<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;
panose-1:2 11 0 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.gmail-il
{mso-style-name:gmail-il;}
span.apple-converted-space
{mso-style-name:apple-converted-space;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:none;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">Dear colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">Betsy and I would like to thank so many of you for joining us for our 'faculty conversations' regarding the state of our School and the future of our SPLS leadership. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">Our conversations left us feeling grateful to have such great colleagues who are invested in helping our School move forward.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">This note is intended as a short update, with an action item at the end. Briefly, our conversations centered around these topics:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">• Concerns regarding <b>our ability to recruit a permanent Director</b> given the financial shortfalls of CALES and the University, and the full stop on the search process imposed
earlier this fall.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">• Uncertainty regarding <b>short-term leadership</b> options should our Interim Director choose to retire.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">• Concerns with regard to the <b>function and stability of our Business Office</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">• General concerns regarding the <b>budget climate</b> in our College and at the University, and <b>transparency</b> in SPLS and other organizational levels.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">As promised, we took these concerns in person to our Interim Director (Nov. 21), to Leslie (Nov. 28), and to the Executive Committee for SPLS and Interim Director (Nov. 28, Dec.
5). Key points also were raised during our faculty meeting with Janis Rutherford. These have prompted some positive motion and we ask everyone's patience as we hear these concerns and do our best to act on them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">At this time, we have an action item for faculty. We would like to know your opinion as to whether, when, and how we should contact Dean Burgess regarding our unit leadership. Can
you <b>please take a moment and respond to this poll</b>? We know these mechanisms are limited in nuance but we will value your input as we move forward.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:blue"><a href="https://forms.gle/FKSEbfmqtywjLL6KA" title="https://forms.gle/FKSEbfmqtywjLL6KA"><span style="color:#0078D7">https://forms.gle/FKSEbfmqtywjLL6KA</span></a></span></b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">Please direct questions to us (<span class="gmail-il">Marc</span> and Betsy) -- be aware that replies to this listerv will be replies-to-all. We are: <b><a href="mailto:orbachmj@arizona.edu" target="_blank" title="mailto:orbachmj@arizona.edu"><span style="color:#0078D7">orbachmj@arizona.edu</span></a>, <a href="mailto:fungi@arizona.edu" target="_blank" title="mailto:fungi@arizona.edu"><span style="color:#0078D7">fungi@arizona.edu</span></a> </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">The poll will be open until<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Friday, Dec. 8 at 5pm. </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">Thank you,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="gmail-il"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121">Marc</span></span><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#212121"> and Betsy<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>