Dear colleagues,
I want to take a moment to thank you all for the care, candor, and thoughtfulness you brought to our conversation about the possibility of a new college bringing together the College of Design and the School of Music and Dance. The conversations about this idea have admittedly moved quickly over the summer and I know that the uncertainty this quick timeline can create may also raise a great deal of anxiety and questions, alongside excitement around the opportunities this change could present. There is still much we do not know and no final decision has been made. That said, my understanding is that the Provost's primary goal of the proposed merger is to elevate the creative and performing arts on campus in a way that would have the added benefit of creating administrative efficiencies.
The strength of this college is not simply in our programs, buildings, or organizational structures; it is in the people who teach, create, research, advise, mentor, support, and care for our students each and every day. Over the past few weeks, I have seen people from across the college bring their whole selves to this moment sharing their hopes, concerns, skepticism, curiosity, creativity, vulnerability, and commitment to each other and our collective future, and I am deeply grateful for that. Difficult conversations are rarely easy, but they are essential when the stakes are meaningful. In particular, I am grateful to all who have asked hard questions, voiced concerns, offered possibilities, listened carefully to perspectives different from their own. That is what a strong academic community looks like. Whatever organizational form lies ahead, I want us to remain grounded in what matters most: our people, our students, our intellectual and creative work, and the distinctive contributions that each of our disciplines makes to the University of Oregon and to the wider community. In the coming weeks Rich and Stephen will be attending faculty meetings to both listen and learn more about your thoughts on this possible merger and to share updates as I and my team learn more; they will also be leveraging this time to hear your thoughts on how we can achieve 5%, 10%, 15% budget cut scenarios.
Thank you for bringing your whole selves to this conversation and most importantly for continuing to bring your whole selves to this community.
Warmly,
Adrian Elisheva Parr Zaretsky
Dean, College of Design