Dear Colleagues,
I want to take a moment to share where things currently stand regarding the potential merger, as I know there are understandably many questions and that in the absence of clear information people may try to fill in the gaps or draw conclusions about what may be happening. For better or for worse, I do not have a merger plan or proposal that has been shared with me, nor have I been presented with or discussed a plan outlining how a merger would be structured or implemented; my understanding is that this work is yet to take place. I have also heard that some of our faculty have been told that faculty elsewhere on campus were presented with a plan. I can't speak to conversations or information shared in settings of which neither I, nor members of the dean's team were not a part of, but I can share that I have not been presented with a plan and no such plan has been discussed with me and that the only meeting to date that I have had in this regard was to exchange our respective organizational charts with each other.
I completely understand why people may have questions, particularly when there is uncertainty around an issue that could have significant implications for our programs, faculty, staff, and students. I have been actively seeking clarification on the questions that have been raised by academic leadership, faculty, and staff in the college, including the charge and scope of the proposed task force, who will serve on it (I have been informed that Sabrina and I will serve on it), and to suggest to the chair of the taskforce (the Executive Vice Provost) that someone with operational expertise be included in its membership. I have followed up on these questions and am awaiting further information. I have also reached out through the appropriate leadership channels to clarify how and when they would like me to present the feedback and input we have solicited thus far. Once I receive guidance on how and when that feedback should be shared I will communicate that back to you and any further feedback I receive from senior leadership in response to this information we gathered, which we will then convey to our college community through the appropriate channels.
I want to emphasize that I am not raising this to suggest that people should not be asking questions or seeking information; quite the opposite, as I believe questions are important, particularly at a time like this. My goal is simply to make sure that, as leaders we working in coordination with one another and are helping each other distinguish between what is confirmed and what may be speculation or information that has been interpreted differently as it moves throughout our various communities. On that note, I would appreciate your partnership in helping with this: if you hear questions or information suggesting that a merger plan has already been developed, presented, or discussed with me or members of the dean's team, I would appreciate you gently helping to clarify that this is not information any of us have currently. I recognize that when people are anxious or uncertain, it is very natural to look for answers and to try to make sense of incomplete information. I hope we can respond to that understandable anxiety with empathy whilst also being careful to move forward as a coordinated leadership team. As academic leaders we have an important role to play in helping our faculty and staff navigate this uncertainty and I am relying on all of us to help create as much clarity and steadiness as we can, whilst also ensuring that we can continue to represent the questions, concerns, and interests of our respective communities. My commitment is to do the same and to advocate for our collective interests as we learn more.
At this point, I simply want everyone to know that I will share substantive information as soon as I have it and that until then, I want to avoid speculation or giving anyone a false sense that decisions have been made. Thank you for your patience, your partnership, and the care you are showing for your faculty and staff during what I know is an uncertain time. I very much appreciate our working together to navigate this thoughtfully, transparently, and with the interests of our entire college community in mind.
Best,
Adrian Elisheva Parr Zaretsky
Dean, College of Design