Fall 2004: Unlike Any Other Before
The Dean's Musings
Of all the fall semesters, no other in recent memory has been more turbulent, strained or filled with new beginnings—sometimes exciting, sometimes challenging—than the fall of 2004. With the wrath and disorder of the state’s hurricanes, the impact of a new software management system, and the excitement of new leadership, tensions and emotions have been at an all-time high on campus.
Staff members who help us on a daily basis have borne the brunt of the new changes brought on by PeopleSoft, and we need to give our special gratitude to all of them. They do not always share in the credit for the academic accolades that are the mark of our community, but without our staff’s dedication and hard work—our grants, payrolls, reimbursements and many other tasks would come to a standstill and certainly not reach the level needed for us to attain our ambitious academic goals. Yet, many of our staff members have dealt with disarray at home and on campus. They arrived on campus for work at the usual times for work as UF opened after the storms, without mention of any special troubles, only for us to find later that many of these tranquil, never-complaining workers were without water and power for days and even weeks. In this festive season, please think of your supporting staff, especially those you may not always see every day, who keep the power and plumbing and all the basic utilities functioning and the university running. Just take time to say thank you.
Of course, the coincidence of the storms occurring a couple of months after the university switched to a new software system only amplified the pressure on our staff. We are now overcoming these challenges, and in the new year, can look forward to fresh opportunities as President Bernie Machen continues to map the path for the future. The energy and impatience to move forward is palpable, and one year from now we will be tasked to show what we have done to move the institution toward the top tier of public universities in the US. Impossible, say the curmudgeons, but let us remember that it was only a short time ago that we were struggling to have UF accepted as the state’s flagship university, with the need to become a first-rate public university. The first statement is now readily accepted (and echoed publicly by our governor), and the second is now taken by many as achievable with effort. We have programs that are national leaders and recognized worldwide, and we will continue to expand these. In brief, as one of my favorite curmudgeons said, “give us the tools and we will finish the job.”
Have a safe and enjoyable holiday season, and as you plan your future, academic or otherwise, dare to be original.
—Neil Sullivan
sullivan@phys.ufl.edu
Photo:
Jane Dominguez