Last week, the associate deans and I did some planning. Everyone has full plates and no shortage of meetings, making it important to intentionally schedule time for priority work. We talked about updating the CAHNRS strategic plan and building resiliency in our programs and people.
Perhaps you saw the article about the University of Arizona. The article had me thinking again about student expectations and the challenges higher education faces. Our current strategic plan’s goal is to provide a transformative student experience. I wonder if we’ve been bold enough in approaching that goal, or if we have been constrained by our current structure. If we could start from scratch, what would our undergraduate program look like? How would an undergraduate experience in CAHNRS differ from programs at other institutions offering the same majors? If anyone (faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends) is interested in exploring this question, let me know. Last spring, a group met over lunch for a few weeks to talk about incorporating more employment experiences into our current curriculum, such as internships, externships, and capstone courses. We could use a similar brainstorming strategy to create a ground-up approach focusing on the college experience as a whole.
While it is a short work week for many, the first half of the week had no shortage of meetings. Most were standing meetings to touch base with team members. I continue to talk to prospective members of the CAHNRS Advisory Council, and I am excited about the talent that will serve on the committee. There are a number of additional calls and plans to be made for the first meeting, which will occur in late April or early May. Time flies by.
I wish everyone a restful end of 2023 filled with friends, family, and fun! I look forward to serving CAHNRS in 2024.