Science and Technology, Health Profession colleges to receive most from Academic Prioritization funding
The Science and Technology and Health Professions colleges will receive the most in academic prioritization funding tabbed for Central Michigan University's six colleges and Prof Ed program.
According to funding documents provided by Provost Gary Shapiro, the Science and Technology College is tabbed to receive $880,296, while Health Professions will get $857,000. Combined, the two colleges will get more than 47 percent (24 and 23 percent, respectively) of the more than $3.6 million University President George Ross authorized to Central Michigan University's six colleges and Prof Ed program.
Criteria for ranking programs included room for enhancement, enrollment rates, employment opportunities and expected future enrollment demand. Out of the 401 programs, there were 34 Priority 1 programs and 88 Priority 2 programs.
The prioritization, based off recommendations from deans and their advisory councils, along with Shapiro, ranked academic programs from Priority 1 through 5. All Priority 1 and some Priority 2 programs received portions of the funding.
The College of Business Administration will receive $780,000, about 21 percent of the available amount. After that, the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, Communication and Fine Arts and Education and Human Services have been allocated less than 20 percent combined. Prof Ed will receive $116,000, or about three percent of the available funding. Shapiro said none of the $3.7 million will go to the College of Medicine.
"We didn't take any of this $3.7 million that we're investing in high-priority programs," Shapiro said. "(CMED's review) was a different kind of review. We didn't have enrollment patterns but had projected enrollment," Shapiro said. "We didn't have quality measures in terms of faculty publications because we were hiring faculty, so it was included to be reviewed, but it was somewhat outside the process."
Kathryn Koch, College of Education and Human Services dean, said she was not surprised by the amount of funds given to her college.
"This whole prioritization and funding process have been jointly developed with input from all sides," Koch said. "I understand why it is that we received the funding that we did and next year, when we’re asked for more recommendations, we’ll hopefully be able to prove we made good use of this year’s funding."
Koch said if Priority 4 and 5 programs are eliminated or combined in her college, it may strengthen it for the future.
"With the Priority 4s and 5s, I think in the long term that it’s going to strengthen the college and departments to change certain programming,” Koch said.
In addition to the Academic Prioritization funding, $2,163,000 will be reallocated from college resources to help high-priority programs. The academic programs' priority rankings can be seen in the revised Academic Prioritization report.
Funding amounts: College of Science and Technology: $880,296 College of Health Professions: $857,000 College of Business Administration: $780,000 College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences: $398,000 College of Communication and Fine Arts: $330,000 College of Education and Human Services: $306,000
