Ever since I arrived at UHV in August, I have been “drinking from the firehose” and trying not to drown in the process. There has been a lot to learn. You have been very patient with me as I endeavored to identify the challenges and also the solutions that go with them.

One consistent theme has been that there are a number of challenges associated with the UHV Katy operation. But while there has been agreement about the existence of a challenge, there has been no clear sense of what the best solution is. Further, it is clear that there are some strong feelings about some of these challenges. My biggest concern from the beginning was how to gather viewpoints in a way that would be both accurate and collegial. I was concerned about conducting focus groups because sometimes people are reticent to share their true thoughts for fear of being labeled. I also was concerned that we might get sidetracked with accusations and attributions. Sometimes when feelings run high, we can’t see the forest because we are angry with the tree we are standing next to at the time.

Fortunately, I do think there is a way to gather information that will allow folks to share their thoughts candidly and safely. And there is a way to do so that will allow you to see what others are saying and even evaluate those other views, again in a secure and confidential manner. It is a program called Thought Exchange.

Thought Exchange is a web-based portal where you can go into a chat room of sorts, see what others are saying, express your views and then evaluate both your views and the views of others. At the conclusion of the process, we will be able to determine what the common threads are within the discussion that will allow us to weave an appropriate strategy.

You can learn more about Thought Exchange and the process at www.thoughtexchange.com, and I will share more information soon about how you can participate in the initiative. We will open our “chat room” on Monday, Dec. 3. It will remain available to you until Monday, Dec. 17. During that time, you can visit the site as often as you would like to see others’ thoughts, as well as to see how your thoughts are eliciting responses from your colleagues.

During the holidays, the staff of Thought Exchange will evaluate the total set of responses and prepare a report for me to review. I will not be given access to the original posting. I will not have access to the identity of who made what response. I will only be given aggregate data. I then will arrange for a series of meetings in Katy for me to share what we have learned and begin our conversation about how to deal with our opportunities.

Again, I have been appreciative of your patience with me to this point, but I also recognize that the time has come to begin to take concrete action. I can’t do it alone. I need your help. Here is your opportunity to shape the solutions we will use. Great things lie ahead for this university, especially if we can link arms and go forward together. I thank you in advance for your participation. I look forward to seeing your thoughts. Have a great week.