Minutes - Town Hall, Sept 14, 2017
Discovery Learning Center
N=12
Intro by Jeff Cox
- Intro on teaching and reaching visioning
- Laying out of fall work
- Role of Committee and Report
Q. How big should we think? Can we work to change policy at NSF?
A. We listen to everything but we can only control what we can control.
Q. When do you want the white papers?
A. We would love to have the white papers earlier, rather than later. We can use them to drive the conversations and themed discussions. To be considered by the Committee, they need to be submitted by December 15.
Comment: Given the upset over the A&S Dean, people may be afraid to bring ideas to the table, for fear of flying in the face of the old guard.
A. While the A&S situation is different, we are really talking about building trust. Senior leadership is committed to openness and transparency. Let’s work together to ask the large questions. It can be scary. But that shouldn’t stop us. We want our university to be stable, but not stagnant.
Q. I work in an arena where I innovate and improve administrative processes. Is this a conversation for the AF?
A. Might rephrase it as something like “How do we develop a culture that facilitates elevation innovation to the campus level?” And it’s not just administrative processes, but research and teaching innovation as well.
To find out more about how to get involved, visit the Academic Futures website at