I recently had the opportunity to attend the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities Vice President’s Meeting and wanted to share some positive insights from this experience. I had great conversations with colleagues from campuses who are having the same experiences in today’s environment.
Through these valuable conversations with peers across the country, I came to the conclusion that at ²ÊÃñ±¦µä and our Division collaboration is imperative right now. We are not alone and many universities are experiencing similar challenges, as we all work hard and do our best to support our students. By continuing conversations and reaching out to collaborate, we can hopefully find solutions to these challenges.
I am proud to announce that I am on the NASPA National Convention committee and will be planning the 2019 convention. Through this position, I will be a part of a number of committees and will be able to continue important conversations at the national level. If you are interested in being involved or contributing to a committee, please reach out to Claudia Hodges-Gonzales.
In addition to collaboration efforts at the national level, there are also benefits to collaborating locally. I hope to strengthen regional partnerships in Colorado by working more intentionally with faculty and opening conversations with our colleagues at CU Denver and UCCS.
For the rest of our summer, I will be taking time to re-engage with senior administrators and plan for the Division, including the solidification of our vision for the next three years in alignment with our . Additionally, I am looking forward to making an announcement in regards to the innovation proposals submitted earlier this summer. We received 17 proposals and recently heard pitches for the top 8 submissions. I am excited by some of the ideas that we heard, but consider this a first step on our path to becoming more innovative. Stay tuned - winners will be announced in the coming weeks.
As you prepare for the fall semester, I want to challenge you to stay open-minded and step out of your comfort zone. To be innovative, develop new ideas, and remove silos across the Division. Get out of your boxes, both in the ways you work and the people with whom you work. We need to collaborate with colleagues from across the Division, the campus and be open-minded to change. Challenge the rules and push to innovate.
Enjoy the remaining few weeks of summer and good luck with your fall planning.
Warmly,
Christina Gonzales