Welcome to the 2009-2010 academic year!
This will be an exciting year for the college—even more so than the usual anticipation of new learning and research endeavors.
We’re entering the final stages of our curriculum revitalization plan, and important decisions will be made by early 2010 about what our future students will study. You’ll hear much more about those specific plans in coming months.
At the same time, we’re continuing work on the college’s overall strategic plan, which will help determine how we can most strategically use
our resources in coming years, particularly in light of university-wide budget cuts.
We’ll continue to ask our external stakeholders, as well as faculty, students and staff, for their ideas and opinions as these important decisions are made. That’s why I would encourage all of you to get involved, and there are many ways to do so:
- Our “First Thursday” gatherings, held on the first Thursday of each month as part of the undergraduate planning process, are open to anyone. At each gathering, a question about academics within CFANS is posed, and small groups share ideas about the answer to that question.
- We’ll obtain feedback on the initial draft of the college’s strategic plan from Research and Outreach Center advisory board members throughout Minnesota.
- We’ll be offering many symposia throughout the college this fall, including a new “Solution-Driven Science” forum with national and local experts discussing 21st-century sustainable animal agriculture.
- The CFANS Alumni Society’s mentor program is gearing up for the new year and mentors are always needed for our students. The Society also sponsors many networking and fun events throughout the year.
- Stay up to date on college news and events by reading this magazine and joining our social networking groups on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
And as always, I’m eager to hear from all of our stakeholders. You can reach me at aslevine@umn.edu.
Allen S. Levine (’73–M.S., botany; ’77–Ph.D., nutrition)
Dean
Solutions
Food & Agriculture
A Lot on Their Plates
Climate & Environment
So, How About This Weather?
Biodiversity
Shoreline Restoration
Biofuels & Bioproducts
Fuel From the Forest Floor
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