Regents Rick Myers and LuAnn Leonard, as well as ABOR President Eileen Klein, met with the Faculty Senate recently to discuss the university presidential search, said Astrid Klocke, president of the Faculty Senate. The regents have hired national search firm Storbeck/Pimentel to lead the search and will be seeking input from faculty and staff in the coming months during visits by regents and the firm.
The campaign to turn NAU into a tobacco-free campus has stalled within student government, and most likely will not be addressed by President John Haeger until at least the spring.
The university will be adding gender-neutral bathrooms in new buildings and to some existing buildings where feasible. Changes to residence halls are already in place.
Chief information technology officer Fred Estrella said that more than 500 computers are still running Windows XP, which will no longer be supported by NAU beginning in April, making those computers a security threat to the university. Estrella is urging users to upgrade from Windows XP, which may require purchasing a new computer.
NAU submitted a Quality Initiative Institutional Proposal to the Higher Learning Commission, according to Karen Pugliesi, vice provost for Academic Affairs. The project focuses on current efforts to increase retention and engage in ongoing campus improvement efforts. Two main components of the success initiatives include the Peer Jacks and Student Success Coaches.
The Arizona Board of Regents has asked the universities to create individual task forces on student safety. Sarah Bickel, vice president and chief of staff, will lead NAU’s effort.
NAU’s fall commencement ceremonies are scheduled for 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19. The university will graduate about 2,500 students.