This summer, the UMPO Department of Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Equity (Academic Affairs) hit the road with its “Let’s Reconnect” Campus Summer Tour—an energizing initiative aimed at reintroducing the Academic Affairs team and sharing strategic priorities for the 2025–2026 academic year.  

Led by Nef Walker, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, the tour emphasized the department’s commitment to advancing innovation and student success through a combination of general and targeted goals, including:  

  • Partnering with the National Institute for Student Success  
  • Launching Project Zeno, a system-wide student data mart  
  • Leading an Early College strategic planning process in partnership with all five campuses, DESE, DHE, and EOE  
  • Digitizing academic processes through the development of an interaction portal  
  • Renaming the AI Day of Learning to UMass Innovates, an annual summit on advances in education, teaching, learning, and research at UMass and beyond, including advances in AI and other technologies.  

Leadership Highlights  

Each Assistant Vice President shared updates on their portfolio:  

Academic Affairs & Research  
Gabriela Weaver spotlighted efforts to streamline academic program approvals, foster multi-campus research collaborations, and develop the Academic Affairs Interaction Portal to enhance data management and reporting.  

Equity & Access  
Sheree Ohen discussed expanding early college pathways, strengthening compliance with evolving federal DEIA regulations, and finalizing a comprehensive systemwide strategic plan for equity and access.  

Strategic Analytics & Decision Support  
Tom Beraldi shared progress on several initiatives, including a pan-system survey on Open Educational Resources, assessment of the Intercampus Course Exchange, and the development of a systemwide data mart under Project Zeno.  

A Successful Summer of Connection  

The tour reinforced Academic Affairs' dedication to collaboration, transparency, and innovation across the UMass system. Feedback from campus colleagues was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing appreciation for the opportunity to connect in person with team members they typically see only on screen.  

As the academic year begins, Academic Affairs remains focused on advancing student success and institutional resilience—together.