From the President: Big Changes for 2021
I hope you had a joyous and restful holiday season. With the beginning of the new year, we at Viterbo are busy preparing for the start of the spring semester. I know everyone at the university shares my excitement for the return of our students to campus and my confidence that, like its predecessor, the coming semester will be a resounding success.
The start of 2021 also brings some important leadership and academic structure changes at Viterbo. Please join me in congratulating two Viterbo administrators on their recent promotions. Rick Trietley is now the executive vice president for student success and Sara Cook is the vice president for academics. They have each provided outstanding service to Viterbo University, and I have no doubt they will continue to thrive in their new roles.
Academics will now be organized into three colleges and two schools, the College of Business, Ethics, and Leadership; the College of Engineering, Letters, and Sciences; the College of Nursing and Health; the Conservatory of Performing Arts; and the School of Education. Several national searches for open deans and other leadership positions are, or will soon be, under way.
One of those positions will be the newly created assistant vice president for human resources and institutional equity. Continuing our commitment to diversity, social justice, hospitality, and fairness for all are integral parts of our Catholic and Franciscan identity and remains an institutional priority.
Thank you again for your service to Viterbo University. I wish everyone a happy and successful (and normal!) 2021.
A Message from Jerry Berns, Board President
Without question we are welcoming 2021 as a year for optimism in our quest for normalcy and renewed personal connections with people and the institutions we care about. Who of us could have predicted a year ago that we might not be able to visit our grandkids in our traditional Christmas gatherings or that we would have to preregister to go to church or attend college virtually? We endured the traumatic effect of COVID-19 in our personal lives, but we also recognized that universities, including Viterbo, would have to fundamentally reinvent how academia would be available to our future servant leaders.
In December, a Board of Advisors letter was sent to all Viterbo employees, thanking them for their service to Viterbo in difficult times. We included the names of all board members with this correspondence. When I paused to reflect on all of you highly respected and accomplished individuals now serving on the board, I felt humbled to be part of such an esteemed group. I also became aware that this quality group could be engaged for a more active role in supporting Viterbo.
A board subgroup assembled in a Zoom meeting on Dec. 8 pondered the following statement: “We appreciate the community’s reaction to Viterbo’s current situation. How do we leverage these positive comments to the university’s advantage? Should we use this information, what is the message and how do we share it?”
This generated a number of ideas that dealt with ways to relate to the community for the many positive stories that could be shared. Those present raised and acknowledged that there are opportunities for employee engagement with guidance counselors, teachers, and prospective students.
But how do we engage the tremendous wealth of knowledge, experience, and dedication found in each member of the Board of Advisors? The development of a “reverse speakers bureau” was proposed. This concept would identify the strengths of each board member and make those skills available to faculty members to enhance classes.
Other ideas included the development of mentoring programs and potential opportunities for job shadowing with board members, specific to their expertise.
The Executive Committee is challenged but determined to provide opportunities to channel and share your expertise and your wisdom with a cohesive structured program. If you have an idea of how you could serve the students and staff of Viterbo, please make the offer. We look forward to finding a structure to get things done that focuses on results.
Happy New Year! I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas. We anticipate a full board meeting in March, but feel free to reach out sooner.
