CLAS Acts April 2021

Monthly newsletter of the tenure track faculty of the college

A Note from Dean Drake

"Soon after the crisis hit, we asked global leaders with diverse expertise to share what they are learning and feeling during this time of struggle, and what they are now thinking may be possible for the future. The response was staggering: again and again, top figures in each field agreed to set aside other obligations in order to share their deepest visions with you."  

--From the introduction to The New Possible: Visions of Our World Beyond Crisis (P. Clayton, K.M. Archie, J. Sachs, E. Steiner, eds.)

 

 

As we enter the last month of the term, I want to thank you all for the eighty+ hours of rich conversations to envision our future that have taken place over the last two months.  We are actively looking at the Jamboard comments and the facilitator and listener notes.  While faculty with qualitative research skills are just beginning the deep dive into data analysis, I think it is safe to say that there are some definite themes emerging.

 

Foremost, I’m seeing a strong commitment to who we are balanced by a recognition of the need for change.  CLAS faculty and staff share a passion for student-centered liberal education and see this historic moment as a time to fully embrace the work of education for democracy by becoming a more diverse, equitable and inclusive learning community.  Again and again, our conversations emphasized the importance of providing access to a supportive, high-quality, high-impact education delivered by committed and engaging teacher-scholars. 

 

To build on our values and strengths, and to support our students on their journeys, we wish to create more intentional and coordinated partnerships with K-12 schools, community colleges, community organizations, and industry—and especially our own alumni.  We also seek to connect more authentically with each other through collaborating in our teaching, research, service and administrative work. We are interested in thinking about what systems and structures we could build to sustain the relationships we seek.

 

We have ideas for post-pandemic teaching and learning. We are interested in applying this year’s hard-earned lessons to create the right balance of online opportunities and experiential learning, and to provide innovative and comprehensive student support to make a CLAS education possible for all. Given the challenges of this year, we are keenly aware that we must remain conscious of work/life balance.  Just as students must have support to succeed, faculty and staff must be supported in reaching a sustainable workload. We want all members of our community to thrive.

 

That you were willing to share these aspirations in a year that tested our boundaries and our stamina is a credit to you.   

 

After your grades are submitted and before the summer exodus, please join your CLAS colleagues on May 4 for the College Spring Meeting from 2-3:30 p.m. on Zoom. While we will miss the food, the Sabbatical Showcase, and the opportunity to engage with each other in person, we will be celebrating our college awards, and I will provide an update on next steps in the visioning process.

 

As you know, I called for a group of 20 faculty to volunteer for some compensated work on strategic planning this summer. I thank all who applied and want to stress that we are making our selections so that we have good representation from across the college. This group will ensure that our draft plan has the imprimatur of our faculty. Here is the schedule on which we’ll be working:

 

May 26 & 27 (half days): Kickoff with summer strategic working group

June 1: Unit self-studies due

June 14-25: Summer group members engage in small group work

June 28 & 29 (half days): Small groups convene to share and discuss their work

June 30-July 9: Dean’s leadership team develops draft document mapping the vision/direction for CLAS

 

During the summer months, we will continue to post regularly to the CLAS planning webpage so that anyone in the college can check in on our progress.  We will also continue to update you in the CLAS Weekly Mailing. At our college start-up meeting on August 26, I will share the draft vision/direction with you, as well as the process for engaging in its further development.

 

This timetable puts us in a strong position to align with the university’s Reach Higher 2025 planning process, which will ensure that our collective commitment to liberal education shapes our future. 

 

With appreciation for you and your work,

 

Jen