dak0013's blog

The spring semester arrives during an extraordinary time. While I know many of us were happy to say goodbye to 2020 and welcome in a better 2021, we enter into our new year with less-than-optimal conditions. Yet, there are bright spots. Vaccines are beginning to be distributed and UNT has applied to be a vaccination site. Thanks to the COVID-19 relief bill, UNT is projected to receive $48-$50M from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, which will support our students, cover COVID-related expenses and aid in our recovery.

As we reach the start of the spring semester, I know that you are prepared to welcome our students back. Our efforts this fall proved to be successful in creating a safe environment for our students to learn and grow. This spring we remain focused on our goal of keeping our students, faculty and staff healthy and safe. The Return to Learn website maintains the latest information about protocols and procedures related to our academic operations.

Dear MHTE Faculty and Graduate Students,

The Journal of Schenkerian Studies is published by the Center for Schenkerian Studies and the University of North Texas Press. The 12th volume of the Journal of Schenkerian Studies was released this summer. Following its publication, parties internal and external to the university, including faculty and graduate students in your department, raised concerns regarding this volume, including concerns about the process by which it was conceptualized and produced. 

In these final weeks of the academic semester, I want to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for our faculty and staff and the spirit with which you have faced these difficult conditions this semester.  Despite a global pandemic, we have still been able to achieve our mission because of the work you are engaged in every day. I hope that you will be able to have some rest during the Thanksgiving break.

The UNT System Board of Regents met last month and approved UNT’s FY21 operating budget. As you know, this is a difficult time financially for UNT and every other university in the country. In the face of a challenging fiscal environment, Academic Affairs has engaged in strategic budget reductions and reallocations. During Fiscal Year 19-20, Academic Affairs reduced its budget by $6.9M. For Fiscal Year 20-21, across Academic Affairs, we have implemented a 5% budget cut and are prepared for an 8% budget cut—which would total $15.3M in reductions.

As a Carnegie Tier One research university, the University of North Texas takes great pride in the partnerships and research collaborations we have built with universities and organizations worldwide. UNT is a place where people from every culture and background come together to advance global knowledge.

This fall will prove to be the most extraordinary in our university’s 130-year history. As we start this new semester together, I want to take a moment to celebrate the work of our students, faculty and staff. COVID-19 may have shifted our timeline, but we are still making great strides toward achieving our goals. 

As the fall semester nears, I know each of you is making the final preparations to welcome our students back, whether virtually or in-person. Our efforts to prepare for the fall semester are guided by our goal of keeping the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff at the forefront as we work to fulfill our teaching, research and clinical missions. There are several important actions that all of us can take as we near the start of our academic year.

Greetings New Faculty,

I want to thank each of you for all of your hard work to prepare UNT for the fall semester. Our work isn’t done, and we all know we may need to adapt throughout the fall semester due to changing health conditions, which we are monitoring closely. I am incredibly grateful for your efforts to date.