A Message from Humboldt State University

Dear Campus Community,

As the University continues the process of planning to become a polytechnic institution, the campus community is invited to attend an open forum designed to share more insight on the polytechnic process and a virtual discussion exploring the significance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK).

On Friday, Nov. 19, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jenn Capps and Chief of Staff Sherie C. Gordon will host an open forum to provide updates on implementing plans outlined in the prospectus. Students, staff, faculty, and members of the community are welcome to share their thoughts and ask questions.

On Wednesday, Dec. 8, join us for a discussion featuring Robin Wall Kimmerer. The esteemed author of “Braiding Sweetgrass” and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Kimmerer will explore HSU’s effort to incorporate TEK into a future polytechnic curriculum. It’s an opportunity to learn from Indigenous wisdom, which will help inform a core component of the polytechnic educational experience. Panelists include Native American Studies Professor Cutcha Risling Baldy and Environmental Studies Professor Sarah Ray, and Provost Jenn Capps.

Kimmerer is a Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York, where she is also the director of The Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. An enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Kimmerer’s 2014 book, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, has sold nearly 500,000 copies worldwide, and brought widespread acclaim to her ideas about nature, ecology, and Indigenous knowledge. Read the New York Times review of Braiding Sweetgrass.

Friday, Nov. 19 at 10 a.m.
Polytechnic Virtual Open Forum
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jenn Capps and Chief of Staff Sherie C. Gordon
Register in advance

Wednesday, Dec. 8, 4-6 p.m.
“Poly-TEK?” Virtual Discussion
Visiting author Robin Wall Kimmerer, Native American Studies Professor Cutcha Risling Baldy, Environmental Studies Professor Sarah Ray, and Provost Jenn Capps.
Free, open to the public.
Register in advance

We’re looking forward to engaging with students, staff, faculty, and members of the community about the polytechnic planning and implementation process. Please continue checking your email and the Polytechnic website for updates. If you have any questions or feedback, please email poly@humboldt.edu or call (707) 826-3300.

Jenn Capps
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Sherie Cornish Gordon
Chief of Staff

Humboldt State University
1 Harpst Street
Arcata, Ca 95521