Provost Communication, Monday, January 27, 2025

Hello everyone and happy Monday. How is it possible that it is so busy after just one week of classes but so it is! I hope your semester is off to a wonderful start. 

URPC Budget 101 and Budget Update Open Forum - Thursday, February 6, 2025 

The University Resources and Planning Committee (URPC) of the University Senate, in collaboration with the University Budget Office, will be holding a Budget 101/Budget Update Open Forum for the Campus Community on Thursday, February 6, 2025, from 11:30 - 1:00 pm in the SAC 131 the Banquet Room. The purpose of this forum is to introduce campus community members to budgeting concepts, update the campus on the state of the budget (State of California, CSU, and Humboldt), and educate about the role and functions of the URPC. Lunch will be provided. Questions can be submitted ahead of time at OAAVP@humboldt.edu. Please submit your questions by Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 12 pm. 

Community Conversations Schedule

I wanted to remind everyone that our Community Conversations are starting this week with three opportunities to engage. The purpose of these conversations is to reflect together on the events of April 2024 and their impact on our campus and community. Our primary focus is to listen to your experiences, concerns, and ideas. Together, we can explore lessons learned and plan meaningful actions that support future improvements, including potential changes to policies and practices. Your input is critical in fostering lasting and meaningful change.
 

The engagement opportunities during this week are:
 

Jan. 27, 2025—Athletics

• KA 102 (in-person), 6:30 – 7:30 pm

• Light refreshments provided
   

Jan. 28, 2025—University Senate (extended meeting)

• Goodwin Forum, NHE 102 (Hyflex), 2 – 5 pm

  • Regular Senate business: 2 – 3 pm

  • 3:15 – 5 pm, World Café-style Community Conversations 

• Light refreshments provided

• Zoom link 

Jan. 29, 2025—Staff Council Open Forum

• Scholars Lab, LIB 302 (in-person), noon – 1 pm

• World Café-style Community Conversations

• Lunch provided
   

I will share next week’s schedule of Community Conversations during a later Provost Communication.  
 

Staff and Faculty Appreciation Night: Women’s and Men’s Basketball Thur. Feb. 6, 2025

You’re invited to Athletic’s Staff and Faculty Appreciation Night. Come out to Lumberjack Arena this Thursday to see the women’s and men’s basketball teams in action. Please use the attached ticket for free entry for you and a guest. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Well Done: Research Project with Rangeland Science

The ITS Research Support Team partnered with Rangeland Science and Management professor Justin Luong and his research group on a project to automate the measurement of leaf perimeters and areas from digital scans. Automation was achieved using OpenCV with Python. The custom program, featuring a user-friendly graphical user interface, processes each leaf individually, providing accurate perimeter and area measurements. This solution significantly reduced the time required for measurements, and closely matched previous results obtained manually.

REMINDER: Emeritus Status Applications due February 1, 2025

Emeritus status "nominations" for retired tenured faculty, lecturers, staff, and administrators are due to the Senate Office by February 1, 2025.

How to Apply

The retiree must complete the "Informational Template for Emeritus Status". They email the information to their nominator. It is available at the Emeritus & Retired Faculty & Staff Association homepage. The retiree’s nominator must complete the "Spring 2025 Humboldt Staff & Faculty Emeritus Status Nomination form". It is available at the Emeritus & Retired Faculty & Staff Association homepage.

Nominators can be a former department personnel committee, a former department chair, or a former supervisor in your former academic unit or working unit; or Humboldt-Emeritus, Retired Faculty and Staff Association (Humboldt-ERFSA) can nominate you when your previous supervisor or department chair is no longer employed or in a position to nominate you verifying that you meet the criteria for emeritus status.

Eligibility for emeritus status: Retired Cal Poly Humboldt tenured faculty, including FERP faculty, are eligible to apply. FERP faculty should apply since they are retired. (If you retired from Cal Poly Humboldt before December 2020, you should have received emeritus status and do not need to reapply for it). Retired Cal Poly Humboldt lecturers, staff, and administrators are eligible to apply.

Criteria for eligibility: 

• Retirement from the California State University; having provided ten or more years of full-time service or its aggregated equivalent at this campus (Cal Poly Humboldt); and, in special circumstances, the University Senate may award emeritus status to faculty or staff with less than 10 years of cumulative service.Meritorious contributions to teaching, scholarship, and/or service to CSU.

• A history of conduct or behavior that contravenes basic university policies or the university purpose, vision, or core values and beliefs, including serious criminal offenses, fraud, or Title IX violations, is cause for denial of emeritus status. Individuals involved in ongoing investigations for such conduct or behavior are not eligible for emeritus status until the conclusion of the investigation(s).

Emeritus status is granted by the approval of a simple majority of the University Senate membership. If you have questions, please reach out to Marshelle Thobaben (marshelle.thobaben@humboldt.edu)

Have a wonderful week.

Jenn Capps