And just like that, Field Day season is over! I enjoyed visiting many of our Agricultural Research Centers around the state these past couple of months. It was a great way for me to be introduced to the useful research being done on such a wide variety of crops and to the communities our science is serving. Our outlying Research Centers truly are the University FOR Missouri to their communities and fully embody our land-grant mission. They represent us well! Congratulations to everyone who helped with all of the successful events this summer and fall – and thank you for the warm welcome at each of them.
As the days get shorter and colder, it’s that time of year to reflect on everything that we are thankful for. For me, this includes our dedicated faculty and staff. I hope you have marked your calendar for Novemberfest, Friday, Nov. 17, from 3-5 p.m. This gathering will be an opportunity for me to inform the CAFNR community what I’ve learned since August 1. I’ll share a state of the college address and present a roadmap for the next few months for CAFNR’s drive to distinction.
I also hope you will be part of helping CAFNR plan for our shared future. I have been meeting with a variety of our constituents around the state, listening to what they need from our college. Next will be a formal strategic planning project. We expect to launch facilitated planning around the first of the year and will be engaging key constituents throughout the process. Your input will be critical to our success in crafting a vision for CAFNR.
It’s a matter of choice versus chance. In this challenging financial climate, failure to plan will promote reaction rather than pro-action. We choose to define what CAFNR will become through the planning process. The plan will serve as a map to guide and inform decisions and future investments. I challenge CAFNR to be bold and audacious. Together, we will re-envision a college that is truly a distinctive model for a 21st-century land-grant college.
CAFNR Proud!
Christopher R. Daubert
Vice Chancellor and Dean
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