When I joined CALS as your dean in 2012, one of the first things I set out to do was create a vision and strategic plan for the college. I knew our college was capable of accomplishing great things and I was right. Thanks in part to that planning process, our college has risen to be one of the top agriculture colleges in the country. And although the plan expired in 2020, your passion and purpose is as strong as ever.  I am proud of our faculty, staff, and students for all they have accomplished.

What I am most excited about with our next strategic plan is that you- our most valuable stakeholders- are leading this initiative. Representatives from across the college have come together to form a strategic planning committee. They have created a strategic planning process for our college that is heavily focused on our employee feedback – OUR people.

This is your CALS. Let’s hear your voice.

I urge you, if you have not done so already, please take the time to complete the CALS Compass 2030 survey you received via email on 8/23. The planning team, made up of your peers, created this survey to better understand what is most important to you. We want to create the best land-grant university in the country, and the best place to learn and work for everyone. Your survey responses will shape the strategic plan and in turn the future of CALS.

While this is the first opportunity for faculty and staff to participate in the strategic planning process, it won’t be the last. The strategic planning committee plans to engage CALS faculty and staff at various steps along the way. For updates and information about the process, please visit the CALS Compass 2030 website.

If this last year has taught us anything it is that our Pack is resilient and innovative. Which is why now is the perfect time to create our new strategic plan. We have some of the best faculty, staff, and students in the country- even the world – and when we work together, we can do extraordinary things.

Go Pack!

Richard Linton
Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences