Academic Senate hears timeline for CMU's updated Academic Strategic Plan
Senator Mary Senter asks a question in regards to Provost Micheal Gealt’s report during the Academic Senate meeting on Sept. 26 in Pearce Hall.
Senior Vice Provost for Academic Reorganization Initiative Ian Davison announced the reviewing and restructuring of Central Michigan University’s academic and administrative structure to be completed in four months during the Academic Senate meeting Sept. 26.
The reviewing and restructuring is a part of the “Advancing Excellence” updated Academic Strategic Plan that was adopted by the Board of Trustees in June.
Adaptations will include minimizing credit requirements to 120 for undergraduate programs and advancing the university’s research activity and business partnerships.
The most recent review of the university’s colleges was conducted in 1996 and resulted in the creation of the College of Health Professions.
The plan address the needs of colleges and departments, along with Enrollment and Student Services, Office of Information Technology, Office of Research and Graduate Studies and integration of Global Campus.
Davison said the process must be conducted on a timetable that is both aggressive and achievable.
An implementation of recommendations are to be approved by the Board of Trustees in the spring for the 2018-19 academic year.
“I think we can do this in four months,” Davison said. “I understand that there’s anxiety about this process, do we really want to drag out that anxiety for over a long period of time?”
Participating students and faculty will be placed into three committees: Departmental and College Organization, Academic Support and Responsibility-Centered Management (RCM) budget.
Davison said time expansions will be available if the process is not meeting its demands in time for the spring Board of Trustee meetings.
Provost Michael Gealt predicts a second year of the process will be taken to develop an implementation plan based off of reviews even if a plan is approved by June.
“This is not a process where you get through to discover what you’re going to do and you click your fingers and it happens,” Gealt said. “It is going to be extremely intricate and we’re going to have to decrease the probability of unintended consequences.”
Gealt said an Academic Organizational Structure Review Open Forum is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6. in the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium.
President George Ross announced he is developing a search committee for a Chief of Diversity Officer and is accepting recommendations for committee members.
“We anticipate using a search firm for this position,” Ross said, adding the new position will be spearheading the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and will sit in the President’s Cabinet.
Ross said creating the position was a suggestion made by the 16-member equity and inclusion task force, which will assess the diversity climate on campus.
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