Land Acknowledgement (Netta Avineri)

• Guest: Guest: Netta Avineri, Professor TESOL/TFL, Intercultural Competence Committee Chair, Collaborative in Conflict Transformation Graduate Training in Research Pillar Lead
• Reference: MIIS Land Acknowledgement Process, Middlebury Institute Land Acknowledgement
• Process
  • Advocacy in Action Course student project (Assoc. Prof. Kent Glenzer) (Fall 2021)
  • Student Council DEI Committee engagement (Spring 2022 & Fall 2022)
  • Ohlone Sisters “MIIS Land Acknowledgment Conversation” (Spring 2022)
  • CoLab Land Acknowledgment Learning Circle (Fall 2022) [participant survey]
  • Conflict Transformation Cohort Fellows project (Karan Kunwar & Maria Zaharatos) (Fall 2022 & Spring 2023) [student survey]
  • CoLab Graduate Assistant project (Spring 2023 & Summer 2023) [development of ‘learning and action’ resources’] 
  • Consultation with MIIS Communications Director Sierra Abukins, MIIS JEDI Officer Nicholas Creary, Middlebury General Counsel & Chief of Staff Hannah Ross (Fall 2023)
  • Coordination with MIIS Mural Project (Summer & Fall 2023)
  • Consultation with Ohlone Sisters (Ongoing, Spring 2022 – Fall 2023)
  • Discussions with Middlebury Senior Leadership Group (Fall 2023)
• Statement
  • We pause to acknowledge that the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) sits in the Village of Achasta on the ancestral and unceded land of the Ohlone (Costanoan) Rumsen/Rumsien people, a Rumsen-speaking group. Several contemporary tribes, including Esselen, call this land home today. The surrounding Monterey Bay region includes lands traditionally inhabited by the Esselen (to the south), Chalon (to the south), Mutsun (to the north), and Salinan (to the east) groups. We honor these groups’ experiences in the past, present, and future, as we work collaboratively with them to protect the land and its inhabitants.  Let us take a moment of silence to honor these Indigenous communities, past and present. We give thanks for the opportunity to respectfully share in the bounty of this place, and are working collaboratively to protect it.  We are all one in the sacred web of life that connects people, animals, plants, air, water and earth. 
• Beyond the Land Acknowledgement: Where and how do we use the land acknowledgement and make it part of our community?
  • Events
  • Syllabi
  • Public spaces (library, garden, plaque, etc.)
  • Connections with Mural project
  • Ongoing engagement with local Indigenous groups
  • Fellowship opportunities
• Our focus was on the MIIS campus, not on the entire Monterey Bay region. As a result, we wanted to engage specifically with Rumsen Ohlone, so we worked with leaders in those groups. We also worked with Essalen groups as secondary sources. In the longer version of the statement, we have the five tribes local to the region with links to more information.
• Discussion
  • How often do you recommend using the land acknowledgement during a multi-day event?
    • One idea could be at the beginning of each day or during whatever opportunity the group will all be together, especially if participation may be differ across days. 
  • For an online syllabi what is the role of land acknowledgement, understanding the more distributed nature of the people and technological resources?
    • One perspective is that this is not about the location of individual faculty members or students as much as an institutional statement. MIIS has a physical location in Monterey, and this statement is on behalf of an institution. Our land acknowledgement might inspire research from remote community members to learn more about the land and history in their location.
  • What does it mean to have a land acknowledgement, and how does this fit with other acknowledgements?
    • This acknowledgement is a recognition of the appropriation of land and harms committed against the Indigenous population. There are related conversations about understanding how we address historical harms that have been done to a wide variety of communities.
  • The College sits on the historical land of the Abenaki people and also has developed a land acknowledgement. Beyond the land acknowledgement, the Abenaki language has been introduced into the language school programs. The College also owns conserved land that is traditional Abenaki land, and has been working on an agreement to allow traditional uses in keeping with conservation practices.
  • Another form of reckoning has involved de-naming structures and spaces or revisiting honorary degrees through a process of inquiry. We want to develop principles around what it means to establish these spaces and do so in a balanced way that involves engagement with our communities and invites people to learn more about the history.
  • There is so much complexity and a broad range of questions that arise, which makes this work an ongoing iterative and interrogative process.

Wiley Contract Update (Hannah Ross & Patricia Szasz)

• We have officially signed a contract with Wiley, an expert in online program marketing, recruiting, and bringing students through the application, enrollment, and advising process. 
• Middlebury has full academic control of our programs with Wiley. The program and course content are created by us and the admissions decisions are ours. 
• Program portfolio decisions are made on a basis of mission alignment, market opportunities, and competitor programs.
• After significant research we are going to use the price point of $850/credit and our master’s degrees will be mostly 30-credit models. 
• Our programs with Wiley are intended to be operated online and distinctive from on-ground programs. Where we have similar subject areas, it will be important to distinguish the unique components of the online and on-ground offerings.
• In the master service agreement (MSA) we agreed to the first six programs that will be offered over the next 2-4 years. These are not the sum total of the programs we will work on with Wiley or in the online modality. We expect to agree on additional programs to continue to grow the online cohort of students.
• The initial six programs in the contract are:
  • MPA in Sustainability 
  • Organizational Leadership
  • Analytics
  • Educational Leadership
  • Translation & Localization Management (distinct from on-ground program)
  • Cybersecurity
• Discussion
  • Do we have access to the contract and how it reflects input from stakeholders?
    • Unfortunately it is not a public document, but can share at a high level that a number of different stakeholders were consulted during contract negotiations – Student Disability Resource Center, Student Services, IT, etc
  • Wiley has also announced they are looking for new investment or partnership in their university services department, and we may learn more about that publicly soon.

General Updates (All)

• Welcome to the ILG:
  • Daniel Chatham, Director for Academic Initiatives
  • Landry Dohou Bi, Student Constituent Representative to the Institute Board of Advisors
  • Tabitha Fleming, Assistant Director for International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)
  • Sharad Joshi, Faculty Constituent Representative to the Institute Board of Advisors

Agenda

• Advancement Update, Allie Ladio
• Wiley Contract, Hannah Ross
• General Updates, All

Advancement Update (Allie Ladio)

• This is an exciting year for Advancement as we kick off the public-facing chapter of the campaign. We have been in the silent phase of the campaign for the last two years.
• Last week the full Advancement team (60-70 members) was in Vermont for a summit to support the campaign kick-off.
• Out of the $600M overall campaign goal, we are at $330M as of just a few days ago, an exciting 55% towards goal. 
• This year we are launching the campaign publicly with an official launch event at Bread Loaf on October 28th. There will be many more sources of communication and public-facing information and engagement as we move into this phase, and at the end of March Advancement will be hosting a launch event at the SalesForce tower in San Francisco.
• Advancement is putting together campaign materials and collecting examples that support the theme of “a life of impact” to feature stories across Middlebury. If you have examples of MIIS alumni, faculty, or staff that could be featured please reach out to Allie.
• Allie’s key role is working with individual donors that support the Institute. This year our goal is to raise $4M across Midd to support the Institute, and Allie will be working closely with Advancement colleagues to make sure events are also able to represent opportunities at the Institute.
• Allie has also been supporting the creation of specific fundraising plans. Last year she worked with the Center for Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism and the Center for the Blue Economy. This year she is working on fundraising plans with the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, scholarships and financial aid, and immersive learning experiences at MIIS. While these plans feature specific areas, they are added to a full menu of opportunities to support the Institute. 
• Throughout the semester and year we will likely be hosting more of our Advancement colleagues from Vermont for visits to the Institute campus. This is a great opportunity for fundraisers to become even more familiar with the Institute and our programs.
• Advancement is in the process of developing MIIS alumni engagement goals for the campaign. Meg Storey-Groves is the primary point of contact for interest in supporting alumni gatherings. Allie can be a liaison for this work, and would welcome ideas for alumni engagement opportunities.
• We are digging a little deeper this year to make sure we are able to engage with our community and support the campaign. 

Wiley Contract (Hannah Ross)

• Wiley is an online program manager (OPM), and their University Services design works with colleges and universities to support marketing, recruitment, enrollment, and student services.
• As many of you are aware, we initially worked with Wiley to create a fee for service contract to support the online MPA in sustainability. We are now working on a longer and more in-depth contract with Wiley to invest in online programs that fit with MIIS’ areas of distinction, while also responding to needs and opportunities in the market.
• Prospective students will experience these as Middlebury Institute programs across the board. Course content will be developed and managed by the Institute with Wiley providing support across the student life-cycle. We would work with Wiley to determine the types of questions and support their employees can provide, and which questions (career advising, academic accommodations, etc.) to direct to Institute colleagues.
• In the case of a program offered in multiple modalities, we do not intend to have two carbon copy programs in each modality. Online and onsite offerings will be designed to be complementary, which will contribute to the expansion and differentiation of our offerings. The vision is that our online programs will follow a typical structure of 30 credits, offered in a calendar of 7-week courses, and designed for primarily part-time learners.
• We are planning to engage an initial suite of 6 programs that we will launch over the next 4-5 years. We also expect to enter into an amendment for additional programs in the next few years.
• Our online and on-ground strategies are of equal importance – we need to strengthen and revitalize our on-ground programs, and make sure we have the right mix of opportunities and support structures. We want to think about all of our programs and find ways to thrive both on-ground and through the development of top-notch online programs to meet the needs of students who are not in a position to be a full-time student in Monterey.

Other Updates (All)

• The Senior Leadership Group (SLG) is in the process of discussing the next steps for land acknowledgement. We will bring an update to a future ILG meeting.
• Volunteer to help with the mural on the MIIS campus
  • Volunteer sign-up (also found at top of the mural page)
  • Also looking for a student who can help with designing an accompanying webpage, please reach out to Sierra Abukins if you know of someone who might be interested in this work.

Agenda

• Institute Council Fall 2023 (Q1/2) Objectives & Key Results

Notes

• During the last ILG meeting of the summer, the group had a chance to review and provide feedback on the Institute Council Fall 2023 Objectives & Key Results (OKRs). The OKRs have now been finalized and published on this site: Institute Council Fall 2023 (Q1/2) Objectives & Key Results
• The ILG used the silent meeting practice to review the OKRs and provide feedback. Additional information about OKRs can be found here: https://www.whatmatters.com/

Agenda

Board of Trustees Meeting Report-out (Hannah Ross)

• Note: The Staff Council open meeting on 5.17.23 also included a report-out from the board meeting, a recording is available here. There is also a Middlebury news story that covers the meeting in greater detail.
• Key Actions:
  • Approval for FY24 budget.
    • Middlebury is making a second year of investment in compensation for staff and faculty.
    • Our goal for compensation is to keep employees at market over time. The staff market has increased by about 3.5% so we will be adding 3.5% to all ranges in FY24. All positions in range will see this increase.
    • The budget also applies to changes in skill matrix level (approx. 10% of staff in any given year) and a pool of discretion that is available for managers to give special recognition (including employees above range in the form of a one-time payment).
    • More detailed information to come on compensation in mid-June.
  • Approval for the per credit price of the MPA.
  • Launched the outward facing public campaign to begin this fall.
  • Authorized exploration for a school abroad in Taiwan.
  • New board leadership elected.
    • George Lee has reached the end of his term as board chair. The leaders will be officially announced with the board summary in the near future.
• The new Middlebury webpage will be launching soon, which includes representation of the full Middlebury network.
• Managing space on the VT campus will be tight in the fall because there is a smaller class graduating from the College this spring. We are partnering to offer a pre-college program in Copenhagen.
• As a reminder, please share and engage with the reward and recognition opportunities like the gratitude board, the ‘Good Morning Middlebury’ team breakfast opportunity, and community building events. 
• The payroll consolidation was completely successful. Thank you to the Institute community for supporting the change. 

Institute Board of Advisors Meeting Report-out (Jeff Dayton-Johnson, Jill Stoffers, Maha Baimyrzaeva)

• Jeff Dayton-Johnson
  • FY24 Budget: The Institute deficit will increase next year. However, the deficit should be seen not that our financial performance is deteriorating, but rather that we are investing in the business plan and revenues will take longer to appear. These investments include new positions and expenditures associated with the business plan. One example is a Cybersecurity faculty position.
  • The board was pleased to learn more about the online MPA program, and the novel design principles.
  • Maha Baimyrzaeva was honored by Laurie and the board members for her last meeting as the faculty constituent representative. Sharad Joshi will be the new faculty constituent representative starting in the fall.
• Jill Stoffers
  • Traveled to Vermont to attend the MIIS IBA meeting and the Board dinner at Laurie’s home.
  • The information shared by Institute leaders at the IBA meeting mirrored what we have seen in our town hall meetings. 
  • Jill Stoffers now reports to Nicole Curvin. Devin Luedekke and Sadia Khan now report to Kim Downs-Burns. The board seemed pleased to see more alignment across Middlebury with these changes.
  • Jill shared a summary of the report on what we are noticing about our changing student body. This report was previously shared with the ILG.
  • The board asked questions about the business plan, revenue targets, and break-even timeline projections. 
  • A common theme of conversation was recognition that Institute experts are regularly featured in news on current events, this exposure really benefits our reputation.
• Maha Baimyrzaeva
  • Joined the board meeting over Zoom, and it is much harder to get a feel when you are joining remotely. It feels much different making connections in-person.
  • Board meetings are such a great opportunity to see priorities from new lenses, but there is often an emphasis on reporting. 
    • The board plays a key role in listening and learning about the Institution as part of their fiduciary responsibility, but many members are also actively sharing feedback on the business plan and contributing ideas.
• Additional Discussion:
  • There is a meaningful echo from the board meeting that we had here in January when the entire Board of Trustees was on the Monterey campus. Many people wanted to follow-up on those conversations and presentations.
  • Are faculty included in the 3.5% salary adjustment? Will there be an increase in adjunct pay?
    • Faculty salaries follow a different process than staff, and the process will largely be the same as last year. We will receive a budget that we allocate and apply towards promotions, address internal equity issues, and the remainder and bulk of the pool will be divided between all benefits-eligible faculty as a percentage increase across the board.
    • The board voted to promote six Institute faculty to the rank of full professor. 
    • There is a small amount set aside for adjunct increases for FY24.

Agenda

Note: Hannah Ross will be taking over as lead facilitator for ILG. She also runs the Senior Leadership Group (SLG) for President Patton, so this change will parallel that structure.

Student Experience Team Presentation (Toni Thomas, Jill Stoffers, Gael Meraud, Ashley Arrocha)

• This was shared with SLG last month and will be shared with the Board in written form next month
• Student Support, Trends & Meeting Challenges 
• Introduction
  • 2009 creation of CACS, integrating career and academic advising
  • 2016 creation of SET to support health and wellness, US status (ISSS), etc.
  • Student Experience Team (SET) meets 2x/ month, 11 departments, 1/2 anchor functions, 1/2 reporting to folks in Monterey
• Who MIIS Students are:
  • Idealistic, pragmatic people who want to make a difference in the world.
  • Stats: Average age now 28.6 (older than in the past), 37% international from 34 countries
  • These #s don’t capture summer program/executive program/Canvas catalog students
• Biggest concerns for our students:
  • Finances:
    • Cost of degree, scholarship levels, opportunity cost, living in Monterey, incurred debt.
    • Please note MIIS financial aid is ONLY federal aid: scholarships are managed separately as tuition discounts.
  • Career:
    • Engaging students with career readiness programming, 1-on-1 advising, participation in employer recruiting sessions/ career fair/ site visits in DC, enhanced employer search functionality in our software, lots of LinkedIn connection
    • ROI: 90% employed within one year of graduation
    • Rule of thumb is that students should not borrow more than they can make in the 1st year after graduation – average $61k
    • 70-80% F-1 students tend to pursue Optional Practical Training (OPT)
    • The second highest destination outside US is China
  • Flexibility:
    • Increasing desire for flexibility, especially from online / hybrid students
    • International/veterans/study away students are required to be in person
    • Many reside in Monterey or elsewhere, and need to work part of full time and take care of family while pursuing studies
  • Health & wellbeing:
    • Launched Timely Care in August, which fills a real gap in that we don’t have on campus medical care
    • 67% of students are registered, and 60% are using our scheduled and on-demand counseling – and rating it highly
    • Proactive programming and support on stress management, mindfulness, fitness & yoga, and more.
    • Need to build out a more robust portfolio in the future, including destigmatizing some of the issues so many grapple with
  • Community engagement:
    • It’s important for students to feel they are a part of the MIIS community – over 29 student clubs help a lot, student council sponsors community initiatives and engages in advocacy and representation, MiCommunity also is a good platform for engagement.
• What we are noticing:
  • Highest number of probations since Spring 2019 (5.03% by FTE) (many suffering from PTSD, have challenges with housing, food scarcity, family needs, financial issues, health issues, etc.)
  • More part time students
  • Lower number of students on federal aid, lower debt
  • Increased need for mental health support and programming
  • International students struggling without on-ground support
  • Students spread across multiple time zones
  • Students enrolling remotely due to high cost of living in Monterey
  • Students working full-time while studying full-time
  • Conversations about students using AI to complete assignments – we have to think about how it’s going to impact our ability to serve our students moving forward
  • One size does not fit all
  • More changes to come, at an accelerated pace
  • More working professionals with competing priorities
  • Online students overseas need country-specific career support
  • More study away/undergraduates
  • Students who take a course or two, for credit or no credit – we don’t offer the same level of service, but how do we differentiate?
  • Rise of AI: impacts on admissions process and assignments; and how AI may affect perceived value of higher education in general
• Ideas to meet challenges: Leveraging resources across Middlebury
  • Provide training to support more diverse types of learners
  • Develop a student academic success center (like CTLR)
  • Current academic support: Graduate Writing Center, foreign language tutoring, META Lab, DLC/ DLINQ
  • Coordinate decisions with anchor function managers that impact student support at MIIS
  • Collect and analyze data of our changing student body needs so we can tailor our support going forward
• Next Steps
  • Share memo on this issue with the Board
  • SET will work with Institutional Research to collect data of changing student body needs
  • Work that Toni, Laura, etc. are doing on building student success center
• Related update from Katherine: IEM is going fully online, so interested in the support for online learners. With a little extra money from the Provost grant, we have hired Alisyn Gruener to do a lit review of best practices in co-curricular support for online learners, collect data from students about their experience, write recommendations about what we can do here from orientation to support during and after the student experience.
• Discussion/Questions
  • It’s important for us to do a climate survey to better understand how students are experiencing our programs (including an eye to DEI, looking toward the long term) 
  • Smita is VP of Student Affairs not just for the College but for MIIS as well
  • Are students starting full-time, then switching to part-time as things come up? Or starting part-time?
    • Typically we see working students starting full-time and switching to part-time
  • In terms of overseas students needing career support, are there a handful of countries where we have a lot of students or is it spread across dozens of countries?
    • China is by far the largest country that international students come from, followed by Korea and Taiwan. There is a smattering from other countries.
• Closing note from Jeff Dayton-Johnson: The SET is doing a great job promoting student success. Lots of complex reporting structures within this group – wonderful that you share information to break down silos and deliberate on issues – this makes a big difference to the student experience. This team has leveraged the shared commitment to the mission and our students to give students the best experience possible.