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

Campus Climate Message and Resources

Dear UMD community members,

This message goes out to you as a follow-up to Chancellor Black's message a couple weeks ago. We would like to reaffirm our commitment to an inclusive campus community that is willing to pursue difficult conversations and be home to challenging dialogues. We must do so with respect, with a goal to understand one another, and, finally, to move beyond stereotypes and overgeneralizations and to a deeper understanding and sharing of ideas.  UMD stands firmly against intolerance and acts of hate and we think it is important to update members of the UMD community on actions and resources.

A number of activities have taken place following the recent national election.

• On Wednesday, November 9, Student Life provided spaces in the Multicultural Center and in Housing and Residence Life for students to gather safely and process their reactions to the elections. Student Life staff were on hand to talk with students and offer support. In addition, several additional rooms were reserved in the event that students needed to talk individually with staff. A counselor in Health Services cleared the day so that walk-in appointments were available. Many students spent time in the Student Life spaces, with H&RL reporting that students from across the political spectrum participated in an active and meaningful way.

• On Thursday, November 10, Chancellor Black sent a campus-wide message about the election results.  He shared his continued concern about the hateful, hurtful, and disrespectful dialogue that will not be tolerated at UMD.  

• On Monday, November 14, a Speak Out event was held in the Kirby Lounge. Students from many different student organizations and groups took turns sharing stories, music, poetry, and expressing strong support for one another. In addition, resource tables were set up, with representatives from the H&RL, UMDPD, Student Conduct, Diversity and Inclusion, and the Commission on Ethnicity, Race, and Equity (CERE) participating. Speak Out participants were invited to sign a pledge for supporting a positive climate. That program will be the first in a series of Speak Out events.

• On Wednesday, November 16, a meeting was held with international students to discuss their thoughts and concerns in relation to immigration policies and other issues such as reporting and safety.

There have been reports of incidents on or near campus since the election, and none of these incidents have been directly reported to the UMDPD, Student Conduct, or HR&EO. Faculty and staff are providing support. We continue to encourage students, faculty and staff to come forward and report. For those not sure how to report or seek other support resources, we suggest the following:

• UMDPD - Call 911 to report an incident

• UReport - confidential online reporting system - www.Ureport.ethicspoint.com (may be completed anonymously)

• Office of Student Conduct

• Email conduct@d.umn.edu
• Call (218) 726-7255
• Visit the office - 245 Kirby Plaza
• Online http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/filing_an_incident_report.html (may be completed anonymously)

• Office of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity

• Email: umdhr@d.umn.edu
• Call (218) 726-7161
• Visit the office - 255 Darland Administration Building Point

In addition, there are a number of options for support for students, faculty and staff

• Counseling Services (Health Services) - students

• Email umdhs@d.umn.edu
• Call for an appointment (218) 726-8155

• Office of Diversity and Inclusion

• Call (218) 726-8444
• Women's Resources and Action Center
• Email wrac@d.umn.edu
• Call (218) 726-6292 or (218) 726-8444

UMD is committed to equity, diversity, and social justice. UMD's values, mission, vision, and goals describe this commitment. As part of the commitment to equity, diversity, and social justice, UMD stands firmly against intolerance and acts of hate from those who work to undermine our goal of creating "a positive and inclusive campus climate for all." We encourage you to visit our Campus Climate website, if you are so inclined, to sign the pledge.
http://www.d.umn.edu/chancellor/climate/pledge.html

UMD is a great community of learners and scholars, let's continue to work hard to make our community welcome to all who seek to be members of our community and to pursue their professional and personal goals at our university.

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend.



Sincerely,

Chancellor Lendley Black
Vice Chancellor Lisa Erwin
Special Assistant Susana Pelayo-Woodward
Executive Vice Chancellor Fernando Delgado
Vice Chancellor Steve Keto

Election Week Message from Chancellor Black

Dear Campus Community:

As I said in my Chancellor's welcome last August, "The political environment, and particularly the presidential race, are adding considerably to feelings of unrest, discouragement, and anger."  Unfortunately, that unrest, discouragement, and anger not only continued but increased for many people.  The election is now over, but healing and moving forward in positive ways will not happen unless we take decisive action to repair what has been broken.  I raised these concerns in August because I was worried about our entire campus community.  I wanted to be sure we focused on helping our students and caring for each other, regardless of our political views.   
As a result of numerous national and local events, significant numbers of our colleagues were already experiencing attacks, threats, and an increased loss of their sense of belonging. 

On all sides of the political debates, or I should say, "irrational accusations and name calling", we have had people engaged not in communication, not in sharing meaning with each other or attempting to understand and respect each other.  Instead our dialogue has been dominated by an approach that literally screams: "You must listen to me, because you are wrong, and I reject you!"

We are a public institution and all political views should be expressed freely without degrading those with whom we disagree.  Our classrooms and all learning environments must be safe places for intellectual discussion and true debate as we expand our knowledge and try to better understand those with different opinions and perspectives.  If we only focus on winners and losers, we have no chance of fulfilling our higher education mission.  However, if we recognize how the past year or so of inflamed rhetoric has split us further apart and hurt those who were already marginalized, perhaps we can begin moving together towards a different future.  Many UMD community members may feel disempowered, but together we can control how we respond to these events and how we discover new avenues of living and working together to advance our purpose of educating our students, all of our students, for our new and ever-changing realities. 

UMD is such an outstanding place.  Let us recognize the harm that has been done and commit ourselves to creating an even greater future of collaboration, respect, and academic achievements.

Sincerely,

Lendley Black
Chancellor