Dear Faculty,

I’m writing to share some news and updates on several important campus initiatives and activities. I believe there is a bit of spring in the air, so try and enjoy the sunshine when it peeks out. 
 
Our campus is certainly back in full swing this semester and I have enjoyed the opportunity to attend a wide variety of campus events, some of which have not occurred since 2020. It has been a privilege and a delight to be together with all of you—to see your faces, hear your voices and experience your energy in person. During the month of April, we will be hosting our customary Admitted Student Visit Days and campus will be even more lively. I want nothing more than for your classes to be filled with a diverse group of highly qualified, well-prepared, and engaged students this fall, and it takes a campus to make this happen. Your personal outreach and attention and gestures of kindness and caring are often key to a student’s decision to attend UVM. Thank you in advance for your work to help us enroll the class of 2027!

I recognize, too, that while we have returned to our next normal, some members of our community are still struggling. Thank you for all that you are doing to support your students and each other, and please reach out if you need help.

Timely Campus Issues

Intergroup Dialogue

Like our broader society, our campus community could benefit from proactive opportunities to engage productively around difficult issues. To that end, the division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has partnered with the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) to establish an Intergroup Dialogue (IGD) program at UVM. The dialogic principles of Intergroup Dialogue are used to facilitate conversations between groups with different identities and promotes conversation around controversial issues. It emphasizes introspection and self-awareness and builds interpersonal skills. Its focus is dialogue, not debate; the goal is engagement with a critical lens, but not critique. We are using a scaffolded approach to bring IGD to campus and our efforts will include faculty, staff, and students. To create a culture of facilitation and facilitators at UVM, we need to address three areas: (1) curricular—which will include a class to engage students in IGD and a class to develop peer facilitators in IGD; (2) co-curricular—which involves out-of-classroom dialogue opportunities in the Learning Communities and beyond; and (3) pedagogical—our Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is developing programs to provide faculty with the skills necessary to navigate difficult classroom discussions and environments. We’ll begin by offering the courses for our students, with an eye for an eventual minor or certificate. These skills are also essential to success in the workplace so Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) is considering ways in which IGD at UVM can support working professionals.

Sexual Violence Prevention

  • We continue to expand our infrastructure, resources, and training to support sexual violence prevention at UVM. Here are several important examples of this work:
  • The College of Nursing and Health Sciences has completed its search for a clinical assistant professor to build out sexual violence prevention education in the academic context. The new hire should be announced soon. 
  • The national group Men Can Stop Rape (MCSR) partnered with Athletics this spring to examine approaches to sexual violence prevention. The impact of the MCSR visit garnered positive feedback from student-athletes, coaches, and staff and we are now building a multi-year partnership with MCSR based on best practices in the field and feedback from our community.
  • A website will be launched as a centralized source of information about sexual violence policy, prevention, and response efforts. Information will be presented thoughtfully to ensure that users find the website useful. 
  • Training continues. Club sports “signers” and Residential Life RAs are a focal point for training on consent, sexual health, and bystander education, given their interface with large numbers of students (approximately 6,400). Online training for students also continues, with sophomores and juniors receiving training this semester on bystander intervention and healthy relationships; students starting in January also completed new-student training modules.  
  • For Sexual Violence Awareness Month (April), interdisciplinary conversations are planned about topics related to sexual violence.
  • Our Sexual Violence Prevention Council is looking at situational solutions to sexual violence prevention, based on the SPACE Toolkit developed by the authors of Sexual Citizens. This stems from the fact that geography/location is relevant in sexual violence trends. 

Engagement with the Jewish Community

Over the course of the fall semester, I met with several faculty experts in Jewish Studies, Holocaust Studies, and Middle East Studies as well as other faculty who identify as Jewish. Their insights and perspectives have been very helpful in understanding the complexity of the issues all campuses are facing as faculty educate students to explore religion, culture, history, politics, geography, language, etc. We offer robust minors in each of these areas for our students. Our faculty are committed to respectful dialogue in the classroom and support students in their exploration of new knowledge and greater understanding of the historical issues underpinning Judaism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the importance of faith traditions and practices in different religions. The Miller Center for Holocaust Studies promotes scholarship, education, and public awareness of the events that brought about, constitute, and continue to issue from the Holocaust. The Miller Center sponsors the annual Raul Hilberg Memorial Lecture and the Miller Symposium, important intellectual forums for leading scholars from around the world.

I also have continued meeting with students who identify as Jewish and with leaders from the Student Government Association (SGA) who wish to improve student understanding of bias across marginalized groups and how we might be responsive to student needs for support. Along with our Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Amer Ahmed, we have continued connecting with community rabbis and are planning additional programming across religious sects through our Interfaith Center. Ultimately, we will continue to work with campus and community leaders to further our work in creating and sustaining a safe and healthy environment that recognizes the experiences of all UVM students with marginalized identifies to live, study, and work in an environment that honors our mutual commitment to Our Common Ground values. We continue to cooperate with the OCR investigation, and we will have news to share with campus very soon.

Engagement with Tribal Community

Communication with the Abenaki Chiefs and Commissioners continues in an effort to better understand their experiences with the university, to increase our collaboration and to support the sense of belonging and academic success of UVM students with Indigenous backgrounds. I, along with Dr. Amer Ahmed and Dr. Sherwood Smith from our Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Dean Bill Falls from the College of Arts and Sciences, attended the February 8, 2023, meeting of the Commission on Native American Affairs. We will be attending a meeting in the very near future with parents in Swanton to share our commitment to providing an inclusive learning environment for all students including those with indigenous backgrounds.

Inclusive Excellence Symposium

I hope you were able to attend some of last week’s 2023 Inclusive Excellence Symposium presentations. Loretta Ross called on us to make a commitment to recognize and support each other, to call people in rather than calling them out, and to live into our common ground values. Rabia Chaudry spoke on the power of storytelling to build bridges of respect, trust, and love between diverse communities. D’Lo shared stories reflecting on his life and the use of comedy as a tool for both individual and collective agency and the transformation of trauma into resilience. Maimouna Youssef discussed feminism from an indigenous perspective. If you weren’t able to attend, the sessions were recorded and will be posted soon.

Academic Success Goals

As you know, our Academic Success Goals (ASG) were established in May 2020 to support President Garimella’s strategic areas of impact, and reflect priorities in Teaching and Learning, Knowledge Creation, and Engagement. We have established metrics to measure progress on each goal and update them annually. You can review our progress on the ASG dashboard (pdf). We have had several meetings already this semester to celebrate our success in areas where we are on target and to develop plans to double-down on lagging metrics. COVID interrupted our progress in some areas, which is not an excuse, but does provide context for several goals such as offering service-learning courses which was not possible because of pandemic restrictions. It’s also important to note that our progress will benefit from a number of initiatives that have been implemented since the ASGs were established, including: our new university-wide professional advising system and our commitment to its continuous improvement and professional advisor training; our data-based DEI Strategic Action Plans and the work that they will guide in the academic units; the University Diversity Council that is helping us create a more inclusive climate; and, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Jane Okech’s programming centered on faculty development and retention, and focused faculty recruitment strategies. As important as progress is, equally important is our shared commitment to these goals that guide priorities, plans, and decisions across campus and our commitment to holding ourselves accountable to them. Please review the ASGs and look for opportunities to support our progress.

Teaching and Learning

Accreditation Update

The University of Vermont is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Our most recent comprehensive evaluation in 2019 resulted in our continued accreditation through 2029. In Spring 2024, the university will submit a 5-year report updating NECHE on UVM's fulfillment of the Standards of Accreditation and outlining progress in the areas of emphasis identified in the 2019 visit. These areas of emphasis include general education; strategic planning and campus master planning; effectiveness of academic advising and career services; and implementing a systematic approach to the assessment of student learning and using the results for improvement (notably in the graduate curriculum). A 5-Year Report committee has been appointed by the Provost to oversee this process, gather data, and outline sections of the report. A first draft of the report will be written over the summer and a final draft will be shared with campus next fall for feedback before it is submitted in January 2024. I’m grateful to all of you for the cooperation and collaboration that has allowed us to make substantial progress in all of the areas of emphasis.

Professional Advising

Over the last several years UVM has moved towards a professional advising model; this year marked the first year that all undergraduate degree-seeking students had a professional advisor. While professional advising of first-year students is a change for some units, this new model allows us to offer consistent advising that incorporates annual changes in policies and requirements to all first-year students, who are more likely to need advice and support that is less specific to their major. With professional advising for first-year students, faculty can focus more of their advising efforts on students at the sophomore level and above, most of whom have confirmed their choice of major and can benefit most strongly from discipline-specific academic and career advice. 

  • As we evaluate this approach, certain needs and gaps have emerged. An advising task force, which will begin some initial work this spring, will bring together groups of key stakeholders to discuss three specific areas:
  • Training and professional development for our advising staff: one subgroup will focus on instituting a program for our professional advisors that will help ensure uniform advising best practices across the university as well as opportunities for advisors to share and learn from one another. 
  • Smoothing the transition from professional to faculty advisors: a second subgroup will consider best practices for ensuring smooth handoffs in advising from professional to faculty advisors.
  • Effective use of peers to connect students to campus resources, including advisors and support offices: initial discussions between members of the SGA Academic Affairs Committee, the Provost's Office, the Center for Academic Success, and the Learning Communities have centered on developing peer mentoring programs that help build community and encourage students to take advantage of available resources.

Faculty Professional Development

A key priority for the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (VPFA) this year has been piloting programs that will become part of a comprehensive faculty mentoring program effective fall 2023. This year, the VPFA initiated the First-Year Faculty Experience Program, the Mid-Career Faculty Experience Program and the Demystifying the RPT Process Program at UVM. In collaboration with the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a total of ten sessions across these programs have so far been offered with five more sessions scheduled this spring, and a Writing Retreat in August. In these sessions, the VPFA has focused on ensuring that the panelists, presenters and the content of presentations are using an equity-centered model that is supportive of academic unit specific initiatives for faculty development and success. The VPFA’s Office has also organized a series of leadership development sessions for Department Chairs and Associate Deans through the Academic Leadership Experience Program. A final session focused on discussing strategies for effective faculty performance review is scheduled in April. Many faculty and staff members have generously offered their time to serve on panels and to co-host discussion sessions. Additionally, the VPFA’s Office has engaged in active faculty recruitment efforts which have included sending representatives to faculty recruitment conferences such as The 29th Annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, October 27–30, 2022; 2023 SACNAS National Diversity in Stem Conference, October 27–30; and the 2023 McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program, February 10–12. 

Brightspace

As you are aware, UVM is in the process of migrating from Blackboard to Brightspace, which will become our official Learning Management System beginning fall 2023.  Our main goal during this transition period is to support faculty and academic staff as they learn Brightspace. All UVM courses will be taught on Brightspace by fall 2023. Pertinent information, including the schedule for migrating courses from Blackboard to Brightspace, can be found on the Brightspace transition web site. Notably, resources on how to prepare for teaching in Brightspace this fall 2023 can be found on this migration support webpage.

The project team is eager to support everyone who wants to learn to teach in Brightspace. Here are some options:

Thank you for your active participation in the LMS transition. If you have questions about the implementation, please email brightspace.implementation@uvm.edu

Progress on the Art and Science Report Recommendations—Global Opportunities

The Art and Science Group recommended our robust engagement with prospective students around the range of global opportunities available at UVM. We have a solid array of global activities available to our students (student clubs, travel study, internships, service learning, study abroad, etc.) and are working on ways to more clearly articulate and encourage participation. I want to highlight three specific initiatives here: the new Global Trek program that we have renamed UVM GO, UVM Anchor Sites abroad, and the search for a new Executive Director for International Partnerships and Programs.

UVM GO

In December, we hired a Global Experiences Coordinator, Caitlyn Clark, and plans for UVM GO (formerly Global Trek) have moved into high gear. UVM GO is a new pre-orientation program launching this August for incoming first-year students. UVM GO focuses on global learning, developing intercultural knowledge and skills, and building community. Each experience allows students to develop their awareness of global issues and make connections in their community and beyond. It’s the perfect opportunity for our newest students to connect with UVM faculty, staff, alumni, and local experts—all while having fun and making new friends.

Some of the UVM GO opportunities offered this August are listed below—each led by a UVM faculty member with extensive experience in the city and program theme. I am enormously grateful to these faculty members for their willingness to help us build this important new program.

  • Multicultural Vancouver: Social Justice and the City Led by Dr. Pablo Bose, Department of Geography and Geosciences
  • Montreal: Building Culture from Cultures: Quebec and Vermont Led by Dr. Charles-Louis Morand-Métivier, School of World Languages and Cultures
  • Seattle: Justice in Local and Global Food Systems Led by Dr. Teresa Mares, Department of Anthropology
  • Chicago: Building Communities and Commerce Led by Dr. Cynthia Reyes, Dean’s Office, College of Education and Social Services
  • Washington, D.C.: Climate Change and Youth Activism Led by Dr. Jon Erickson, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources

Other UVM GO programs are in development and will be offered in partnership with the residential Learning Communities and will allow participants to move onto campus 3 days prior to Orientation for local but global experiences.

Anchor Sites

UVM Anchor Sites provide study abroad opportunities at select international universities with whom the University of Vermont has partnered, and where the university coordinates many of the academic, administrative, and financial components of the study abroad experience. Students who study abroad through a UVM Anchor Site rather than an external program maintain their federal and UVM financial aid and participate with a cohort of UVM students which benefits students with limited travel experience who might not study abroad independently. Our first anchor site was in Galway, Ireland. The second site was established in Auckland, New Zealand. We are poised to launch a third site in Cape Town, South Africa, and are exploring sites in South Korea, Barbados, Europe and India. Our Anchor Site partners are carefully vetted to ensure the quality of the academic experience. As our portfolio of Anchor Sites becomes more robust, please advise your students to consider Anchor Sites first when exploring study abroad opportunities.

Executive Director for International Partnerships and Programs

A search is underway for an Executive Director for International Partnerships and Programs, who will report directly to the President. The Executive Director will be charged with advancing the global orientation of the university as well as the academic excellence of international scholarly and educational initiatives. This position will be responsible for defining the university’s strategic priorities in global engagement, in collaboration with university leadership, and securing resources to deliver on these priorities. In consultation with units across campus, the Executive Director will oversee the development of processes, programming, and organizational structures that advance UVM’s global mission.

Progress on the Art and Science Report Recommendations—Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial Collaborations

The Art and Science Group also recommended that we enhance our campus culture of innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) and create experiences for students to collaborate with faculty and alumni to create entrepreneurial collaborations. We’ve had an early win that’s so impressive I wanted to share it with you. The Academic Research Commercialization program (ARC) connects UVM innovators with entrepreneurial students who help with everything from finding funding to producing and marketing their product. Skylar Bagdon ’22 a co-founder of the ARC program worked with Professor Randy Headrick’s start-up company, Verde Technologies, while he was a senior at UVM and was appointed Verde’s CEO when he graduated. 

Verde has received recognition on a national (and even global) scale. They have been invited to partner and collaborate with top research groups and companies in the world and are expanding their team with top-tier talent while gearing up for rapid expansion and substantial fundraising in 2023. They currently have over $2.3 million in pending grants submitted (awaiting decisions) and have begun taking in capital from investors while planning to raise $3 million in private investment in 2023.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conference

The Office of the Vice President for Research is also coordinating a summer 2023 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conference June 20–22, 2023. The event will feature a celebration of Senator Leahy’s legacy, focus on the importance of rural partnerships and the challenges of rural development in Vermont, and will also include some practical elements of entrepreneurialism including pitch competitions, the Vermont Center for Emerging Technology, and opportunities to meet with investors. The conference is open faculty, staff, current/new/prospective students, alumni, community members, business leaders, and venture capitalists.

Wellness

Week of Kindness

I want to thank all of you who participated in the Student Government Association’s (SGA) Week of Kindness last week. This was the second kindness celebration following the inaugural Week of Kindness last fall. SGA is working hard to build this campus tradition. I want you to know how much they appreciated those of you who hosted kindness events and activities, as well as those of you who built bouquets, painted rocks, and wrote letters of gratitude alongside our students. Your presence in these informal settings has an enormous impact.

Green and Gold Fridays

Recently, you may have noticed lots of green and gold on Fridays! I hope you’ll join us in this effort to build school spirit and connection as OneUVM by wearing your favorite Catamount gear at the end of each week.

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 Please be sure to read the twice weekly editions of Inside UVM, our digital newsletter for faculty and staff, for updates, announcements, and more.

I know how busy the year is between now and Commencement. I hope you’ll take a moment to let the light of our longer days and the cheer of spring flowers (soon, I promise!) refresh and renew your spirit. As you dash from classes to meetings to labs to studios to presentations and back to classes, find time to reflect on how meaningful and impactful your work is to your students, to your colleagues, and to the communities you serve. And above all, know how important you are to our Catamount family.
 
Be well, Catamounts!

Warmly,
Patty