Cabinet highlights: Sept. 23, 2013

Mason Gerety, vice president for University Advancement, announced the launch of the public phase of the Campaign for NAU, which will roll out over Homecoming weekend. The campaign began quietly about four years ago and has a goal of $100 million in donations, with about $53 million already pledged. Surveys indicate that donors and potential donors care about the student experience, Gerety said. “That’s where it ends.” He explained that donors want future students to have a similar experience that donors had while at a university. The theme for the campaign is “Only at NAU,” and faculty and staff will begin seeing communication efforts throughout campus.

Representatives from the Student Health Advisory Committee and their adviser made a presentation calling for a campus-wide ban on smoking and tobacco products. Chemistry major Alexxa Wirth, public health major Connor Scheuer and adviser Melissa Griffin, health promotion manager from Campus Health Services, explained to cabinet the results of a student and staff survey in favor of banning tobacco—including electronic products—from campus. The ban would include employees, visitors and contractors and would rely on “social enforcement” of the policy. The policy would be similar to policies of more than 1,000 other U.S. colleges and universities, including Arizona State.

Laura Jones, associate vice president for Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, presented the President’s Cabinet Report, focusing on advancement and student data. The report also contains charts on NAU’s strategic business plan in relation to the Arizona Board of Regents 2020 goals.

The Arizona Board of Regents will meet in Flagstaff on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 26 and 27. President John Haeger and university vice presidents will present a report on the university’s strategic plan and discuss the operational and financial state of NAU.

Haeger and Provost Laura Huenekke reemphasized the message presented on campus Sept. 11 by George Mehaffy, vice president for Academic Leadership and Change at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C. The two said Mehaffy “raised the urgency” for significant change at the university level. Huenekke added that it is often colleagues who present the biggest challenge to faculty innovators.

Huenekke also announced that Gypsy Denzine, assistant vice provost, has accepted a position at West Virginia University and will be leaving NAU at the end of October.

A President’s Campus Forum is scheduled for Oct. 1.