Weekly Update - October 29
From: President <President@manchester.edu>
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2020 2:27 PM
To: All Colleagues <AllColleagues@manchester.edu>
Subject: Weekly update - Oct. 29
Dear Colleagues,
There is some excitement on campus – no, not because the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series!! – but because we are 23 days away (but who’s counting) from Nov. 20, when our North Manchester students head home. Our vigilance and caring as a community make possible what seemed impossible a couple of months ago.
That departure will affect each of us in different ways: a shift to fully remote learning for the last three weeks of the fall semester, an end to the hours spent on COVID-19 testing, a reduced cleaning load for classrooms and some common spaces and so on.
Office schedules
We will not change our current schedules for covering offices on both campuses. Since returning in the fall, some offices, particularly student-facing offices, have been staffed in-person between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or longer. Others are staffed periodically to serve students and colleagues. Those schedules won’t change. You can find a full schedule of office coverage here. If you find something that needs to be updated, contact Julie Knuth.
Board meeting
The Board of Trustees meets this week on Friday and Saturday. The meeting will be virtual again. The agenda includes hearing from Teri Beam, co-chair of the AGC Executive Committee, a panel discussion on diversity and inclusion at Manchester, and reorganization of the board for 2021.
The diversity and inclusion panel includes Celia Cook-Huffman discussing inclusive excellence, Alicia Dailey discussing the work of the President’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, Kierstan Hansen discussing colleague book clubs focused on racism and wellness efforts in Fort Wayne, and Meagan Pollonais discussing diversity programming and student needs in North Manchester.
Mural
In the next few weeks, we will see Tanner Fernung, a senior art major, begin working on a mural on the north end of the Winger Building. Tanner is an accomplished street artist and muralist. Inspired during a January session trip to Greece, Tanner has been commissioned to create more than 10 murals, including five in his hometown of Tipton, Ind. It will be fun to see his work unfold.
Gratitude
My gratitude this week is that the Dodgers won the World Series. I know that’s a very specific and personal gratitude, but it means one less thing to trouble my sleep.
Have a good week and be well.
Dave
Dave McFadden
President
Manchester University
260-982-5050