Earlier today, we sent a welcome back message to all our students, highlighting opportunities for community connection and engagement to kick off the Winter Quarter. In addition to the events listed in the student message here, there are several activities and milestones for all of us to look forward to as well.
New public website and internal portal
We are planning to launch DePaul’s new public website and internal portal this month. Through these investments in technology and collaboration across the institution, we are building platforms that showcase our university and provide students with tailored support to help them thrive.
The new public website will introduce smarter, data-informed functionality that helps prospective students more easily find relevant programs, strengthening how we differentiate and tell our story. The internal portal will create a more personalized, student-centered experience by bringing key systems like class materials into one place. The portal will reduce multiple logins and deliver timely alerts, news, support requests, and optimized search functionality. It also will improve daily efficiency and help faculty and staff stay more closely connected to campus life and one another.
Designing DePaul Strategic Plan
In the coming weeks, you will receive an update on the strategic planning work that is already in motion on the Designing DePaul Steering Committee and Subcommittees, helping position our university for a strong future. We are making progress as we move our mission and priorities into action, and the final Designing DePaul Strategic Plan will provide a clear roadmap for long-term growth.
Supporting our students
We are seeing encouraging progress in how we organize our work to better support students and advance our mission. Ongoing efforts to build understanding, belonging, and shared purpose across the university are gaining significant momentum. The Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity; the Division of Student Affairs; and the Division of Mission and Ministry are working more closely than ever to align their efforts, strengthen student experiences, and advance shared priorities. Dania Matos, Kimberlie Goldsberry, and Mark Laboe will share additional updates in the weeks to come as this collaboration continues to take shape.
The next
President’s Dialogue Series event for faculty and staff will convene on Wednesday, Jan. 21 from 9 – 11 a.m. on the Lincoln Park Campus. This session will focus on listening, connecting, and moving forward together. The Dialogue Collaborative will send an invitation with registration information soon, and we hope you will plan to attend.
We will also come together on Thursday, Jan. 22 to celebrate the
Blue Demon Challenge, DePaul’s single largest annual day of giving. Every year, we look forward to this fun, high-energy tradition because it always brings our community together to build excitement and reminds us who we are as Blue Demons. That same sense of connection and shared purpose will continue to guide our work this quarter and beyond.
We look forward to our continued work to design DePaul’s future and, in doing so, help shape higher education and the society we serve. Thank you for all you do to support our students and one another as we begin a new quarter. Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Robert L. Manuel
President
Salma Ghanem
Provost
Sherri Sidler
Executive Vice President & CFO