Following conversations with the Apparel, Merchandising, Design & Textiles (AMDT) Advisory Board and visits with Simplot, Syngenta, Corteva, and Agri Beef last week, student experience remains on my mind as we head into a week of celebrating student and employee successes.
We are at a point where it can benefit our students, our faculty, and our employers to think about the attributes of the student experience and then design our programs accordingly, bringing benefit to all parties. Many are already thinking about this. It is likely a matter of getting all parties in the same room to brainstorm pilot programs that can transform how students learn and prepare, how we teach, and how we partner with employers. Based on the conversations last week, our employers are eager to get started. The Growth and Visioning Task Force will bring their work back to the units likely before summer. The task force has tackled this topic and others and will be seeking input broadly as we build the programmatic vision for CAHNRS. Others in CAHNRS are teaming up to respond to grant opportunities that provide support for pilot projects. Over a decade ago, a provost once said to a group of us faced with a budget reduction: “Make good use of a crisis.” I have no doubt that the talent across CAHNRS can turn a “crisis” into a unique value proposition for prospective students.
I am in town this week for Showcase, though much of my time will be spent conducting annual reviews of units and unit leadership. In addition, meetings with partners are scheduled throughout the week and I have a couple of meetings related to the RCM budget model. I will take time for the scholarship and student awards events on Thursday and the AMDT Fashion Show on Friday.
Speaking of awards, congratulations to Randy Fleharty, IT customer support manger, who has been honored with the 2023 Crimson Spirit Recognition! Others throughout CAHNRS will be honored Friday at the Showcase Celebrating Excellence Banquet. The banquet will also recognize faculty being promoted and/or tenured. Congratulations to all! I hope you take time to enjoy the recognition and reflect on your accomplishments! We are proud of all of our honorees!
A year ago this week, I was in Pullman to interview. So much has changed over the course of 12 months. Time does fly by. I use that as my rationale and excuse for getting behind on things. I will catch up, but I suspect it won’t be until late April. March madness creates a flurry of activity. The weather this week last year was similar to this year. As a result, I am likely fooled into believing this will be the case in future years. Eventually, I will catch up.