The end is near

It’s “dead week” here at UNL and the end of the semester is approaching quickly. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“Dead week” is a chance to catch up on your work, catch up on your sleep and get ready for final exam week.

The vibe around campus is definitely different. For one, it’s quieter. Students are busy studying inside and doing fewer activities around campus. Both students and faculty are more focused. Everybody at this point just wants to be done.

My schedule, meanwhile, is very packed with meetings as we try to finish some plans and projects before the end of the semester. It’s definitely a very busy time of year.

All this seriousness will soon give way to some celebration. Graduation is Dec. 17 and 18. That’s always my favorite time of the year. There’s nothing like seeing the smiles on students’ faces when they get their diplomas.

Strategic Plan

Over the past year we have been developing a college-level strategic plan. This plan draws on the strategic plans departments, programs and centers have submitted over the years. It has gone through a number of iterations based on discussions in the Dean's Office, with Chairs and Directors, and with the College Executive Committee. The plan will be discussed at the Fall Faculty Meeting on Thursday and at Staff Council on Friday. The plan has also been sent recently to all faculty and staff in the college, a number of whom have already sent me valuable comments.

The purpose of this post is to share the draft plan with you to get your input. The draft can be found at http://go.unl.edu/stratplan-as .

If you have comments, suggestions or questions, please send them to me or post by Friday Dec. 10. Your feedback will be, no doubt, invaluable as we finalize the plan. It is always important to focus our efforts and think strategically. This is particularly true in tight budget times, especially as we move into the Big 10. I welcome your input.