Anyone else finding it hard to believe that it is already mid-October? In two weeks, it will be Halloween, and my six-year-old daughter will be dressing up as Smurfette (as a child who grew up in the 80’s religiously watching Saturday morning cartoons, I am thrilled to see “The Smurfs” have a reboot!).  In two more months, we’ll be winding down fall semester; preparing for winter break; and closing out 2023. I admit that, while I am grateful for the cooler weather and the beautiful autumn colors, I would not mind if time would slow down just a bit. 

Last week, students received Midterm Progress Report (MPR) grades in their 1000- and 2000-level classes. I tell students in my GT1000 class how important these grades are because there is still time to make change if things are not going as planned.  So, in the spirit of midterm season, I thought it would be good to do a similar “midterm” check in across OUE and see how we are doing. 

• Strategic Alignment Planning: In September, we kicked off our strategic alignment planning process. More updates on this may be found in this month’s newsletter, here.
   
• Leadership Transition: We are in the midst of leadership transition in several areas. Dr. Lacy Hodges has my gratitude for stepping in as our Interim Director of Communications while we fill the search for our next Assistant Director of Communications and “Chief Communications Officer” for OUE. I am similarly grateful to Andrea Comsa for stepping in as Interim Executive Director of the Career Center. Dr. Ferri and I are launching a national search to fill this role, and Amy Henry, Executive Director of OIE, has agreed to chair the search advisory committee. 
   
• New Leadership: I am equally excited for ongoing searches for new leadership roles, including the new Director of Community-Based Learning and Assistant Director for Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship, both in the Office of Experiential and Engaged Learning. Planning for our next Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), Leadership in Progress and Service, is also underway, and an internal search for the new faculty director is also in progress. Finally, we are also completing an internal (to GT) search to fill a new Director of Undergraduate Curricular Initiatives position that will work closely with Dr. Berry on general education, Georgia Legislative Requirements (GLR), and other USG- and GT-wide undergraduate education initiatives. We are on track to complete all these searches by the end of fall.
   
• Core Curriculum Changes: At the University System of Georgia (USG) level, changes in general education/core curriculum were approved at the October Board of Regents meeting. This refreshed core curriculum is now called core IMPACTS and will have an impact on every undergraduate degree program at GT.
   
• Clough Commons Renovation:  Renovations in OUE’s Clough Commons spaces are proceeding according to schedule, and we are on track to have people moving back into their offices in December to be up and running for Spring 2024. I am really excited to see the new space and appreciate everyone’s patience and flexibility as we complete this project.
   
• Hiring, Onboarding, and Staff Engagement:  In addition to the leadership roles, are making steady progress on filling several important positions across all our units as well as working to address several other priorities to strengthen our internal processes. At our upcoming fall town hall on October 25, we will continue the conversations we’ve started about staff engagement and culture. 

Before I close, I want to acknowledge the tragic events in Israel and Gaza. If you have not yet read President Cabrera’s blog, I encourage you to do so. As members of a global community, all of us are impacted by these events, and each of us experiences the impact differently. Please know that resources are available if you need support. Talk to your supervisor or your colleagues or to any member of the OUE senior leadership team or Office of the Provost HR team. Georgia Tech also has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for your access anytime.  

Gratefully,

Steven