A Vision for USM’s Future
Provost Outlines Key Initiatives
In reviewing for Currents the strategic plan for achieving
academic excellence for USM, Provost Joe Wood noted that the
long-term plan incorporates faculty and staff input he received
last year.
The plan iterates an emphasis on science and technology while
placing liberal arts at the heart of the university’s
mission, as called for in the Board of Visitors report, “A
Southern Maine Imperative.” The plan states, “USM
must build scale and depth in science and technology while
sustaining strong liberal arts and professional programs.”
It calls for high academic standards and a responsiveness
to regional needs.
According to the provost, there are four key elements derived
from the President’s work plan for 2001-2003 that will
shape the academic agenda for the next two years.
1. Faculty roles, responsibilities and rewards
The plan raises the expectation for a higher quality of scholarship
and commits USM to developing better systems for evaluation
of faculty performance and productivity. It calls on the academic
division to generate a definition of scholarship unique to
each academic unit and related to tenure, promotion, and post-tenure
review.
The central questions Wood said he wants to pose to the academic
community on faculty development are: “What do we mean
by teacher/scholar? How effective is our evaluation process?
What is the role of the department chair and peer committees
in mentoring and evaluating faculty members? How could they
more effectively support faculty development? How do we build
leadership through university service.”
To support faculty development, Donna Bird has been named
the new director of the Center for Teaching, which will continue
to promote research on instructional practice.
2. Undergraduate education
The plan calls for building “a responsive and coherent
curriculum” and for a comprehensive first year program
that offers a common intellectual experience and generates
a sense of academic community.
Review of this area will be led by Judy Tizon, associate professor
of anthropology, as provost for undergraduate education. A
primary charge for Tizon is to determine if the Core Curriculum’s
current objectives are consistent with the goals identified
for undergraduate education. “I don't mean to suggest
that the Core does not meet our objectives,” Wood said,
“but I’m not convinced that there is a consensus
of faculty on this.” Wood added that he is also “concerned
about the proliferation of courses” in the Core. Under
the current arrangement, he said, he fears students can receive
a baccalaureate degree from USM without understanding what
the Core is.
The plan also indicates that part-time faculty will play a
greater role in curriculum development.
3. Academic program review
Wood said he wants to see the self-study reviews which departments
conduct every five years be more broadly shared among faculty.
Addressing graduate programs, the plan calls for “empower(ing)
the Graduate Council to direct development of graduate education.”
4. Instructional capacity review
Wood explained that he will undertake an overall look at instructional
capacity. “Are we using the resources we have in schools
and colleges as effectively as we can? Is the distribution
of full-time and part-time faculty, graduate assistants and
overload teaching effective in achieving mission?” he
asked.
To support decision-making and priority setting, the plan
says administrators working with faculty will draw on information
systems to provide reports that inform program reviews. Judy
Johnson, who directs the newly established Office of Institutional
Research, will work closely with the provost and the deans
in providing critical information for decision-making.
To better support students, the long-term plan also calls
for increasing the university commitment for need-based financial
aid and scholarships to attract high quality students. Attracting
and retaining students would be enhanced, the plan indicates,
by coordinating with high schools on curriculum to prepare
students for university work.
The strategic plan and work plan that accompanies it will
have implications for budget planning, Wood said. The engagement
of the faculty will be necessary, he said, to meet the challenges
embedded in the plan.
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