Dear Colleagues,
The time has arrived. Spring Commencement is this week, and I look forward to seeing many of you at this week’s ceremonies. I am also eager to see our professors who earned Faculty Medallions wearing them at these exercises.
It has been yet another productive semester, but not without challenges. The latest hurdle was the Canvas outage that occurred during finals. UH was among 9,000 affected institutions, but fortunately, access was restored fairly quickly. Regardless, University Information Technology Security recommends that the campus community be aware of any potential suspicious emails that may make their way into UH in-boxes. This recent communication details steps to take when receiving messages from unknown senders.
Back to this week’s graduation: UH has no shortage of success stories this spring, as is evident in this recent UH article. Among this spring’s nearly 8,000 grads are siblings, veterans, a former professional dancer, and so many more compelling Cougars!
I am sure all of you know some outstanding grads who will walk the stage this week. Offer some kudos either in person or via email and let them know that you are proud of their accomplishments.
Now, we prepare for summer. Whether you remain on campus, travel, or take some well-deserved time off, I hope you have a great summer. Most of all, I would like to thank you for your flexibility during a semester that required more time and energy than usual. I recognize that everyone had to put in additional hours to ensure UH remained in compliance with state directives, and your efforts are very much appreciated.
I'd also like to acknowledge your work in making this week possible. As mentioned, graduates from across our colleges are crossing the finish line, and that is because of your preparation and guidance.
This will be the last edition of Academic Update before the fall semester, and it features more examples of faculty excellence and student success. You’ll also find a recap of last month's Academic Outlook presentation I delivered to faculty and staff, as well as the latest installment of Expedition: UH.
I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter and have a great summer!
Diane