Dear Colleagues, 

As we begin this new academic year, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you for your presence at the School of Education and Human Services Opening Day meeting. Your energy, contributions, insights, and commitment to our shared mission are greatly appreciated. 

The start of a new semester always brings a sense of renewal and possibility. I’m excited for the year ahead and grateful for the work each of you does every day—teaching, mentoring, and supporting our students as they pursue their goals. Your dedication makes a lasting impact, and it does not go unnoticed. 

Thank you for all that you do. Let’s make this a year of meaningful learning, collaboration, and continued growth—for our students and for ourselves. 

Best,  

Kristine 

Important Updates 

Syllabi Deadline ==> Wednesday, September 10
To adhere to Higher Learning Commission standards, we need to have official course syllabi on file for all courses by Wednesday. Please upload your course syllabi to the link provided in Kristine’s email message using the following file naming convention (Course prefix & number; instructor last name; semester & year). All syllabi need to adhere to the SOEHS syllabus template (see attached template file). If you have questions, please reach out.  

• Syllabus naming convention example—>  EDU 110 Smith Fall 2025 

Questions? Learn More Below… 

As we kick off the semester in our new academic structure, here’s a quick guide to help you know who to reach out to when questions arise: 

• Associate School Director – Student issues, instructor support, course schedules, and class related questions 
• Committee Liaisons – Committee project/priority questions, support needed to clarify or advance committee work 
• Graduate Program Coordinators – Graduate program questions and graduate student advising 
• School Director – Escalated student issues, larger school initiatives, HR/contract questions, personnel issues 

Additionally, we welcomed two new College of Public Affairs and Education team members. 

• Heather Reindl – Unit Business Officer – Budget/contract pay questions 
• Abby Klueckmann – Human Resources Partner – HR related questions, contracts, Workday issues 

 Student Issues Protocol 

When a student issue arises, the first point of contact should always be the course instructor. The instructor is best positioned to understand the context and provide immediate support or clarification. All concerns should be documented in Navigate to ensure transparency and continuity of communication. 

If the issue remains unresolved or requires additional support, the next step is for the instructor to consult with the program liaison or associate school director. Together, they can assess the situation and determine appropriate next steps.  

In cases where broader coordination is needed, the final step involves all relevant parties—including the instructor, program liaison, associate school director, and the school director—working collaboratively to address the issue. This tiered approach ensures that student concerns are handled thoughtfully, efficiently, and with the appropriate level of oversight. 

Faculty Senate Openings 

We’re currently seeking volunteers to fill two open Faculty Senate seats. These positions offer a meaningful opportunity to help shape decisions at the university level and ensure that faculty voices are represented in important conversations. Serving on Faculty Senate allows you to engage with colleagues across campus and contribute to shared governance decisions that impact teaching, learning, and the overall academic environment. 

Your perspective matters, and this is a great way to make a difference beyond our school. Please reach out if you’d like more information or are ready to put your name forward. 

Program Website Redesign Project –Update from University Marketing
Our current website environment is extremely large, containing thousands of pages across almost 200 independently managed websites. A redesign is underway to simplify the structure, enhance the user experience and improve accessibility. 

We have partnered with Carnegie, a web firm with extensive higher ed experience, to develop a content strategy, information architecture, and creative design for the site.

Here’s what you need to know about next steps: 

• Fall-Winter 2025: Design system development and migration planning. Note: We are staying with WordPress but improving the editing process. 
• Early 2026: Website training for those who will maintain pages on the new site.  
• Spring/Summer 2026: Plan for launch. 

In the coming months, we will be reaching out to all offices and departments with a web presence to make plans for migration. Our goal is to trim any unnecessary pages and combine resources that are meant for the same purpose. 

University Updates 

Several major updates are planned for 2026. The Radford, Webster, and Donner buildings are scheduled for demolition to create green space and eventually more student housing. The Student Health Clinic will relocate to Lincoln, where the UWO Police Department is already housed. Infrastructure improvements are underway, including work on exposed piping. Additionally, the university is close to finalizing a deal to sell the Student Center for Success and Belonging along with the East Fields (soccer fields). The athletic bubble will remain but requires repairs due to a hole. Plans for the new library are also included broader 2025-2026 campus updates. 

Additionally, the College of Nursing, Health Professions & STEM faced an accreditation issue that required the head of the school to be a licensed nurse. To address this and create more leadership opportunities, a new Director of Health Professions role was established as a 0.6 FTE appointment. This change supports leadership progression while maintaining compliance with accreditation standards. 

Faculty Advising Training ==> September 10, 3-5 pm, N Clow 151 or via online link 

Please plan to attend the COPAE Faculty Advising on September 10 from 3-5 pm in N Clow 151 or via the online option. The training will cover how to use Navigate, reading an Academic Advisement Report (AAR) 

All advising interactions must be documented in Navigate to support consistency and accountability across the advising process. To prepare for these changes, all faculty and instructional academic staff with advisee responsibilities will attend the advisor training scheduled for September 10 from 3:00–5:00 PM in N Clow 151, with an online option available for remote participation. There will be breakout sessions for faculty and instructional academic staff who advise graduate students during this time. 

Help Us Reach More Students: Update Your Email Signature
As we continue to strengthen our identity and communication across the School of Education and Human Services, we encourage everyone to update their Outlook email signature with the new school logo and include the official website link: www.uwosh.edu/soehs. This small update helps reinforce our brand and provides current and prospective students with direct access to our programs and resources. For step-by-step instructions, please see the SOEHS News – August 2025 blog post. Thank you for helping us spread the word. 

Mark Your Calendars 

• September 10 — Faculty Advisor Training –> 3-5 pm, Clow N151, (online option coming soon) 
• September 17 — SOEHS Student Advising Open House –> 3-5 pm, Clow Lobby