Management 

Randy Skalberg, Associate Professor of Accounting 

Jill Kolodzne, Director, Career and Internship Services 

Julie Tonneson, University of Minnesota Associate Vice President and Budget Director 

Griffin Bryan, Chief Financial Officer, UMD Student Association

Pam Merzwski, Administrative Support, Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations

Academic Search has worked exclusively for nearly 40 years in searches for presidents and senior administrators in higher education. Senior Consultant Jessica Kozloff, who some of you may remember meeting when she assisted us with the 2016 search for Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, will visit campus on Tuesday, February 18, to meet with members of the campus community. An inclusive schedule has been developed that invites participation by a wide spectrum of the campus community. The schedule, which is found below, includes opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and administrators to meet with the search consultant. Please find the time(s) that are reserved for you.

The role of our consultant is not to select our next VCFO, but rather to support and inform the work of the Search Advisory Committee. The consultant will help to ensure that the search and selection process is managed effectively so that we may achieve our goal of securing the best possible vice chancellor. Since one of our consultant’s major responsibilities is to deliver a solid pool of candidates for the Search Advisory Committee’s review, Jessica is eager to have your insights into the academic condition and future needs of UMD. Knowing your views regarding the kind of leader­ship we should be seeking to most effectively attain our aspirations, as well as meet any challenges, will assist her in building a pool. Your insights and those of other university constituents will be summarized in a written position profile which the Search Advisory Committee will review before publicizing it and sending it to potential candidates. Your comments and suggestions will be extremely helpful to Jessica as she discusses the position and campus with potential applicants. Views expressed in the profile will not be attributed to any individual, so I hope you will be candid.­

If you are unable to attend the campus meetings, I encourage you to send an e-mail to jessica.kozloff@academicsearch.org. 

Thank you in advance for your support and participation.

Lendley Black

Chancellor

Consultant Schedule - Tuesday, February 18, 2020

9:00-9:45 a.m.        COD (Deans and Academic Affairs Administrators) - Darland 520 
 
10:00-10:45 a.m.    Staff from HR/UMDPD/FM/Finance/VCFO Office - Kirby Rafters
 
11:00-11:45 a.m.    Directors and Department Heads - Kirby Rafters
 
12:00-1:00 p.m.      Lisa and Steve - lunch - Center Court
 
1:30-2:15 p.m.        Staff Senate - Darland 520
 
2:30-3:15 p.m.        Faculty Senate - Darland 520
 
3:30-4:15 p.m.        Open Forum for anyone on campus - Kirby Rafters

4:30-5:15 p.m.        Student Senate leadership - Griggs Center

Updates and Resources on Coronavirus and Influenza

Dear Colleagues:

We continue to closely monitor global public health concerns involving the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Dr. David Worley (Director, UMD Health Services), UMD Marketing and Public Relations, the Office of Student Life, and the Chancellor’s Office are working in collaboration with offices on the Twin Cities campus and the Minnesota Department of Health. We are also monitoring CDC and State Department guidelines. 

Members of the University community—students, faculty, or staff—may be concerned about the spread of illness in their classroom or work space. The following resource can help guide appropriate responses should you hear concerns.

Things to know and share:

This is an opportunity to employ the lens of UMD Strategic Plan Goal 2 (Advance equity, diversity, inclusiveness, and social justice within the campus community). This virus is a serious concern globally, but we cannot spread suspicion, panic, or fear. In addition, you have the opportunity as a member of the UMD community to address profiling if you see it occur. It is peak season for respiratory illnesses, so there are many members of our community with common colds, influenza, or other illnesses. Presently Minnesota and the rest of the United States are experiencing high levels of influenza activity. Thus far this flu season, at least 22 million cases of flu illness have been reported nationwide with over 12,000 deaths nationally from influenza. 

 

Please encourage students, faculty, and staff to remember that illnesses are no one’s fault. Anyone can get ill and deserves compassion. It is common in many cultures, including in the U.S., for individuals to choose to wear masks as a way to minimize direct contact with airborne pathogens. The wearing of a mask is voluntary and should not be interpreted as an indication that the wearer is ill, but that the individual is both cautious and courteous in a public environment.

 

Here are a number of other resources you may find helpful.

• Good health practices for everyone on campus are essential. It’s cold and influenza season in Minnesota. If members of the campus community are sick, they should stay home for at least 24 hours after fever resolves without the use of fever lowering medication. If you receive questions about studying or working from home, you are encouraged to work with students and staff to determine if that is feasible. If a student misses class due to illness, please review the policy on make up work for legitimate absences. For employees, the Employee Work-Life and Personal Leave Policy provides guidance on these questions.
• Students, staff, and faculty recently returning from China should carefully follow public health guidelines. Those who have returned from China from January 20 through February 2 (5 p.m.), should carefully watch for symptoms of 2019 novel Coronavirus for 14 days following their return. Symptoms include fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath. If these symptoms occur, individuals should stay home and call their healthcare provider immediately to discuss next steps. This is a vitally important step to ensure proper care and avoid exposure to others.
• There are new procedures at U.S. airports. As of February 2 (5 p.m.), all travelers returning from China are being assessed at the airport. Travelers who have fever, cough, or shortness of breath will be evaluated immediately at a medical facility near the airport of arrival. Most travelers, without active symptoms, nor known exposure to a person with 2019 novel Coronavirus, and have not traveled to Hubei province will be asked to self-monitor for symptoms and many will be required to limit activities for 14 days (self isolation). If symptoms of fever, cough, or shortness of breath occur, travelers will be required to stay at home, and call their health provider immediately to discuss next steps (same as above). Based on the assessment completed at the airport (travel history to Hubei province, symptoms of fever, cough, or shortness of breath, or exposure to 2019 novel Coronavirus) some travelers may be placed in isolation immediately, may have requirements to limit their activities, and/or may be monitored by public health officials for 14 days.
• There is an easy way for travelers from China to review their travel history with a health professional. Consult with your preferred healthcare provider to review travel history questions and symptoms to watch for during the 14 day period. As noted above, travelers developing symptoms should immediately contact their primary health care provider.
• The risk to the general public and campus community is low. View the University of Minnesota’s Coronavirus FAQ and remember that the best defenses against any virus include thorough, frequent hand washing, covering your cough or sneeze, and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. Flu vaccine is also still available at Health Services and local primary care clinics. If you have not been vaccinated, please consider doing so to protect yourself and others from influenza. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Lendley C. Black

Chancellor

   

David Worley, MD

Director, UMD Health Services

Farewell to Dr. Paula Pedersen; Next Steps in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Dear Colleagues:

I am writing to recognize the outstanding contributions Dr. Paula Pedersen has made to the University of Minnesota Duluth and to update you on the next steps of our work in equity, diversity, and inclusion. After thirty years of full-time service, Paula is retiring from UMD on March 2, and we will miss the many ways in which she has shared her talents with our students, faculty, and staff.

Paula began teaching at UMD as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in 1986 and since then has served as a Teaching Specialist, Instructor, Assistant Professor, and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the UMD Department of Psychology and with the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth. In 2013, she joined my office as Faculty Fellow for Intercultural Initiatives, which was later titled Faculty Fellow for Equity and Inclusion. In 2017, she began serving as the Director of Education for Inclusive Excellence. 

She has published and presented at numerous national conferences in areas such as intercultural development, pedagogy, assessing intercultural effectiveness, and many others. She is a sought-after speaker and trainer on many aspects of diversity and inclusion, intercultural pedagogy, intercultural leadership development, pedagogy, and the integration of intercultural effectiveness into the curriculum.

Paula is a major force in moving us forward in our pursuit of a more welcoming, diverse, and inclusive campus. She challenged us to address our own personal work, particularly focused on our individual intercultural development. Her collaborations with Susana Pelayo-Woodward and with many of you across campus have been outstanding, and she will be difficult to replace. I am restructuring this position and exploring options for the position specifications. I will share details once the position is defined. I envision this position will have a strong academic focus and partnership with Susana Pelayo-Woodward’s work on inclusive excellence, as well as with units in both Academic Affairs and Student Life. A major goal of these partnerships will be to integrate Goal 2 more fully into the UMD curriculum and co-curricular activities.

I will miss working with Paula and wish her the best in the next phase of her life journey. Please join me in thanks and celebration of Paula for her many years of outstanding service to UMD on Monday, March 2, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Kirby Rafters.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Black

Updated Coronavirus Advice from CDC

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

We continue to closely monitor global public health concerns involving the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). As this issue continues to evolve, our goal is to provide you with any significant updates as they become available.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now advises that all travelers from China — not just from Wuhan — take the following steps:

• First, watch for any changes in your health for 14 days after leaving China.
• If you develop a fever, cough or have difficulty breathing during this 14-day period, avoid contact with others. Symptoms can be similar to the cold or flu.
• Consult your doctor or healthcare provider immediately if you develop symptoms and have had recent travel. Your healthcare provider will help coordinate your medical visit to reduce the risk of spreading any illnesses to others.

According to the latest information on the CDC website, some travelers arriving from China could be quarantined or asked to self isolate for 14 days. These are travelers who may be exhibiting symptoms of fever, cough, or shortness of breath at the time of airport screening, had exposure to an individual in China with confirmed novel 2019 Coronavirus infection, or have been in Hubei province within the last 14 days.

You can find additional information and updates on the health emergency section of the Safe Campus website.

Sincerely,

Lendley C. Black
Chancellor

David Worley, MD
Director, UMD Health Services

Update: 2019 Novel Coronavirus

Dear Colleagues, 

The health and wellbeing of the UMD community is paramount. With this in mind, we are continuing to monitor the 2019 Novel Coronavirus and implement precautions as necessary. There is still much we don’t know about this outbreak and the virus — which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as health officials in China, are working diligently to understand better.

In light of the growing concern around this virus, increasing patient counts, and airlines continuing to limit flights — I encourage you to reevaluate any travel plans to China you might have in the near future. The U.S. Department of State has also increased their travel advisory to Level 4, which advises no travel to China. 

Should you decide to move forward with upcoming travel plans to China, it is imperative you follow University policy, register your international travel, and review the latest travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State.

In addition to this guidance, please know that the University has suspended all student travel and education abroad programs in China for the Spring 2020 semester. The decision is in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of State. 

As noted in the email earlier this week from Dr. David Worley (Director, UMD Health Services), any person who recently traveled to Wuhan and has cold- or flu-like symptoms or other concerns is encouraged by the CDC to contact their health care provider to determine next steps of care. Regardless if the eventual diagnosis is a cold, influenza, 2019 Novel Coronavirus or something else, we want to ensure the best care possible to help protect the individual, those they may have contacted, and the broader community.

Please visit the UMN Health Alert page for continued updates, and review answers to frequently asked questions for more information.


Lendley C. Black
Chancellor

David Worley, MD
Director, UMD Health Services

UMD's 125th Celebration

Dear Campus Community,   The year 2020 is an important milestone for the University of Minnesota Duluth as we celebrate our 125th year. It is a time of reflection, to see how far we have come, and celebrate 125 years of quality education. It is also a time to look ahead and prepare for continued success. I invite you all to join us in celebrating UMD’s 125th anniversary throughout the entire year.    On April 2, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., we will hold a “birthday party” in the Kirby Ballroom for our UMD campus community members. Please save the date and mark your calendars to join us.    In the meantime, I hope you will continue to think of ways that you and your department, organization, or office can engage with the 125th celebration and tell your history.    Take a look at the UMD 125th website, read through the campus timeline, and view then and now photos.    After 125 years, we have a lot to be proud of, and still more good work ahead of us. If you have any questions about the 125th, how you can be involved, or ideas for celebrating please contact Tricia Bunten or Matt Duffy.    Thank you,   Chancellor Black

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations Retirement

Dear Colleagues:

Happy New Year! I hope you had opportunities during the semester break to relax and spend time with those close to you, and I wish you the best during the 2020 spring semester.

I’m writing to inform you that Steve Keto, UMD’s Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations, has decided to retire in April 2020. Steve’s last day in the office will be Friday, April 10. Although Steve’s decision was not a total surprise, I am sorry for him to leave UMD. When he joined us almost five years ago, he indicated that he would like to work another three to five years and end his career here at his alma mater. In addition, Steve and his wife Mary are expecting their first grandchild in February.

Steve has provided great service to UMD and the University of Minnesota System, and has helped guide us during challenging financial times. He is well-respected for his financial expertise and has been a great advocate for UMD and for the five departments that report to him: Budget and Analysis, Controller, Facilities Management, Police, and Human Resources. Under his leadership, the Finance and Operations unit has excelled.

I will begin a national search for a new Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations immediately, and I am pleased that Dr. Lisa Erwin, Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Dean of Students, will chair the search. We will keep you informed as the search progresses. Sue Bosell, UMD Controller, has agreed to serve as Interim VCFO. I appreciate Sue’s willingness to accept this additional assignment. She will step into the interim position when Steve leaves and will serve in this role until the new Vice Chancellor is in place.

Please join me in thanking Steve Keto for his outstanding service to UMD.

Sincerely,

Lendley C. Black
Chancellor