A Message from the Provost

February 16, 2012

Dear Everyone,

Thanks to all those who turned out for the first brown bag lunch conversation about the opportunities and challenges of leadership, and thanks also to those faculty who have been hosting me in their classes. So far I've had an online music course, ballet, French Neoclassical drama, cross-cultural social problems, skits in American Sign Language, and a visit to our latest Habitat House in O-building, where our students are building another house in cooperation with Habitat for Humanity. Your energy, enthusiasm, and vision for the future are a great reminder of why Santa Fe is a great college.

Just two quick items for this week:

QEP update: "Navigating the College Experience"

QEP co-chairs Rhonda Morris and Jodi Long report that after reviewing institutional data and analyzing feedback from students, faculty, staff and community members, the QEP Steering Committee is developing a plan that will change SF's learning environment to better prepare students to navigate college more efficiently and effectively. As you probably remember, our QEP will be implemented over a five-year period and will focus on strengthening advisement, student support processes, and communication to enhance the student learning environment and to improve students' abilities to navigate their college experience. The plan's initiatives are designed to route incoming students towards success and to help students stay on course as they proceed, fostering learning that will equip students to be engaged, proactive, and responsible for their own academic goals and achievements. These initiatives include implementing a system of progressive advisement, realizing a student retention and support program grounded in intentional intervention, and developing communications systems to underpin advisement and intervention efforts. Over the next weeks, the Steering Committee will be convening working groups to formulate the details of the QEP, and we are eager for your help. If you'd like to hear more details or get involved, e-mail Rhonda Morris or Jodi Long at QEP@sfcollege.edu.

The Democratic Process and why it matters.

All faculty, staff, students, and the community are invited to a new series of educational forums that will coincide with the 2012 as an election year. The first address in the series will be: "State and Local Elections – What's Really at Stake?" featuring David Price from the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, and Co-chair of Santa Fe's Democracy Commitment project. His talk will be next Wednesday, February 22, 2012, on the 2nd floor of the Library, from 2:00 – 3:00. As the fliers say, please come for "light refreshments and strong insights."

More next week,

–Ed