[This is an excerpt from a longer message from Dr. Kiamu entitled “A Call to Serious Action”. Some text has been highlighted for emphasis. — Editor]
As we begin the year, I like you to also know that in addition to your teaching and working as you expect, we have several tasks that may not be spelled out in your Job Descriptions, but which are equally important for the institution’s overall health and welfare. I am soliciting you full participation in helping us get ahead on these just as you have done in time past.
We will not wait for NCHE, LBNM or any extern assessments to be due before we get to work on what we should be doing. Part of our institutional culture is continuous assessment for excellence. Therefore, think about our vision and mission statements, core values, culture drivers and educational philosophy as we embark upon this year’s tasks. There is plenty of work to do this semester and we must tackle it head on. I trust you and your ability to produce the needed results.
This engagement will mean that we will get everyone as involved as possible—full-time and part-time staff so that together, we deliver the results we need. We need a large team and several smaller supportive teams for the tasks ahead of us. Our focus remains the same, a better, more resilient LICC. But our strategies will vary and change as needed. There is no need to fear these changes in strategy as long as the goal is to help us achieve the same focus. In some instances, it may be that we will change some mini-goals so that we align toward the huge goal. Please understand this and help us move on.
So, it would seem prudent to apportion segments of our time each week to deal with institutional health issues. Let’s assess ourselves objectively as we are able and that way, we won’t be surprised if someone from outside did it and told us we were wanting in serious ways. That said, I think after we begin classes, we should get on with continuous internal assessment. Let’s get to serious work!