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Dear Colleagues,

As university commencement ceremonies approach, I find myself reflecting on the semester and feeling grateful for what happens here at Â鶹¾«Æ· every day.

The hard work and accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff were on display at award ceremonies throughout the month of April. It was a great pleasure to get to introduce some of the winners, and wonderful to see these dedicated individuals honored for their efforts.

The annual (CURE) event was a big success, with more than 170 presentations from nearly 250 student presenters. Nearly 90 faculty judges helped determine the winning projects; 18 of them were part of a graduate student cohort who provided meaningful feedback to the undergraduate researchers.

Countless other events this semester have illustrated the talent and dedication of all who make up this university.

As students cross the stage and receive their diplomas, I feel such a sense of pride for their accomplishments and gratitude for all you did to contribute to their success through teaching, mentoring, advising and assisting them along the way. Your efforts to support our students and their success makes a difference in their lives.

You received an email earlier this week with an update regarding budget and resource planning, but I want to share a few of the main points in this letter. We are developing and implementing strategies that specifically align to our , including Goal 6A to implement an all-funds, multiyear budget and to reduce the deficit through university-wide efforts to generate revenue, as well as to reallocate and reduce expenses.

One key area of that message detailed the FAFSA rollout delays and the impact. Â鶹¾«Æ· and schools across the nation have only very recently received student data to begin to process student aid. Without this vital information, students do not have the ability to make informed choices about where, or if, to go to college.

We know prospective students will need extra support and guidance to start with us in the fall, so we are adding events and activities to host them on campus. I ask that you make every effort to personally encourage new and returning students to not let FAFSA challenges put off their dreams, and to seek help from our teams in , and .

Leaders in the Division of Academic Affairs have worked to increase academic efficiencies and reduce curricular complexity this past academic year. Whether it is reducing the number of low enrollment course sections or introducing a and manage curricula, we are striving to maximize the impact of students� tuition dollars and faculty and staff members� time to provide the best experience for everyone at Â鶹¾«Æ·.

We are also asking for your help with encouraging current students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to re-enroll for summer and/or fall courses to make progress toward degree completion.

Once again, thank you for your efforts toward student success and all you do here at Â鶹¾«Æ·. Have a wonderful summer!

With gratitude,

Laurie Elish-Piper, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost

Cheer on our graduates

Seeing faculty members in attendance at makes a big impact on our graduates and their families. Faculty members, we look forward to seeing you at Graduate School Commencement Friday, May 10 and Undergraduate Commencement Saturday, May 11.

No ticket is needed, a snack will be provided and there is reserved parking for faculty. All you need to do is show up in your regalia and be acknowledged during the ceremony. Thank you for all you do to support our students and thank you for an excellent academic year at Â鶹¾«Æ·!

2024-25 Provost Fellows announced

Congratulations to our Provost Fellows for the 2024-25 academic year. Peter Chomentowski, associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education is the Provost Fellow in Faculty Affairs. Shannon Becker, associate professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures is the Provost Fellow in Academic Affairs.

This program is designed for faculty members interested in exploring leadership and administrative roles. Provost Fellows will become more familiar with university-level decision-making and campuswide initiatives, while gaining a more expansive range of leadership

Help students move forward faster with UNIV 301

Â鶹¾«Æ· partners with Braven to offer the 3-credit UNIV 301: Leadership and Career Accelerator course. More than 600 Huskies have enrolled in UNIV 301 since it began in 2022. Space is available for the fall 2024 semester, which will be offered in three sections � two online and one hybrid.

Students in the course:

Visit the to learn more, and please pass this information along to your students who might be interested in this course.

Career Services debuts updated website

Check out Â鶹¾«Æ·ï¿½s newly updated , where students will find personalized guidance for every step of their college journey.

The new page has information about this online resource that will help students build their career game plan. The new page walks students through the stages of career development, with tips and plans for each year as a Huskie. You�ll find this information and much more on the newly updated Career Services website!

Submit book adoptions for Summer and Fall 2024

If you have not yet submitted your book adoptions, please do so as soon as possible. gives students the best opportunity to succeed by offering them a better look at potential costs so they are ready for the first day of class.

The quickest and easiest way to adopt your books and course materials is by using Follett Discover through . You can also email your request to Celeste Bryant, course materials market manager at 2089txt@follett.com.