Leadership Updates

 

Dear colleagues, In collaboration with Chancellor-Designate Nies, I am writing to provide you with an update about our leadership team. You likely recall in my last message, that after Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Dean of Students Lisa Erwin’s retirement in early July, Jeremy Leiferman will assume the role of interim vice chancellor for student life. Today, I have updates on the other vice chancellor positions and a dean transition. Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Amy Hietapelto has served as our interim executive vice chancellor for academic affairs since June 2021. As interim EVCAA, Amy has been a key part of my leadership team, leading some of the most consequential work of my time here including the APAA launch, UEA negotiations, revamping our enrollment management strategies, and leading efforts around system level partnerships. Dr. Hietapelto first joined UMD in 2011 as the dean of the Labovitz School of Business and Economics and I am pleased to say that she will return to her role as dean of LSBE after a much deserved one-year leave to pursue professional development and research opportunities. Amy stepped into a challenging and critically important academic leadership role in an uncertain and highly dynamic time. She has served our campus admirably and I am grateful she was here when I arrived. I am also pleased to announce that Dr. Rebecca Ropers will join UMD as our interim executive vice chancellor for academic affairs effective July 1. She currently serves as the senior advisor for academic leadership and conflict resolution, a role that reports to both the provost and the vice president for equity and diversity. She has held many leadership roles over her 17 years with the U of M. Before taking on her current role, Rebecca served as the vice provost for faculty and academic affairs. Her experience within the U of M System and depth of strategic leadership in academic affairs will serve this campus well and I am grateful that she is willing to step into this interim role at UMD and support us through our leadership transitions. Chancellor-Designate Nies plans to conduct a search for the permanent EVCAA this next academic year. More information about that will be available in the fall semester. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Ropers and thanking Dr. Hietapelto for her leadership. Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations We will soon begin our search for our permanent vice chancellor for finance and operations. We have contracted with Isaacson, Miller executive search firm to help support us in this important selection process. This position will retain responsibility over the business and controller's office, facilities management, police, and sustainability. Human resources will also be added back into the portfolio. While the search will get underway this summer, the campus community will have a chance to engage with the finalists during the fall semester. I want to thank the following individuals who have agreed to serve on the search committee: Janelle Broesch, Assistant Vice President and Assistant Chief Operating Officer, U of M Office of the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations (co-chair) Lynne Williams, Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer (co-chair) Curt Albertson, Director, Office of Budget and Analysis Jannifer David, Associate Dean, LSBE Sean Huls, UMD Chief of Police  Lindsey Klegstad, Co-Director, Human Resources Susana Pelayo-Woodward, Director, Office of Diversity and Inclusion Jackson Poetz, LSBE Senator, Student Government Association John Rashid, Director, Facilities Management Koryn Zewers, Assistant Budget Director, U of M Office of Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations Jean Neibauer from the chancellor’s office will also provide administrative support. We hope to have the position posted soon. I want to extend my sincere thanks to Sue Bosell for serving as the interim vice chancellor for the last four years. You may recall that UMD started this search in early 2020 and then when COVID hit we stopped it. Sue graciously took on this consequential leadership role at the start of an unprecedented pandemic. She has been an invaluable partner in senior leadership here at UMD and I have come to depend on the fiscal and administrative expertise she has built over 33 years of service to this campus. Sue will remain in the interim role until the search is complete and I am extremely grateful for her support, her deep engagement in an array of key initiatives, and her continued dedication to UMD. Interim Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences In other transitions, I am pleased to share that upon Dean Jeremy Youde’s departure later this summer, Jennifer Brady has accepted the role as interim dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. She currently serves as an associate professor of Spanish and has been with UMD since 2013. She was department head of World Languages and Cultures from 2020-2023, chair of the CAHSS assembly council from 2020-2021, and involved with various committees on campus including the liberal education subcommittee. We are grateful to Dr. Brady for her willingness to step into this important leadership role. As always, please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks and take care,

Dave McMillan Interim Chancellor

Campus Updates

 Dear colleagues,

As we roll into the summer months, I want to first extend my gratitude to each of you for a successful academic year. This last year was not without challenges, but what I will remember most are the countless memories and valuable engagements with students, faculty, and staff throughout the year. The commencement programs from early May were the perfect capstone to celebrate the accomplishments of our nearly 1900 graduates. Our student commencement speakers, Olivia Nelson and Uyen Nguyen, both spoke eloquently of their time here at UMD and I encourage you to watch those videos if you have a moment. Thank you for your dedication to student success and to this campus.

Leadership Updates
This summer is a time of transition on multiple levels. President-Designate Cunningham is working closely with Interim President Ettinger and has started to engage with members of her senior leadership team. Here at UMD, Chancellor-Designate Nies and I have also had a chance to connect. As he mentioned in his message to campus last week, he visited campus and has started some early conversations with campus leaders. They both officially start on July 1.

Upon July 1, I will assume a new position as a special assistant to the president. In this role, I will continue to support the campus and system leadership transitions until my official retirement on August 7th. I am looking forward to being part of this pivotal moment, supporting the new leadership here at UMD and within the University of Minnesota System.

In consultation with Dr. Nies, I would like to provide a few updates on campus leadership positions. I am pleased to announce that Jeremy Leiferman has accepted the position of interim vice chancellor for student life upon Lisa Erwin’s retirement in early July. Jeremy, our current associate vice chancellor for student life, has been with UMD since he started as the director of housing and residence life in 2014. Under his leadership we have implemented gender inclusive housing, established living learning communities, and navigated the wild world of university housing during the pandemic. I am grateful for his willingness to step into this important leadership position and ensure continuity within our student life portfolio. We are still working through related impacts of this change within student life and the required support for their continued work with students.

I would like to congratulate Jeremy Youde, who has accepted a new position as the dean of the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University. Jeremy originally joined UMD as an assistant professor of political science in 2008 and served as the department head for political science from July 2012 to January 2016, when he left to take a faculty position at Australian National University. In July 2019, he returned to UMD to become Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. During the last five years, he oversaw the merger between CLA and the School of Fine Arts; collaborated with his colleagues to create a new collegiate identity for the newly created College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; oversaw the creation of the CAHSS strategic plan; and worked with development to raise funds to support student internships and experiential educational opportunities. We are grateful for Dean Youde’s service and wish him the best in his new role. While his final date is pending, he will be with us until around the end of July.

Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR)
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Associate Professor Katie Schofield as the new UMD faculty athletic representative, effective July 1. This key position serves as the chief academic liaison between UMD and the Department of Athletics.

Dr. Schofield has been with the Department of Mechanical Engineering since 2015 and also serves as the director of the Master of Environmental Health and Safety program. She has been involved with the UMD athletics committee since 2020 and will do a great job in this important role and with our student athletes.

I would also like to thank Professor Steve Castleberry, professor of marketing and business ethics, for his outstanding service as the faculty athletic representative for the last ten years. Steve brought a true passion and dedication to this role and was a constant supporter of Bulldog athletics. He will be missed and we are grateful for his support. 

Conclusion
In closing, I am looking forward to this summer and the opportunity for this campus to be energized by new leadership at both the system and campus levels. At the May Board of Regents meeting, I had a chance to present on strategic initiatives here at UMD and highlight some of our key distinctions. (If you are interested in seeing the presentation, the docket materials for Duluth start on page 265.) It is always an honor to represent UMD and speak about the ways in which we bring positive impacts to the U of M System and across Minnesota.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for your continued support of UMD and our students,

Dave McMillan Interim Chancellor

Welcome from Chancellor-Designate Charles Nies

 

Good morning,  I am thrilled to reach out to all of you as the chancellor-designate following yesterday’s confirmation at the Board of Regents meeting. It is an honor to join this vibrant community, and I eagerly look forward to learning more about the remarkable activities happening at our university. My family and I enjoyed a quick visit to Duluth earlier this week where I had a chance to prepare this short video greeting. During my recent campus visit, I met with several leadership team members and explored the beautiful city of Duluth. Additionally, I spent a day on the Twin Cities campus, engaging in brief introductory meetings with members of the system leadership team. Although my official start date is July 1, I am already grateful for the insightful conversations and am excited about the collaborations ahead. I extend my sincere gratitude to the search committee for their work throughout the selection process. To the entire campus community, thank you for the warm welcome—I am truly honored. I also want to express my appreciation to President Ettinger and the Board of Regents for this incredible opportunity and their ongoing commitment to UMD. As we move forward, I eagerly anticipate meeting more of you and joining the campus community. Together, we will continue the great work that defines the University of Minnesota Duluth. Wishing you all a wonderful start to your summer! Best, Charles Nies Chancellor-Designate

Campus update 3/29/2024

 Dear colleagues, 

We finally got our taste of winter this week. I hope you all had a chance to enjoy the snow a bit. As we near the last month of the academic year, I have a variety of updates for you from across campus. 

Chancellor Search
I am excited to welcome Dr. Charles Nies as our next chancellor, effective July 1, and am confident in his ability to lead UMD forward. One of my top priorities now is to work with Dr. Nies to support a smooth and successful leadership transition.

I want to give my sincere appreciation to the search committee members for their work in this process. I am grateful for the leadership from co-chairs Lori Carrell, University of Minnesota Rochester chancellor and our own Lisa Erwin throughout this search process. The campus engagement was strong in both the chancellor and president searches and I appreciate your interest and investment in this critically important process. 

Academic Program Array Analysis (APAA)
We are on track with our timeline this semester for APAA. Upon completion of the data and narrative review last semester, each college was provided program-specific feedback. The departments are working with their deans on review and this action planning will continue through the semester. Visit the APAA website for more information. 

Chancellor’s Council for Campus Culture (4C)
The 4C group has been working collaboratively and effectively this semester to prepare recommendations by the end of the semester. To date, they have:

• analyzed the campus climate survey, 
• advocated with University leadership to share the survey results with the UMD community to enhance the input received in the data, and
• reviewed past reports and recommendations (2017-2023) to improve campus climate. 

The group is preparing to hold listening sessions in April to provide an update to campus about this work, to listen to students, faculty, and staff campus climate concerns, and to share draft recommendations.

Engagement Survey
We have received results of the fall 2023 engagement survey. I encourage each unit to review and discuss their report and utilize the variety of tools and resources available from the Office of Human Resource to help interpret results and identify improvement areas. Overall we had a strong response rate of 80% for staff and 56% for faculty. I appreciate your participation in this survey, which helps us improve the work experience in order to pursue our mission effectively and increase faculty and staff satisfaction.

Development
I want to express my gratitude to Susan Taylor, from the U of M Landscape Arboretum, for extending her time and talents to UMD as our interim development leader this academic year. As originally planned, Susan completes her time with us today. I am pleased to announce that beginning Monday, Jan Sickbert will serve as our interim executive director of advancement. Jan served as associate vice president of college and campus programs at the University of Minnesota Foundation (UMF) until her retirement in December 2023 and worked with UMD for 15 years in that capacity. We are fortunate to welcome her back. Alumni Relations will be moving to the new advancement unit and I’m energized by the potential synergy and good outcomes for UMD in the new alignment.

PEAK
The PEAK implementation continues. This project has sound principles and a foundation of building a continuous improvement mindset and toolkit. The changes have not been without difficulty. We really appreciate all of the staff who have worked hard to find success within these changes. We continue to work with the operation centers and the PEAK office to build a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities on each side and to improve our work within those roles. We expect to continue to use these principles for ongoing efforts here at UMD.

Reminders and closing:
April is a busy month every year, and that is particularly true this year. There are many great events coming up and two I will highlight here are the faculty and staff awards and years of service recognition event on Tuesday, April 23 at 3 p.m. in the Kirby ballroom. And, my favorite event of the year, commencement on Saturday, May 4. I hope to see you around and at these events. 

I am very thankful to the campus community who will, no doubt, put in extra time between now and the end of the semester. We are almost at another finish line and this part of the year can be both overwhelming and inspiring. As we graduate another brilliant class this year, please be sure to take time to engage in the variety of events on campus and enjoy time with our campus community. 

Thanks for your continued support of UMD and our students,

Dave McMillan

Interim Chancellor

Faculty, Staff and Years of Service awards - April 23, 2024

 

Dear faculty and staff, Please save the date to join us for the Faculty, Staff, and Years of Service Awards ceremony. Tuesday, April 23, 2024 3:00 - 4:00 pm Kirby Ballroom Refreshments will be served Awards include: Undergraduate Faculty Advisor Award Graduate Faculty Advisor Award Outstanding Staff Awards Outstanding Staff Team Award Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Public Service Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Research/Creative Activity Faculty & Staff Years of Service Awards for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40+ Horace T. Morse - University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of our UMD employee community! Note: to make disability-related accommodations or dietary requests, please contact Carlee Williams at cwillia1@d.umn.edu or 218-726-6202 at least two weeks prior to the event. Sincerely,

Dave McMillan Interim Chancellor

Presidential Finalists - Feb 13, Feb 15, Feb 20

 

Dear campus community,  At the Board of Regents meeting on Friday, the Regents selected finalists for the next University president. The three finalists will visit all five campuses over the next two weeks. Our first visit will be Tuesday, February 13.  I encourage everyone to attend these sessions and take the opportunity to engage with each of the finalists.  Tuesday, February 13 - James Holloway, Ph.D 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Duluth Campus Forum Kirby Ballroom, Kirby Student Center Link to livestream. 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Duluth Open House Kirby Ballroom, Kirby Student Center Thursday, February 15 - Laura Bloomberg, Ph.D 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Duluth Campus Forum Weber Music Hall Link to livestream. 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Duluth Open House Romano Gymnasium Lobby Tuesday, February 20 - Rebecca Cunningham, M.D.  11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Duluth Campus Forum Weber Music Hall Link to livestream. 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Duluth Open House Romano Gymnasium Lobby In addition to the in-person events, the Board of Regents is also accepting comments and feedback, as they have throughout the process, on the Presidential Search website. Thanks in advance for your participation in this important search.  Sincerely,

Dave McMillan Interim Chancellor

Leadership update

 

Dear colleagues,  I hope the semester is going well for you. I sure feel the rush and energy of the spring semester. I am writing today with an important update that brings with it some mixed emotions.  After nearly 13 years of service to UMD and a very successful career in student affairs, Dr. Lisa Erwin, our vice chancellor for student life and dean of students, has informed me of her intent to retire this coming July. Lisa is a passionate, dedicated, tenacious, and steadfast leader for this campus. She is a respected leader across the U of M System and an extremely valued member of my leadership team. In 2022, her work was recognized by receiving the U of M System President’s Award for Outstanding Service.  She has earned respect and accolades within her field and with colleagues across the nation. Lisa earned two distinguished awards from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators with the NASPA Pillar of the Profession in 2016 and the Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean in 2021. Lisa continuously thinks about students and student outcomes. She has mentored and impacted many students over her time here at UMD and in her previous work before coming to UMD. She embodies student success in everything she does. Under her leadership, UMD launched the Student Life Wellbeing Initiative which connected Student Life programming across all areas to support student mental health and overall wellbeing. Lisa also worked with colleagues on the physical facility transformation of student-centered spaces including, the Ven Den, Superior Dining, Kirby Student Center, Richard Haney Multipurpose Rink, and the transportation hub. Her impact, thoughtful planning, strategic vision, and genuine care for our students will be felt for years.  Please join me in congratulating Lisa on her career, her incredible impacts to this campus, the U of M system, as well as our students. Congratulations to Lisa on her well-deserved retirement! I will provide future updates on the leadership transition as they take shape over the semester.   Sincerely,

Dave McMillan Interim Chancellor