Dear Faculty,

Last week 3,400 first-year and transfer students moved into their residential halls with the help of our incredible staff, administrative leaders, and faculty and student volunteers who unloaded cars and toted our students’ treasured belongings to their new homes. On the heels of move-in, our faculty members facilitated the Learning Community First-Year Read discussion groups and made immediate connections with our newest Catamounts. Our students’ energy and excitement were palpable throughout the weekend’s Orientation activities, culminating in the Convocation and Twilight Induction Ceremony on our historic university green Sunday evening.

Seventy-two new faculty members also attended their Orientation last week. They were introduced to the university’s senior leadership, met colleagues, received information about student services and UVM’s inclusive excellence plans and resources, and learned about important academic policies and procedures. This two-day event provided our new faculty with opportunities to make connections and friendships that we hope will last a lifetime!

And, almost 40 of our new and continuing Chairs and Associate Deans attended a workshop to discuss the key leadership roles they play on campus, absorb important information to support their success, and discuss the priorities for the academic year. Many of the Chairs shared those insights at their departmental retreats that occurred throughout the week, both on campus and off.

It was a joy to witness this start-of-semester flurry of activity and I’m grateful to all of you for creating such a memorable opening week for our new students and faculty.

As I walked across campus this week, I had the opportunity to connect with several students who shared what they were learning in their classes and the new people they were meeting. These first six weeks are crucial to their establishment of a sense of belonging here at UVM and affirming their choice to be a Catamount. Thank you for connecting with our students at an intellectual and personal level. Students want to learn about your passion for what you do as you are a key influencer in their educational journey.

I hope the information below is useful to you as we kick off the semester.

  • The Career Center has some great resources for faculty and advisors, including:

    • Career Advising Card (pdf)—a handy card with useful resources to help answer common career questions. Contact Adam Boothe for a hard copy

    • The updated Path to Career Success—a "roadmap" of small, achievable goals that will set students up for success is now available. This is a great tool to recommend to advisees or to incorporate into your course to encourage career exploration.

    • Career Quizzes are a quick, personalized tool that can be used in class to help students reflect on their career preparation each year and provide recommendations and resources based on students’ responses.

    • The Career Center's faculty and staff resources page offers a summary of modules, tools, and supports that bring the expertise of the Career Center to your students through presentations, content, and activities.

    • Mark your calendar for the Career Summit on October 12; learn more about these new resources, meet the new Career Center Director, Sarah Heath, and learn how your program can encourage the success of all students.

  • If you are interested in engaging with our first- and second-year students contact John Sama to find out how you can meet with a group over dinner, plan an outing or event, or share an interest that connects with a learning community theme.

  • Looking for opportunities to talk about teaching? The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the Writing in the Disciplines Program are recruiting for a fall book group on anti-racist language work, as well as other groups focusing on an effective framework for explaining assignments to students, reflective teaching, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and teaching FWIL courses. More details on these and other offerings are available on the group offerings page and the CTL calendar. 


  • Learn how to begin incorporating community engagement into your courses at the Getting Started with Community-Engaged Learning workshop on Monday, September 19 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Registration required.


  • This summer we began our Brightspace implementation. We have tended to a myriad of behind-the-scenes technical details and are now ready for the next stage of the implementation: general access for faculty and staff. To learn more about the transition timeline and request access to a sandbox course space for testing, visit Moving to Brightspace. Bookmark this site and check back often for information on training and support to prepare for the official Fall 2023 launch.

  • Need a starter engine to get your healthy habits rolling? The faculty and staff of the UVM Osher Center for Integrative Health invite you to join them for a 12-week Health & Wellness Coaching Employee Connection program. This program will allow you to set good intentions for your semester in a supportive community environment. Join our virtual Employee Connection group during your lunch hour (noon to 1:00 p.m.) on Tuesdays beginning September 13. Sessions consist of some movement (that can be done at a desk), a short mindfulness practice, an interactive activity, and small group coaching to get you on the road to creating healthy habits. The program consists of five weeks of group coaching and six weeks of individual sessions, and culminates in a group celebration. Registration required.

Reminders and Recent Communications

  • Materials and resources from the New Faculty Orientation presentations are now posted on the Provost’s Office website
  • Materials and resources from the Chairs and Associate Deans Workshop presentations are now posted on the Provost’s Office website.
  • On September 1, I sent a message to all students reminding them of our shared commitment to Our Common Ground values and our collective responsibility for maintaining a safe, inclusive community.
  • On August 30, President Garimella shared a message with campus celebrating our impact over the last academic year.
  • On August 23, Greg Paradiso, Director of Benefits and Employee Wellness, announced the Fall 2022 UVM Employee Wellness programs.

Recently, I was asked to participate in a leadership research study that had me complete a pre- and post- survey and read a piece from Pursuing Wisdom: A Primer for Leaders and Learners (Shoup, Hinrichs, & Gustafson, 2022). The authors describe wisdom as the ability to recognize different stories or narratives within a specific context and to consider the ideas, characteristics, and behaviors that influence the way we can make the “right things happen the right way.” I was reminded that it takes time to make sense of, learn, apply, and teach wisdom but if we take the time to do so, we will help our students thrive and ultimately contribute to the health and well-being of our institution. I will continue to work to make the right things happen the right way, and am counting on you to help me do that.

Warmly,
Patty