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Here we are, wrapping up a beautiful autumn season and heading into holiday celebrations. It’s been a month of exciting opportunities. Although there are many challenges, I am looking to the coming months with anticipation of great strides toward a new vision for CAFNR. In early November, Senator Brian Munzlinger invited me to visit with Missouri ag industry leaders in Jefferson City to begin a discussion about how we partner to affect positive growth in Missouri’s agricultural economy. Economic development and a market economy is key to the success of CAFNR graduates, and to the health and happiness of the citizens of our great state and the world. Together we CAN make a difference! I am energized and ready to GO! I returned last week from meetings in Washington, D.C., at an American Public Land Grant Universities (APLU) meeting. My recent inclinations were confirmed…CAFNR must be at the national and international “table” for discussions involving policy, guidelines, and reviews. Knowing that our administrative structure is “bare bones,” I shared my concerns with Provost Stokes and received her approval to reconfigure the CAFNR administrative team. This team will usher in a new and better CAFNR with greater expediency, and help us in our efforts to promote positive change for this great college. I hope you attended Novemberfest last Friday, where I shared a brief overview of my “First 100 Days” as your dean. I’m so proud of all that CAFNR is and will be as we work together toward a shared vision. To achieve a new and better CAFNR, we are in the beginning stages of our strategic planning process, and will launch college-wide in early 2018. This effort will be a great learning process as together we determine who we are and who we aspire to become…it is indeed a matter of choice vs. chance. I hope everyone will engage in this planning effort. Thanksgiving blessings to you and your family! It is so beneficial for us all to take some time in our busy lives to be with family, share a meal and express thanks for the opportunities we enjoy. If you know of a student or colleague who will not have the opportunity to be with family this week, I hope you will reach out and include them in your Thanksgiving celebration. Gratefully, Christopher R. Daubert
Vice Chancellor and Dean |
