A Letter from Dr. Karen Riley
Colleagues,
The summer weeks are flying by. I hope you all were able to find some time for rest, recreation and restoration over this past long weekend. As we celebrated national independence we were also reminded about the great divisions within our country and the continual struggles across the globe. And while our individual thoughts and opinions on issues and topics may vary greatly, I am proud to be a part of an institution that values discernment and academic freedom. We are in an industry and part of a university that embraces compassionate discourse and encourages us to challenge the status quo and to truly listen to one another. I believe that the work we do every day with our students and in our community truly does make a difference in building a more just and humane world. This does not however remove the immediate pain of senseless violence, nor does it provide us with the perfect words for discussing complicated issues in our classrooms. Interim President Teets and our Mission Office will be sharing, at the end of the month, some resources for faculty who would like some additional thoughts on discussing the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade with their students. These of course are not mandatory, but rather provide faculty, who are interested, with some additional tools for these conversations. Fr. Burke also offered a moving homily during mass a couple of weeks ago. It was recorded and we will be sharing the link for those who would like to listen.
A huge thank you to Liz Whitmore for getting the amended faculty letters out last week. I know there were a couple of individual questions and I am sure we will have a few more. We will continue to work to improve the existing systems and to create systems that support faculty and staff growth. Thank you again to the faculty for your patience during this last few weeks.
By now most of you have heard from your respective vice presidents about our FY23 budget. I recognize this news is concerning, the priority at this point is charting a path forward that builds on our collective and individual strengths while pushing this organization to evolve and to develop. "Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems." — Gever Tulley. I’m grateful for the productive conversations that have already begun within Academic Affairs, and we look forward to partnering with units across the campus to change the trajectory of the university.
During my various recurring meetings, I often start by asking people to share a recent ‘win’. They are everything from a fruitful conversation to a great morning run to finalizing an MOU for a partnership to encouraging a student. I’d like to share a few ‘wins’, not as a distraction from our budget struggles, but as acknowledgement of the great work that is continuing and growing across the university.
- New partnership with Guild Education will open up new doors with employees from some big companies such as Discover, JP Morgan Chase & Co, UCHealth, Target and Children’s Hospital Colorado
- GLOBAL program (fully funded by donors)
- 24 incoming first generation Regis College students on campus July 5-15 for a summer Bridge program (funded by donors)
- New OLLI program out of SPA - will offer enrichment courses on the Thornton campus for those 50 and over
- Anderson’s Online Cybersecurity Program was just ranked #19
We cannot ignore the struggles that we are facing, and have faced for many years, and change will take time, but we continue to move forward and stringing small wins together is the way to build greater momentum. There will always be things happening in our personal and professional lives that are struggles, but I find that focusing on the ‘wins’ is a way of practicing gratitude.
Speaking of gratitude, I want to extend my deep appreciation to Dr. Heidi Barker for serving as Interim Dean for the past 14 months. Those of you who know Heidi personally know that she is a joy to work with and an incredible advocate for faculty and students alike. She lives and breathes our mission. Heidi has officially returned to her prior role as Associate Dean in Regis College effective July 1. Please join me in thanking her for her service.
Dr. Maria Bohorquez, the new Dean of Regis College has officially begun her role as of July 1. Please join me in welcoming Maria to Regis. To read more about Dr. Bohorquez and all she brings to Regis, please see her bio here.
Many of you heard that Dr. Nicki Gonzales’ State Historian’s lecture at the History Colorado Center had to be postponed. I’m happy to report it has now been rescheduled for July 27th. You can find all the details in the Announcements and Celebrations section of the newsletter, or to go straight to ticketing here.
The details for the Provost’s Picnic on August 15th from 3:30-5 on the Student Center Patio are also included. I hope you will be there. Last year’s gathering was lots of fun and it was a great way to kick-off the new academic year. A reminder that it follows the “Academic Excellence: Creating Inclusive Spaces” conference. More information about that will be coming soon from the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Excellence.
I will be taking some vacation time in July to travel with my husband. I am looking forward to the time to explore, hike and take a break from work. Please make sure that you are taking time to recharge, whether you are in the office full-time or off contract, we all need time to rejuvenate. We need to care for ourselves so that we can care for one another. Tim Muldoon shared in a recent blog on Ignatian spirituality “the maxim nemo dat quod non habet (no one gives what he does not have) applies to the spiritual life as well. Care of the self is integral to the desire to practice cura personalis.” He goes on to say “Care of the self will include building up my capacities to undertake the mission God has entrusted to me; but it will also mean sometimes simply enjoying the gifts of leisure.” You can read the full post here. If you need anything while I am away, please reach out to Sandy at swojcieh@regis.edu.
I remain grateful for all the ways each of you contribute to this wonderful enterprise we share. These are challenging times for sure, but I look forward to working together.
Sincerely,
Karen Riley