Looking and seeing

April 27, 2023

One of my privileges at this time of year is meeting with each department chair to review last year's faculty annual updates. Next month I'll get to read all our college's staff performance reviews.

Together they offer glimpses into the wide array of teaching, mentoring, scholarship, administration, and service you are contributing to our college.

Every year, your chairs and I see more that impresses us.

We see more, because we're learning to look harder at what too often has been invisible.

For the past few years, we have invited faculty to address specifically how they support the university mission and our shared commitments to advancing diversity and inclusion.

This year our departments also revised their tenure and promotion criteria to incorporate an expectation to engage and support diversity.

We recognize increasingly well that some members of our college shoulder a disproportionate amount of our shared work, not least the emotional labor of supporting our students. 

We're looking harder. We're seeing more clearly. We're naming and valuing more of what too long has been unseen and undervalued.

Do we have much work yet to do? Absolutely. Must we stand strong despite those seeking to coerce us to adopt their own values? Undoubtedly.

But today I want you to know that you are seen, and that you make me and the college proud.

David Mengel

                                                                      Photo by Ronan Furuta on Unsplash