²ÊÃñ±¦µä

As the new semester is off and running, we wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the next important phases of Academic Futures: Rethinking the university—the futures of learning and discovery.

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Russell L. Moore

Last semester saw a successful kick-off of the initiative, with lively community town halls; faculty, staff and student forums and department-sponsored meetings that yielded an impressive volume and quality of input. All of that input is summarized here for the campus community to review.  

As part of that input, we received more than 150 white papers providing an amazing array of creative ideas and suggestions about our academic organization, structure and rewards; campus climate and culture; research, scholarship and creative work; how we serve and support students; teaching, pedagogy and curriculum; and a variety of other areas.

In January, the Academic Futures Committee began meeting weekly to review the combined input from the campus and develop sets of key themes and transformative ideas. Beginning in March and at several points in the spring semester, the committee will submit these themes to the campus in town hall meetings and on digital platforms and will seek direct feedback from the campus.

The committee will ask the campus community whether the themes and ideas it has captured accurately represent the intentions of those who submitted them, while also seeking input on the desirability and merit of the ideas. The committee itself will also generate ideas that add to or build upon those submitted from the campus.

Over the late spring and throughout the summer, the committee will begin to form the outline of a report, a draft of which will be shared with the campus on Sept. 1, for a 30-day review. After the 30-day comment period, we (the provost and senior vice chancellor) will receive the report. The implementation phase will continue to rely heavily on the campus for full engagement and input.

Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Kelly Fox

Throughout this semester, your attention and input to Academic Futures remain vital. We will announce town halls and input opportunities in ²ÊÃñ±¦µä Today, through emails and via other campus communications channels. Campus listeners will continue to receive weekly updates from Academic Futures lead facilitator Emily CoBabe-Ammann, and she and Vice Provost Jeff Cox (the lead convener of the Academic Futures conversation) will provide weekly updates in their ²ÊÃñ±¦µä Today column. All notes from town hall meetings will be posted on the What We’re Hearing section of the Academic Futures website.

We both feel strongly this is an exciting and critical moment in the life of ²ÊÃñ±¦µä—a time to define new ways of engaging in research, scholarship, creative work and teaching; to develop new support mechanisms and structures for students, faculty and staff and to align ourselves around a common understanding of our important mission.

The success of this moment depends on your continued engagement, honest input and good-faith participation, building on the strength of your visions and dreams for the university. If you have any questions, comments or want additional information, please go to the Academic Futures website at .

Russell L. Moore,
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Kelly Fox,
Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer