Dear colleagues,

We will have our first all-college meeting a week from today, Tuesday, October 31, 3:00-4:30 p.m. in the Northstar Ballroom in the St. Paul Student Center. We set the date and time based on the only time this semester that Provost Tom Sullivan could attend. He wanted to convey his thoughts directly to College of Design faculty and staff about how the college relates to the strategic positioning of the University. Tom will join us for the first half-hour of the meeting, speaking for about 10 or 15 minutes and taking questions for about the same amount of time. We are fortunate to have a provost who likes design and who values what we do in this college, so I expect that we will hear supportive and encouraging words, but I know that he is eager to hear your questions.

After hearing from the provost, we will hear from the associate deans, Kate Solomonson and Marilyn Delong, who will talk about the communities of interest, based on the input they have received from faculty. Their presentation will prepare us for a more detailed discussion of the potential intellectual synergies on January 11, when we will have a chance to talk about our teaching and research and to caucus with colleagues around our common interests.

Next on the agenda, I will give an overview of the college budget. I hope to explain how the University budget process has changed and how that has affected the way we operate and how we will make investment decisions to keep us moving forward. In general, the University has become even more decentralized than it has been in the past, with each college now having to pay for "common goods," such as libraries and central administration, as well as for the costs of space and utilities.

Finally, the last half-hour of the assembly will be devoted to giving everyone an opportunity to give the college committees your input and ideas, whether intellectual or operational in nature. The committees have just begun to meet this week -- your thoughts can help shape what they consider, so do come ready to talk. Kate and Marilyn will also be there to get feedback on the communities of interest, and here, too, you can have a real impact on how they evolve in the college.

I know that some of you have teaching conflicts during this time, so we will post on the Web site some of the material presented at the assembly, such as the budget slides. But if at all possible, do try to attend. This is the first of several events that we'll hold as we design the implementation phase of the college. Your participation is key to our success.

I have also attached an article that I was asked to write about the college for M, the University publication that goes to all University alumni, staff, and faculty. It shows the interest in the college within the larger community and I hope does justice to some of the many terrifically exciting things going on here.

See you next Tuesday!