At UND, Equity = Opportunities for Success
Faculty, staff and student leaders: UND remains committed ‘to being a place where everyone knows they belong and are valued’
Editor’s note: The following letter, written by Zarrina Azizova, associate professor of Education, Health & Behavior Studies and chair of the University Senate; Connor Ferguson, president of the UND Student Body; Anna Marie Kinney, coordinator of the UND Writing Program and president of the UND Staff Senate; and Ryan Zerr, associate vice president for Strategy & Implementation, professor of Mathematics and co-chair of the UND LEADS Implementation Committee, introduces a special edition of UND Today focused on the Equity core value of the UND LEADS Strategic Plan.
As readers may know, UND Today is devoting a special issue on the last Tuesday of each month to the University’s progress on fulfilling the Strategic Plan. The issues consider the plan’s “LEADS” core values — Learning, Equity, Affinity, Discovery and Service — in succession.
Comments or questions? Contact Tom Dennis, UND Today editor, at tom.dennis@UND.edu. Thank you for reading!
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By Zarrina Azizova, Connor Ferguson, Anna Marie Kinney and Ryan Zerr
As we approach the end of the semester, we want to take a moment to reflect on what makes the University of North Dakota great: our campus community. The people who call UND home are what define our character and make UND truly special.
Since 1911, when we pioneered correspondence classes to reach those beyond our physical campus, UND has demonstrated that inclusion isn’t just a modern buzzword — it’s our heritage. This longstanding commitment to meeting students where they are and creating pathways to education for those who might otherwise be left behind remains central to our mission and who we are today.
This commitment is also reflected in how we define the Equity core value of the LEADS strategic plan: “Opportunities for Success.”
These opportunities make it possible for UND students and employees to realize their full potential. In the same way that those first correspondence courses enabled access to higher education for UND students a century ago, today we develop and support pathways to higher education that include online courses and programs, professional development opportunities that allow for growth and advancement, and outreach to communities who may benefit from our services and support.
Access and support that acknowledge people’s different situations and goals has been, and will continue to be, integral to our work.
An environment where all can thrive
Access to UND’s educational environments is an essential component to creating opportunities for success, but it is not the only critical element. The environments themselves must make clear to everyone that they belong and are valued … that they will receive the support and encouragement they need to realize the potential that comes from higher education … that they will be respected as individuals whose experiences and viewpoints contribute to their education and to the community of learners who make up our campus.
As we embrace “momentum” as a guiding principle for the year, we continue to build on the progress we have made toward a more just and equitable university. Momentum is not only about speed, but also direction —
moving deliberately and purposefully toward a UND where individuals’ perspectives and broad access to supportive learning environments are valued as essential to our success and to the success of our state and nation.
These principles are not conditional or situational. They are the core of effective leadership and constants that guide our decisions and actions. That core is a commitment to recognizing the full humanity of each person, listening actively and ensuring that each person has equitable opportunities to thrive.
The core value of Equity in UND LEADS is our commitment to being a place where everyone knows they belong and are valued. While the specific strategies to realize this vision may adjust over time, our fundamental commitment to creating an environment where all can thrive remains unwavering.
We are incredibly proud of the work happening at the University of North Dakota and will continue to strongly advocate on behalf of our faculty, staff and students. Now, as always, UND remains committed to our institutional mission of providing exceptional educational experiences that enrich the lives of North Dakotans and the global community through excellence in teaching, innovative research and meaningful engagement.
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>> Questions or comments about the UND LEADS Strategic Plan? Your thoughts are welcome! Please contact Mike Wozniak, coordinator of Leadership & Programming, and/or Ryan Zerr, associate vice president for Strategy & Implementation, the co-chairs of the UND LEADS Implementation Committee. You also may offer your thoughts by visiting the UND LEADS Strategic Plan home page and clicking on the “Provide your feedback” link.
Thank you for your support of the UND LEADS Strategic Plan!
About the authors:
Zarrina Azizova is associate professor of Education, Health & Behavior Studies and chair of the University Senate. Connor Ferguson is president of the UND Student Body. Anna Marie Kinney is coordinator of the UND Writing Program and president of the UND Staff Senate, and Ryan Zerr is associate vice president for Strategy & Implementation, professor of Mathematics and co-chair of the UND LEADS Implementation Committee.
