December 23, 2014 Dear Faculty and Staff: I hope you are enjoying the holiday season. As this year comes to a close, I wanted to take this occasion, and this month’s Provost Update, to alert you to some important matters that will affect our university as we move into the new year. A very important part of our SACSCOC Reaffirmation Process will be the onsite visit scheduled for February 24 – 26, 2015. I noted in an email earlier this month that we would prepare a Focused Report to respond to items raised in the Preliminary Report of the Reaffirmation Committee. The draft of the Focused Report was completed this past Friday. I want to express my deep appreciation for the wonderful cooperation and responsiveness that supported the preparation of this document. We will be fine-­‐tuning the document over the next few weeks before we submit the final version on January 16, when it will be provided to the Onsite Committee. During their visit, the Onsite Committee will also pay a great deal of attention to the review of our Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), ‘Bearing our Banners Far and Wide: Communicating in a Global Society.’ The final printed report of our QEP was delivered this past Friday. I extend my thanks to Gary Smith who chaired this process that represented a great amount of work by several committees, and many other faculty and staff. The QEP represents the result of a broad-­‐based, campus-­‐wide effort and it reflects the input of many Texas Tech University faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders. Our QEP is designed to improve the communication skills and global awareness of Texas Tech University undergraduate students. The goals of this initiative align with our recently adopted Core Curriculum that includes attainment of communication skills as part of every core course. The QEP will also incorporate our Multicultural Course requirement and our Writing Intensive requirement, which will be modified to include other forms of communication. The President has committed resources to this important endeavor that will help ensure the success and long-­‐term impact of the QEP. You will be hearing much more about our QEP in January. The Onsite Committee will take note of the university’s engagement and awareness of the QEP, so please be alert to the future communications you will be receiving. We recently announced the selection of the first Faculty Ombudsperson at Texas Tech University, Dr. Jean Scott. I know we all look forward to working with Dr. Scott in the coming year, and to the benefits this new position will provide to our university. This past fall, a steering committee was appointed to prepare a proposal to establish a Humanities Center at Texas Tech. This committee worked through the fall semester and their formal proposal was submitted in the week of Thanksgiving. After careful consideration, President Nellis, Vice President of Research Duncan, and I are pleased to inform you that the Humanities Center at Texas Tech will be established in January 2015 with financial support provided by the President, the Vice President of Research, and the Provost. Dr. Dorothy Chansky, who effectively chaired the steering committee, will serve as the inaugural Director of the Center. In closing, I want to say thank you for all you do to advance Texas Tech toward its goal of being a great public research university that cares about it students and seeks to provide them the best educational experience. It is a privilege to be working with you and please know that the staff in the Provost's Office welcomes the opportunity to support your efforts in every way we can. Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the New Year. Sincerely, Lawrence Schovanec Provost and Senior Vice President xc: President Duane Nellis