Provost Communication, Wednesday, January 21, 2026

As I write this first spring 2026 provost communication, I am filled with anticipation for the exciting work we have in front of us. I am grateful for the team and the culture that former Provost Jenn Capps created in the Division of Academic Affairs, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to serve our university community in a new way. Thanks to all who stopped by the Provost Transition Open House last week to say farewell to Jenn Capps and for your warm welcome to me. We have much important work ahead of us—especially with the upcoming WSCUC reaffirmation of accreditation campus site visit this April. Fun, informative, and important engagement opportunities are being planned in preparation for this visit. Expect to hear more in the upcoming weeks. 

Well done!

Thank you to everyone who helped make the CTL & Office of Sustainability Professional Development Day: Sustainability at Humboldt and Beyond such a meaningful and successful event—bringing together over 80 enthusiastic registrants for a morning of collaborative learning, innovative discussions, and inspiring ideas. Your energy, insight, and commitment to sustainability on our campus and beyond enriched every session and underscored the strength of our community; we couldn’t have done it without you! Click this link to learn more about last week's Professional Development Day: Spring 2026 PD Day

Fred Korematsu Day Celebration: Monday January 26, 2026

You are invited to join the Department of Sociology on Monday, January 26, 2026 from 5 to 6:30pm in BSS 162 to celebrate Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties & the Constitution, with featured speaker Satsuki Ina, who will give a presentation on resistance and remembrance. Please see the attached flier for more information.

My Best Lecture: Adolfo Soberanis on Wednesday, January 28, 2025 *Rescheduled from October*

Join the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences on Wednesday, January 28, 2025 from 5:15 to 6:30 pm at the Veterans Memorial Building, located at 1425 J Street, Arcata for the first event in their new My Best Lecture series, with speakers selected through nominations by the campus community. Native American Studies Lecturer Adolfo Soberanis will present (Re)imagining (Real)ity, a lecture exploring the complexities of our imaginations and their relationship to both the “natural” and “unnatural” worlds. To remedy our cultural state of cognitive dissonance, Soberanis argues, we can use the parenthetical prefix “re-”; however, not without consequences. Soberanis invites us to (re)imagine life outside the parentheses!

The event is free and open to the public.  Light snacks and a cash bar will be available. For questions or accommodation requests contact Joice Chang at jyc85@humboldt.edu.

Call for Applications: Assigned Time for Exceptional Service to Students

Applications for Assigned Time for Exceptional Service to Students for service performed during AY 2026/27 are open! This program is open to all faculty unit employees. The Assigned Time for Exceptional Service to Students program was established through the faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to “provide assigned time to faculty employees who are engaged in exceptional levels of service that support the CSU’s priorities, but who are not otherwise receiving an adjustment in workload to reflect their effort” (CBA 20.37). The purpose of this allocation of assigned time is to alleviate cultural taxation of faculty members who are Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color, LGBTQ+, or of other marginalized identities.

Activities That May Be Supported

• Student mentoring, advising, and outreach, especially as these activities support underserved, first-generation, and/or underrepresented students

• The development and implementation of high-impact educational practices; curricular redesign intended to improve student access and success

• Service to the department, college, university, or community that exceeds the normal expectations of all faculty

• Assignment to courses where increases to enrollment have demonstrably increased workload

• Other extraordinary forms of service to students

Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Friday February 27, 2026 via email to aps@humboldt.edu with the subject line AY 26/27 Assigned Time for Exceptional Service. For more information, please see the email attachment.

I’m wishing all our students, faculty, and staff joy and ease as we embark on this spring semester. 

Sincerely, 

Shawna Young