President's Corner
[a forum for issues
relevant to managers in higher ed
& for supportive interactions among our members]
Dear UMA Members:
A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of speaking to the
2004 graduates of UMDP and sharing this special moment with them. Reflecting on this what I said, I think it
applies to all of us and so I would like to share it with you here in the
President’s Corner.
UMDP Talk: 2004-12-10
Opening Comments:
- Thank
you Rob & Verita for the kind & gracious
introduction
- I am
Peter DeSaix, the current (2004/5) president of the University Managers
Association
- My
congratulations to you all. That we
are here is indicative of your successfully completing a rather demanding
program. You have weathered both
the demanding content and the significant demands on that most precious of
commodities, your time.
- When I
finished this program in 1991, I felt that:
- Much
of the curriculum seemed intuitive
- Some
things I thought were easy were not
- I
developed a professional network
- Now
what am I going to do with this?
Perhaps you are having some of the
same feelings.
- Like
so many programs, this one has sharpened your native skills and helped to
connect you to the wonderful diversity we have on our campus. This diversity is, in fact, one of our
strengths and a source of Carolina’s
excellence.
Segway:
- So,
where am I going? You all have
skills, insights, and understandings about managing. You are poised to step into new roles in
helping to manage Carolina’s
Excellence. This is, in fact, what
the University Managers Association is about. We are
managing partners in Carolinas excellence.
- The
UMA was founded to provide a formal means of continuing the
relationships/networks you’ve developed during the UMDP course. These relationships are basis of the
UMA.
- Through
the years our membership has acted to nurture Carolinas
excellence. We give consul,
sometimes solicited, sometimes not.
We act. A most visible,
unsolicited action we’ve taken is the Employee Appreciation
Fair. This event was initiated, in
1990, by the UMA in recognition and appreciation of ALL university
employees, faculty & staff. Through the years the fortunes of the
event waxed and waned. During the
past couple of years, responsibility for the event has transferred from
the UMA to Human Resources and is now institutionalized. The early history of this event is
posted on the UMA website, uma.unc.edu.
- In
addition to trying to nurture the campus, we especially try to nurture our
managers. We attempt to have
monthly programs, both topical and timely, on issues pertinent to our
campus and efforts. These have included
previews of coming University budgets, discussions of the Better Work
Place Taskforce reports, the Banding initiative, changes
in the FLSA, campus tours, book reviews, and dynamic guest speakers such
as Anson Dorrance, UNC’s
womens soccer coach.
- Future
programs will include Dan Reed, UNC’s
Vice-Chancellor for Information Technology, on the state of IT at UNC;
we’re working on getting Roy Williams to speak at some program; and
UNC President Molly Broad has agreed to lead this years
UMA Book Review, "Good To Great" by Jim Collins.
- So, I
encourage you to join the UMA; to extend your networks; to join us as
managing partners in Carolina’s
excellence; and to do all such good works as we can. Membership forms are available at the
UMA website.
- Finally,
and again, Congratulations to you all.
Hark the sound!
Peter DeSaix
2004-5 Board President
[Created: 05/05/05]