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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">Dear UE Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">This time of the year typically prompts me to reflect on the year and express gratitude for the people I work with and the work I am called to do every day. The reason why UCR remains a special
place continues to be the people who serve our students and the student population we all serve. Like I said before, when I endeavor to serve UCR students, I am often looking into the mirror. I am serving myself. I am serving my community. I am drawing
on the strengths in students’ backpacks. I am serving our future, not just across the region, but across the state and country as well. We are doing work that not only aspires to <i>cultivate innovative opportunities for transformative student success</i>,
but we are also transforming our communities and society through the work we do in UE. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">I know many of you share these sentiments and prove this in your work every single day for and with our students. While there are always challenges, my <i>why </i>never wavers, and in fact
becomes emboldened as we close out one year and welcome a new one—2024. As I look ahead to 2024, I am envisioning even more focus on the following (to name a few): <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:38.8pt;text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">Continuing
our work on assessment. We will collectively build upon the three workshops many of us attended and work toward developing a data-informed unit that focuses on UE’s strategic goals. Next steps will follow in January;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:38.8pt;text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">We
will expand/build more pipeline programs that help UCR students take advantage of the many high impact practices we offer across UE;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:38.8pt;text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">We
will more explicitly build upon UE mentoring efforts</span><span style="color:red;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none">like Campus Collective, </span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">across campus;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:38.8pt;text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">We
will expand programs like Excel+ to reach larger numbers of students across campus;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:38.8pt;text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">We
will center student input to inform future UE programming around student success;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:38.8pt;text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">We
will have more opportunities to intentionally tell our story and describe our contributions to UCR student success; <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:38.8pt;text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">We
will create opportunities to build community with one another across UE;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">In the context of a new year, I am optimistic about the future and I look forward to working with you. I hope you are able to enjoy the curtailment break and get some </span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none">well-deserved </span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">time
to rest, restore, </span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none">and spend time with your loved ones</span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">. I am looking forward to spending time with family and enjoying meals with my daughter who returned
home from college on Sunday. I also hope to build a more consistent exercise schedule, watch my kids play sports, and enjoy some good food with family. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">I wish you and your loved ones a safe and healthy new year!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">Louie<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">Louie F. Rodriguez </span></b><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">Vice Provost and Dean </span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">Division of Undergraduate Education </span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">Professor of Education</span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">University of California, Riverside<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="mailto:Louie.rodriguez@ucr.edu"><span style="color:#0563C1">Louie.rodriguez@ucr.edu</span></a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="https://ue.ucr.edu/" title="https://ue.ucr.edu/"><span style="color:#0078D7">ue.ucr.edu</span></a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none">Executive Assistant: Mona Nelson </span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tw Cen MT",sans-serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="mailto:mona.nelson@ucr.edu" title="mailto:mona.nelson@ucr.edu"><span style="color:#0078D7">mona.nelson@ucr.edu</span></a> (951)
827-7750 </span></i><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="234" height="48" style="width:2.4375in;height:.5in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DA329B.4EBDC430" alt="Image"></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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