Dear colleagues, 

We often treat teaching, research, and community engagement/service as separate commitments, sometimes even in competition with one another. Yet at their core, they share the same foundation: learning. Whether we are in the classroom, in the laboratory, or out in the community, we all share the common goal of reaching ever-higher levels of understanding.

Learning is a continuous journey as we teach, research, and serve. To challenge our students to become lifelong learners, we must embrace that same pledge ourselves. As Tagore reminds us, “How can a lamp light another lamp unless it continues to burn its own flame?”

While the spark of lifelong learning can sometimes be dimmed by bureaucracy, time constraints, and deadlines, I am inspired by the many NMSU faculty and staff who navigate our processes with joy and continue to fuel their own learning.

Inspired by a group of faculty who have been meeting informally to exchange best practices, I have asked some of our leaders in the Office of Academic Affairs – Drs. Tara Gray, Patricia MacGregor-Mendoza, and James McAteer – to develop a campus-wide framework for informal mentoring for faculty and staff. Dr. Gray will soon announce a series of forums and workshops this fall for faculty on topics such as:

• Maintaining a healthy work-life balance
• Balancing teaching, research, and service
• Engaging effectively with students, GAs, and GTAs
• Navigating rejections (proposals, publications, etc.)

On another front, I am advancing our efforts to streamline and modernize key academic processes. Based on your valuable feedback, we will begin with:

• Sabbatical requests and approvals – from faculty submission through central recording
• International travel approvals – from initial request to Provost's Office approval
• Petition for Waiver Registration Deadline approvals – process from submission to final decision

These initiatives will be developed in collaboration with staff from across our units, and we will share progress with you regularly.

I found this quote from a classroom in Milton Hall: “Whatever it is you want from students, you must give them.” We’ll give each other what we know, and together we will challenge each other to higher levels of learning. We are NMSU.

Sincerely, 

Lakshmi N. Reddi
Interim Provost
New Mexico State University