April 10, 2021
Dear FAS colleagues,
As part of our ongoing efforts to further operationalize the FAS core values of stewardship, teamwork and service, I am writing to share that Information Quest (IQ) is organizationally joining Information Technology Services (ITS) effective today. Director David Pavkovic will report to Assistant Vice President Trice Humpert.
March 10, 2021
Dear FAS colleagues,
In yesterday’s message to the campus community, President Hartzell formally released The Eyes of Texas History Committee Report. Within our university, the state and the nation, we are grappling with issues of diversity and difference in relation to history. Conversations around diversity and difference can be complex. They require emotional resilience, skill and will. However, they can also create bridges for understanding and healing.
March 8, 2021
Dear FAS colleagues,
Effective today, Don Verett has been named Acting Chief of Police at The University of Texas at Austin Police Department (UTPD). In his nearly 30 year history with the university, Chief Verett has commanded all divisions in UTPD, most recently as Assistant Chief of Police and Chief of Operations. He holds a Master Peace Officer certification, and is a graduate of Texas State University, UT Austin, and the 247th session of the FBI National Academy.
February 23, 2021
Dear FAS colleagues,
As President Jay Hartzell mentioned in his email this afternoon, our campus will reopen tomorrow, largely due to the tremendous efforts of FAS employees.
February 16, 2021
Dear FAS Colleagues,
I want to take a moment to thank each of you for doing your part to support our campus and community during the extraordinary weather event we are experiencing and its unexpected consequences. Many of you are without power and other utilities, which is a tremendous strain on you and your family. Our thoughts are with you throughout this time.
February 11, 2021
Dear FAS Colleagues,
In my June 19, 2020 email to FAS, I shared plans to form a committee of staff from across our portfolio to advise me and our senior leadership team on strategies to help build a culture of inclusion, equity and diversity. On December 11, I reached out again, this time to encourage staff members to apply to participate in the new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee.
February 1, 2021
Dear FAS Colleagues,
Celebrated in America each February, Black History Month gives us the opportunity to explore the unique nature of the Black experience. This month and in the years ahead, I encourage all of us to acknowledge and celebrate the multitude of contributions made by African Americans during our nation’s history. Moreover, I encourage all of us to do so with appreciation for the struggles against inequities with which such contributions have been achieved, including within our own university. As a Black man, I find these achievements to be inspiring, and I also strongly believe that they belong to and can inspire us all to overcome whatever difficulties we may face.
January 19, 2021
Dear FAS Colleagues,
I hope you enjoyed the winter break with your family, friends and loved ones. I spent time virtually with my five brothers and sisters; it’s rare we are all able to come together given our schedules and we live in different parts of the country. COVID-19 made our visit different from usual, but I’m grateful we were able to safely celebrate the new year together.
January 15, 2021
Dear FAS Colleagues,
Service, as a core value of FAS, represents the spirit of partnership and, by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s definition, “grace”— a spirit that binds our various divisions across the portfolio. Monday’s holiday is an official day of service and celebration of the civil rights leader’s life and legacy. As we reflect on Dr. King, let us also acknowledge the humble service of Martin the man, as well as our own capacity to serve.
December 16, 2020
Dear UT Community,
This week, as UT administers the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Austin to front-line health care workers, we know that we feel a new sense of optimism even while a “return to normal” seems far off. The difficulties presented by the disease are not fully behind us, and there is much work remaining before we turn the corner on COVID-19. While we are all investing a great deal of effort to succeed in the near term, we have an opportunity to begin to ask some fundamental questions about what returning to campus might look like when it is safe to do so.
