News

In Spring 2019, the Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI) offered project management workshops. The purpose of the workshops was to educate the campus community about best practices as defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI). A series of workshops with the Office of Instruction and Assessment (OIA) included an overview of the fundamentals of project management while other workshops were  designed for Initiative Owners and their teams. Additional project management workshops will be offered in Fall, 2019.

As part of a program known as the UA design lab, a dozen enterprising undergraduate students are taking part in an internship that seeks to bridge the gaps among students, faculty and staff with one of campus's most valuable resources – rich, detailed and authentic student feedback. One of the groups of interns, called La Mariposa, or "the butterfly" in Spanish – is looking at how UA Global can more effectively reach all student populations, while understanding the unique experiences of international and study abroad students.

With funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the University of Arizona's Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry will launch a program focused on exploring the narratives of those who live at and journey across the U.S.-Mexico border. Fronteridades is part of the UA's aim to become the leading institution for borderlands scholarship, referred to as the Border Lab Initiative. The goal of this initiative is to make the UA the leader in the field of border studies. This grant is one important first step in that direction.

This morning, I was honored to represent the collective voice of the University of Arizona as I presented our new strategic plan to the Arizona Board of Regents. Now, I want to take a moment to say THANK YOU, because this plan would not exist without you.

In a Q&A with the Appointed Professionals Advisory Council, UA President Robert C. Robbins encouraged employees to share their thoughts on the strategic plan and to complete the organizational health index survey. "I would encourage everybody to lean into the strategic plan," he said. "There are plenty of opportunities to get your thoughts known."

I continue to be impressed by the collective campus response at every stage in our strategic planning process.

Dr. Robbins discusses the Strategic Plan with BizTucson.

Members of the Faculty Senate were updated on strategic planning, senior-level searches and the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. Breaking into the top 50 public universities "is a good thing for the University because there are plenty of prospective students and their families that are looking at these rankings," UA President Robert C. Robbins said.

Daily Wildcat editor-in-chief Jasmine Demers spoke with President Dr. Robert Robbins about the upcoming school year and his advice for students who are just beginning their journey at the University of Arizona. Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Strategic plan in the works, the university president is emphasizing student success rather than number of students.