Learning where we are, imagining where we'll go
Sept. 10, 2026
—&Բ;By Russ Vander Lugt, UAF chancellor
It is an honor to serve our students, state and nation as UAF’s 12th chancellor!
As I begin this role, my top priority is to listen and learn. This is the purpose of the Chancellor’s First 100 Days Initiative, or immersion tour. In the coming weeks, I will be spending time across our university visiting units, meeting with faculty, staff and students, and learning the “faces, spaces and places” of UAF. I will be sharing updates, photos, and insights from these visits regularly on my , , , and accounts.
I want to meet you where you are and better understand the work you do, how you do it, what resources you have, and where you see your unit going. I want to hear what you believe are your unit’s greatest strengths and challenges, as well as the opportunities you see ahead. Just as importantly, I want to hear your ideas about UAF’s future.
There is a reason we have two ears and one mouth: we should spend more time listening than talking. This is particularly true during the early days of a new leader’s tenure. Before making strategic decisions, I need you to help me see the big picture to develop a deeper understanding of our university’s mission, history, culture, aspirations and, most importantly, its people.
Universities are remarkable institutions. They are communities of people brought together around a shared profession and purpose: creating and advancing knowledge; educating students; serving our communities; and contributing to our state, nation and world. That work takes many forms at UAF, connected by a commitment to something much bigger than ourselves. As your new chancellor, I have much to learn from the people who have dedicated their careers to this work.
I know we will continue to navigate unprecedented challenges, both across higher education and those particular to UAF. But I also know that challenges do not define an institution. Our choices do. And before we make those choices, I want to understand what you see. What should we preserve? Where should we improve? What new opportunities should we pursue? What measurable goals should we set, and how should we prioritize our resources? And what do you believe UAF can become?
My 100-day immersion tour is more than an introduction; it is the foundation of our next strategic planning process. By reflecting on our past accomplishments and actively listening to your insights, we will turn the key themes and priorities from our conversations into a shared strategic vision for UAF.
That plan will serve as a living framework that helps us make decisions, set priorities and allocate our resources. Our circumstances will change and our plans will need to adapt with them. Strategic planning, therefore, is not a one-time exercise. It should be an ongoing conversation about where we are, where we want to go, and how we will get there. I am optimistic and see opportunities for UAF at every turn!
For now, though, my focus is simple: I want to listen. I look forward to getting out across UAF, meeting you in your workplaces and learning from you. The better I understand this university – its people, its work and its vision – the better prepared I will be to help lead our institution into its next chapter.
Ad Summum!