Breadcrumb
Provost Communication, February 2, 2026
February 5, 2026
Good morning friends and colleagues, welcome to week three of the semester.
I would like to recognize one of our Academic Affairs colleagues for their most recent noteworthy accomplishment: The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) has named Michael Le, Chief Data Officer at Cal Poly Humboldt, to its inaugural Data Policy Advisory Panel. Over his two-year term, Le will join 23 of his nationally respected peers to advise the AIR Executive Office on emerging data policy issues and help elevate the voice of practitioners in federal data collections and postsecondary analytics. Well done, Michael!
OLLI Spring 2026 Open House: February 7, 2026
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) in Extended Education invites older adults in the Humboldt community to discover the joy and benefits of lifelong learning. OLLI at Humboldt celebrated its 20th anniversary this fall, and the program continues to offer affordable, non-credit courses and events that foster intellectual stimulation and personal connection.
Attend the Spring OLLI Open House this Saturday, February 7 from 11 am - 1 pm in Goodwin Forum to meet OLLI instructors and volunteers, learn about and register for the Spring 2026 courses and local field trips, or renew your OLLI membership & learn how to join!
First Year Support Symposium: Monday February 9, 2026
Join faculty and staff from across campus next Monday, February 9, 2026 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in the Scholars Lab, Library 302 for the First Year Support Symposium, an afternoon focused on understanding and strengthening the first-year student experience at Cal Poly Humboldt.
The symposium will feature Keynote Speaker, Leonard Geddes, who will present his lecture: From Transition Traps to Transformative Learning, sharing research-based tools to help students learn more effectively, persist longer, and prepare for what comes next. Cal Poly Humboldt’s Stephanie Whittlesey (IRAR) will present findings from the Humboldt Entry Experience Survey (HEES), exploring how first-year and new transfer students experience welcome, belonging, and connection, and what this means for Place-Based Learning Communities and student-supporting departments. The event will also include discussion on supporting students in first-year courses and opportunities to continue building and collaborating on PBLC Transition Curriculum.
Faculty and staff are warmly encouraged to attend in person or via Zoom. You may drop in via Zoom by using this link: First Year Support Symposium
CSU Trustee Wenda Fong and Mr. Daniel Fetterly Staff Award
I'd like to invite you to nominate an exceptional Cal Poly Humboldt staff member for the Trustee Wenda Fong and Mr. Daniel Fetterly Staff Award. This staff-focused award is a historic milestone for the CSU as its first Board-level recognition program dedicated to honoring staff. This award celebrates those who embody creativity, equity-driven leadership, and a deep commitment to student success. Through this initiative, the CSU works to recognize the individuals and teams whose work transforms lives and strengthens our university communities every day.
Made possible by the generosity of Trustee Wenda Fong and Mr. Daniel Fetterly, the program includes three individual awards of $25,000 each and one team award of $25,000 shared among up to five members. The inaugural honorees will be celebrated at the May 2026 CSU Board of Trustees meeting. This is a special and unique opportunity to shine a light on the exceptional contributions of CSU staff. For more information, check out this webpage: CSU Staff Awards, and contact the Office of Human Resources at hr@humboldt.edu to submit a nomination.
Award Categories include:
Affordability Advocate and Driver of Transformative Change: This award honors an individual whose efforts have a profound impact on making a CSU education affordable and accessible.
Fostering an Inclusive and Equitable Learning Environment: This award honors an individual that has dedicated themselves to student success while promoting equity and inclusion within the university community.
First Generation Belonging and Community: This award honors an individual who excels in fostering a sense of belonging and builds a supportive campus community for first generation students.
Trailblazing Team: This award honors a team of no more than five individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in the service of students and the mission of the CSU.
Sincerely,
Shawna Young



