Week of December 9, 2024

Weekly Campus Debrief

Key Topics & Highlights

Please find full meeting details, including agendas and attendees, below, and upcoming meetings for next week.

  • Faculty Communication Taskforce: Discussed strategies to enhance communication among faculty members.
  • Vivarium Strategy: Developed plans for strategic vivarium management.
  • Provost Search: Initial meeting with WittKieffer to begin the search process.
  • Strategic Plan Grand Challenges: Reviewed progress on the university’s eight Grand Challenges and recognized leadership achievements:
    • 🌟 David Spivey – Supernova Impact Award
      For turning action into impact with unstoppable momentum.
    • 🎨 Barry Robbins – Presentation Masterpiece Award
      For captivating us and setting a new standard for presentations.
    • 📊 Colin Potts – PowerPoint Prodigy Award
      For making PowerPoint an endurance sport with the most presentations.
  • Toomey Hall Furniture: Collaborated with students on updated furniture designs.
  • Advising Discussion: Explored improvements to advising processes, including the Stellic platform.
  • Greek Advisory Council: Discussions with Greek organizations on leadership and community goals.
  • Holiday Card Review: Finalized messaging for the campus holiday card.
  • Commencement Preparations: Luncheons and events to prepare for the Fall Commencement ceremonies. Thank you, volunteers!
  • Commencement Speaker Events: Welcomed Harold “Skip” Garner, who met with faculty and visited departments.
  • Fall Commencement: Celebrated graduates across multiple ceremonies.
Meetings Details

Monday, Dec. 9:

  • Taskforce – Faculty Communication Meeting
    • Agenda: Discuss to ideas the committee came up with for
    • Who’s in the Room (List list was invited, some did not attend): Susan Murray, Mehrzad Boroujerdi, David Borrok, James Sterling, David Enke, Klaus Woelk, Francisca Oboh Ikuenobe, Kwame Awuah-Offei, David Westenberg, Jeffrey Schramm, Jeff Jennings, Beth Kania-Gosche, Sarah Hercula, Kate Drowne, Carol Tohlen, Daniel Forciniti, Lijun Jiang, Melody Lo, Edna Grover-Bisker, Jessica Gargus, William K. Smith, James Slone, Jacob Ternes
  • Vivarium Strategy
    • Who’s in the Room: Fred Stone, Steve Roberts, Alysha O’Neil, Colin Potts, Kamal Khayat, Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Yue-Wern Huang, Richard Brow

Tuesday, Dec. 10:

  • Witt kiefer introduction
    • Who’s in the Room: Chancellor Dehghani, Cindi Nelson, Jill Warren, Sue Simmons, Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Witt Kiefer team
  • Strategic plan grand chAllenges: Six-month follow-up meeting
    • Agenda: Review of the 8 Grand Challenges associated with each SFA and progress, Leadership Team Awards
    • Who’s in the Room: Chancellor Dehghani, Mehrzad Boroujerdi, David Borrok, Richard Brow, Cheryl Cain, Bella Gerlich, Robin Gore, Garry Grubbs, Wayne Jones, Kamal Khayat, Susan Murray, Cindi Nelson, Alysha O’Neil, Colin Potts, Barry Robbins, Steve Roberts, David Spivey, Jim Sterling, Tory Verkamp, Kwame Awuah-Offei, Martin De La Hunt, Petra DeWitt, David Enke, Mehdi Ferdowsi, Daniel Forciniti, Yue-Wern Huang, Lijun Jiang, Bih-Ru Lea, Stephen Raper, Klaus Woelk

Wednesday, Dec. 11:

  • Toomey Hall FuRniture Committee
    • Who’s in the Room: Jill Warren, Pat Litty, Missouri S&T Students

  • Chancellor Dehghani meeting with Executive Staff Council
    • Who’s in the Room: Chancellor Dehghani, Kevin Walkup, Mark Evans, Cyndi Kinder, Jacquelyn Sansone, Cassie Liscombe, Simone Waldon

  • Advising Discussion
    • Agenda: Stellic and future of advising
    • Who’s in the Room: Chancellor Dehghani, Colin Potts, Amy McMillen, Jill Warren

  • OVCRI Luncheon and Holiday Party
    • Who’s in the Room: Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation Team and Leadership

  • Legislative and engagement Initiatives weekly Meeting
    • Who’s in the Room: Melanie Keeney, Jill Warren
  • Chancellor Greek Advisory Council
    • Who’s in the Room: Chancellor Dehghani and Greek Advisory Council

  • 1st Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellow achievement award reception

Thursday, Dec. 12:

  • Review of Holiday Card message
    • Agenda: Review 2024 Campus Holiday Card
    • Who’s in the Room: Chancellor Dehghani, Cheryl Cain Jill Warren

  • Commencement Ambassadors luncheon
    • Agenda: Prepare for commencement
    • Who’s in the Room: Open to Commencement volunteers

  • Executive Forum
    • Agenda: Campus Arts and Performance
    • Who’s in the Room: Chancellor Dehghani, Alysha O’Neil, Colin Potts, Steve Roberts, Cheryl Cain, Jill Warren, Wayne Jones, Mehrzad Boroujerdi

Friday, Dec. 13:

  • Commencement Speaker Harold “Skip” Garner: Department of Chemical and Biochemical engineering
    • Who’s in the Room: Skip Garner and Hu Yang
  • Lunch with Commencement Speaker Harold “Skip” Garner
    • Who’s in the Room: Skip Garner, Jill Warren, Jim Sterling, Dick Brow

  • Commencement Speaker Harold “Skip” Garner: Department of Nuclear Engineering & Radiation Science
    • Agenda: Skip visits his home department, Nuclear
    • Who’s in the Room: Skip Garner, Joe Newkirk

  • Fall Ph.D. Commencement Ceremony (6 p.m.)
    • Who’s in the Room: Open to the entire campus community
  • Who’s in the Room: Jill Warren, Melanie Keeney

  • Who’s in the Room: Skip Garner, Hu Yang

Saturday, Dec. 14:

  • Fall Commencement-Morning Ceremony (10 a.m.)
    • Who’s in the Room: Open to the entire campus community
  • Fall Commencement-Afternoon Ceremony (3 p.m.)
    • Who’s in the Room: Open to the entire campus community
Friday Email

Subject: Vast Oceans of Opportunity

Summary: This week’s message reflects on the transition from student to professional as over 600 Missouri S&T graduates prepare to embark on exciting new careers. The message highlights the importance of building connections, embracing teamwork, and contributing to shared goals as keys to success. Congratulations to our graduates—this weekend is the beginning of always!

Read the full message: Vast Oceans of Opportunity

Upcoming Meetings & Dates

Monday, Dec. 16:

  • Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees
  • NISS New Client Preliminary Discussion (Office of Student Success)
  • Remmers Lecture Series Planning
  • Vivarium Strategy
  • CM2AE Consortium Meeting

Tuesday, Dec. 17:

  • Operational Effectiveness Leadership Team Meeting
  • Executive Forum
  • Council of Chancellors Meeting
  • Geared for Phelps Holiday Party

Wednesday, Dec. 18:

  • Chancellor Dehghani, Smitty Grubbs and Jill Warren to meet about Graduate Education
  • Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce December Luncheon
  • Timekeeper Updates for Winter Break

Thursday, Dec. 19:

  • Chancellor’s Holiday Brunch
  • Military Relations Meeting
  • Weekly Conference Call UM System Communications
  • Leadership Holiday Social

Friday, Dec. 20:

  • Rolla Regional Economic Commissions Monthly Meeting
  • Lunch with Fort Leonard Wood Leadership
  • Legislative and Engagement Initiatives