Thirteen undergraduate programs ranked Priority 1 in preliminary Academic Prioritization report

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Editor’s note: This is the final story in a series about Academica Prioritization.

Thirteen undergraduate programs received the rank of Priority 1 in the Academic Prioritization preliminary report released by Provost Gary Shapiro in October.

Deans, chairpeople and faculty members of each college reviewed their programs to decide which were successful and would benefit from more funding and attention.

Pam Gates, dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, said it was a wonderful opportunity to bring programs up to date.

Neuroscience was the only CHSBS undergraduate program to be ranked in Priority 1.

“It was an opportunity to reflect on what we do well and what we can do better,” Gates said. “We decided which programs were strong and which we needed to invest money in.”

As the largest college in the university, Gates said CHSBS could easily commit $900,000 to prioritization each year.

Part of the CHSBS wish list, Gates said, was to have more post-doctoral professors in each department because they bring new energy to the field.

CHSBS spent more than 30 hours making these decisions.

Gates said the hearings were organized so a department put together the recommendations and another department presented them to the college.

It was an effective way to see how the college fits together, Gates said.

Dearborn senior Rich Brewis is double-majoring in management and international business and said he feels well-prepared to enter the workforce.

“I’ve always felt that CMU’s business schools didn’t get enough recognition,” Brewis said.

Brewis is president of the Central Michigan University American Marketing Association and a member of the logistics management council E-board.

The College of Business Administration received a Priority 1 for its international business major, the professional sales concentration in the marketing major and the logistic management major.

Brewis said his studies have prepared him to lead.

Dean of College of Communication and Fine Arts Salma Ghanem said CCFA began more than a year ago with analysis of reports from the chairperson of each department.

“It started with the departments,” Ghanem said. “Every program needed to be ranked.”

They were ranked by importance, quality, and by opportunities for growth and improvement, Ghanem said.

She said they looked at enrollment, outreach, how students are doing and qualitative and quantitative data.

CCFA had a set percentage of programs that could receive a Priority 1.

Provost Gary Shapiro tweaked CCFA’s recommendations very little, Ghanem said.

“I think it was a very valuable process,” Ghanem said. “The department had to look at what we need.”

Ghanem said programs in Priority 5 often have had no majors or very few in previous years.

The Broadcast and Cinematic Arts department received a Priority 1 based on major equipment needs, Ghanem said.

“Programs constantly evolve,” Ghanem said. “I was impressed at all levels. Everyone wants to continue making this a great place.”

Terry Beehr, graduate coordinator of Industrial and Organizational Psychology said in an email the university’s inter-organizational Ph. D program was ranked Priority 1 because it has ranked well nationally, even ahead of better-known universities.

“The field of I/O Psychology has a high demand for graduates, a demand that is increasing,” Beehr said. “Both an internal and an external review had concluded that the program had accomplished its prominence with fewer faculty than most top-ranked programs.”

Professor of Psychology Gary Dunbar said the neuroscience department provides outstanding training for undergraduate and graduate students.

“We are truly a student-centered educational and research program,” Dunbar said.

Three students have been considered top students in neuroscience with many options for graduate school and fellowships, he said.

“Several graduates are in academia, government and private industry,” Dunbar said. “They are remarkably successful.”

He said neuroscience faculty are required to publish and write grants regularly.

“I think we richly deserved the priority partly because we work extremely hard,” Dunbar said. “We have a passion for teaching and research.”

This accomplishment presented a need for new faculty, but will not be forthcoming in the future, Beehr said.

“What we do is important,” Gates said. “Our college brings in $78 to $80 million in revenue.”

The College of Science and Technology received a Priority 1 in biochemistry, computer engineering and environmental science.