VPC Open Forum
Our discussion of the Purposeful Plan will continue next Wednesday, July 8th at the Open Forum starting at 9:30am. This conversation will be similar to our last meeting where we discussed the action steps for the three programmatic priorities but will focus on the remaining two empowering priorities – Operational Excellence and Innovative Spaces. The agenda can be found here and please RSVP to Kristen if you are able to attend.  If you were unable to join the discussion last week, the minutes can be found here.

One UConn Library
I have been asked by the Provost to lead a task force called the One UConn Library, which will look to deepen our commitment to collaboration with our colleagues in the Law School and the Health Center Libraries. The overall goal is to better integrate and streamline our services across all of the libraries to provide a consistent experience for our users, wherever they are in the system. I have been working with the Provost and my colleagues in the other libraries over the last few weeks to set the stage for the work to come and the announcement was made by the Provost this morning. I strongly support this initiative as do my colleagues and I look forward to looking in-depth at the services we all provide and finding ways to make the experience better for our users. We will begin the process next week and are planning for recommendations to be made to the Provost by the end of this calendar year. Below is the official note that came out from Provost Choi this morning. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Dear Colleagues,

The UConn Libraries, the UConn Law School Library, and the UConn Health Center Library all serve vital roles within their distinct University communities to inspire groundbreaking research and in advancing learning, teaching, and entrepreneurial thinking.  Together, the Libraries have a long history of sharing expertise and outstanding educational and research collections.  Most recently the three Libraries have worked together to launch an integrated library collection management system which will improve access and discovery to all the resources collectively available, in a simplified, consistent, and unified manner.

Building upon this relationship, and the inherent collegiality of our Library staff, I am convening a task force to define a future based upon an even deeper collaboration.  The task force, chaired by Vice Provost Martha Bedard, with membership from all three Libraries including:

Martha Bedard, Chair
Holly Phillips
Jocelyn Kennedy
Darcy Kirk
Janice Swiatek

is charged with recommending organizational structures, modes of communication, service improvements and efficiencies, and decision making for an integrated One UConn Library. The overall goal is to improve and enhance access and services to all in a time of fiscal constraint and rising costs, while exploring opportunities to meet the challenges of providing an ever expanding and complex range of services that includes communities with unique needs.  I will review the recommendations with Deans Liang, MacNeil and Fisher and implement the appropriate changes in structure, organization and service.

Best,
Mun

Mun Y. Choi
Provost & Executive VP for Academic Affairs
University of Connecticut

Happy 4th of July
I hope you all enjoy the long holiday weekend!