Dear CoJMC Faculty, Staff, and Students,

As you recently learned, Shari Veil has been selected to serve as the Provost for North Dakota State University. This is an exciting opportunity for Shari, and especially meaningful as it represents a homecoming to the institution where she earned her doctorate in communication.

Shari was announced as Dean in January 2020, just months before the world shut down. The immediate goals of her deanship were to increase creative activity and scholarship as key components of the college's strategic plan, one that would focus on keeping the college steady and nimble as it adapted and grew in the exciting and changing landscape of journalism and mass communications. Shari has accomplished this goal and much more.

She has led the college through a period of significant growth—reversing enrollment declines, expanding experiential learning opportunities, increasing external funding, and strengthening faculty governance and research productivity.

Together, you have embraced your college's motto of "do from day one" with the expansion of the Experience Lab, providing relationships and connections with industry professionals and opportunities for real-world work, allowing students to experiment and gain valuable skills that will serve them well in the workforce. Creative activity has surged with significant growth in faculty publications, conference presentations, and increased local and national recognition. Together, as the college’s faculty, staff, and students, you have sharpened the college’s focus and impact.

Please help me wish Shari and her family the best. Her last day at UNL will be December 23. I will share information about an interim dean soon. Details about a search for your next leader also will be forthcoming.

Warm Regards,

[A close-up of a signature AI-generated content may be incorrect.] Mark E. Button, Ph.D. Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer