Priorities of the Provost/VPAA Office
for 2015-2016: Staff Senate Forum
Update: January 13, 2016
Thomas M. DiLorenzo
Provost and VP for Academic Affairs
Priorities of the Provost and Deans
• Implementing the new budget model (MIRA)
Implementing the new budget model
(MIRA) –Current
• Deans’ Working Group
– Reviewing model statements for FY2012 through FY2015
– Developing tools for academic divisions to use as reference
guides for MIRA
– Developing guiding principles for allocation of resources at the
college-level
– Further defining “hold harmless” for FY2017
• Working with University Senate Leadership on Joint
Communications
– Budget 102 – Delivered 2 sessions during the past two weeks
– Website – www.und.edu/2020
– Developing Budget 103 – Governance
• MIRA group working with Co-Sponsors DiLorenzo and
Brekke to finalize allocation levers by the end of January
Priorities of the Provost and Deans
• Implementing the new budget model (MIRA)
• Continuation of PTE work
Promotion, Tenure, and Evaluation (PTE):
Support Faculty, Increase Academic Quality
1. Annual process improvements (continuous implementation)
– New VPAA guidance memos; smarter timeline;
communications; webpage; clarified dossier preparation &
submission guidelines
2. Implementation of Essential Elements (in process, on track)
– Created process of departmental, college/school, and VPAA
review & approval to ensure all departmental guidelines are
implemented with elements identified in 2008 faculty-led
review
3. PTE Working Group (in process, on track)
– Representatives of all eight colleges/schools review;
recommend clear, consistent, fair PTE policies, procedures
informed by quality, best practices, peer & aspirant institutions,
UND- and discipline-specific information
PTE Working Group Update
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Six meetings so far this academic year re. these issues (in process, new in italics)
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Standard hiring letter, contract template
Philosophy statement for promotion & tenure
Dossier format & template
Procedures, including roles & responsibilities of candidate, chair, committees
Academic titles, ranks, and responsibilities for faculty
Guidelines for expected time in rank
Beginning to envision recommendations for revised Faculty Handbook section on PTE
(in process)
– Concepts will be added to draft Faculty Handbook outline as completed by subgroups and
discussed at Working Group meetings
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Communications plan (implemented, continuous)
– University Letter after each meeting; webpage; email updates; University Senate sessions;
when concepts ready to discuss, will hold topic-specific open forums or focus groups
– Complete information, regular updates on the web at:
Academic Affairs -> Initiatives -> Promotion, Tenure, and Evaluation
Priorities of the Provost and Deans
• Implementing the new budget model (MIRA)
• Continuation of PTE work
• Search for a Dean for the School of Graduate
Studies
Search for a Dean for the School of
Graduate Studies
• Co-chairs – Debbie Storrs and Gwen Halaas
• Completed focus groups and forums this fall designed to
discussed future ideas for the School of Graduate Studies
and qualities for the new Dean
• Culminated in a selection process for committee members
• Started the actual search process
• Selected a Search firm and underway
• Peter Rosenberg provided a draft copy of the position
announcement for the Dean of the School of Graduate
Studies.
• The position description is being finalized, and the search
is almost ready to post online
Examples of SBHE/Chancellor Priorities
• Master Planning Process (due February 15,
2016)
Master Planning Process
• SBHE requires a Physical Master Plan by February 15,
2016. To ensure that UND develops the plan in a
thoughtful and inclusive manner, the current focus is
on classrooms and office spaces. (with research space
discussions occurring between the Provost, VP of
Research and ED, and others)
• The focus of the study is to evaluate current utilization
of classrooms and office spaces, assess condition of
existing buildings, and prioritize where funding should
be targeted during the current biennium.
• Over the next year, the needs for research spaces,
auxiliary spaces, and ancillary spaces will be assessed
with faculty and others, and the master plan will be
updated accordingly.
Examples of SBHE/Chancellor Priorities
• Master Planning Process (due February 15,
2016)
• Master Planning Presentation on December
11, 2015
– http://und.edu/finance-operations/facilitiesmanagement/openforum2.pdf
• Next meeting is January 13, 2016
Examples of SBHE/Chancellor Priorities
• Master Planning Process (due February 15,
2016)
• Open Educational Resources (OER)
Open Education Resources (OER)
• 11 Faculty and Staff members trained by the NDUS Open Source
Book Training in Oct at Valley City State University.
• Committee has been formed to ensure best practices in
implementation of Open Education Resources---Members include:
Dean of Libraries and Information Resources (co-chair), Associate
Provost (co-chair), UND faculty members, Vice-Chair of the
University Senate, Students, Director of the Center for Instructional
and Technology and her course design personnel and Director of
the Office of Extended Learning and her administrative staff.
• No faculty will be required to use Open Source Textbooks--Participation is Voluntary. Focus will begin with instructors who
teach large enrollment classes to ensure larger savings for
students.
Open Education Resources (OER)
• Faculty engaged in use of OER will have the financial, technical
and editorial supports. The focus will be on shared expertise and
peer-based learning to disseminate curricula and support a
learner-centric approach to education.
• Multiple major research universities have been creating and using
Open Source Materials including MIT, U of MN, U of Oregon, U of
Utah, SUNY and Georgia System.
• This movement is in response to the rising costs of textbooks at
double the cost of inflation (NY Times).
• Stephanie Walker and Thomasine Heitkamp are preparing a
proposal to NDUS. (please contact them if you have any
questions. Stephanie.Walker@und.edu and
Thomasine.Heitkamp@und.edu
Open Education Resources (OER)
• Open Educational Resources (OER)
– Stephanie Walker and Thomasine Heitkamp will
submit a proposal to NDUS for funds in February. The
funds are to assist five faculty members to adapt
their classes for OER purposes.
– We will also provide library and technical supports to
faculty wishing to use OER materials.
– January 28 – Dr. David Ernst, Director of the Center
for Open Education and Executive Director for the
Open Textbook Network, is coming to campus for an
open forum
Examples of SBHE/Chancellor Priorities
• Master Planning Process (due February 15,
2016)
• Open Educational Resources (OER)
• Student Success Initiatives: Retention and
Graduation
Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM)
Initiative:
Promote Undergraduate Retention & Success
• UND’s retention rates for first-time, full-time degree-seeking students
have increased 7 percent in just two years, to almost 82 percent
• Record fall-to-spring retention rates at 93 percent or higher
• Should increase graduation rates down the line
• The top five reasons for success are that we’ve:
– Identified & communicated repeatedly that retention and timely completion are a
university priority
– Created partnerships that empower and expect key stakeholders to act
– Expected best practices and data to drive actions and outcomes
– Put data in the hands of decision makers
– Taken multiple steps via Strategic Enrollment Management and Division of Student
Affairs to clear curriculum paths to retention and successful completion, identify and
support at-risk students, execute direct outreach & interventions at critical times, and
enhance advising at key points in a student’s career
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Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM)
Initiative:
Promote Undergraduate Retention & Success
Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Committee facilitates student success by developing and
implementing strategies for undergraduate retention, persistence, and completion
– Develop action plans for implementation of new or existing SEM initiatives
– Collaborate with campus to develop appropriate SEM goals, benchmarks, and metrics
– Work with academic and student support units to implement SEM action plans
– Monitor data to continuously evaluate SEM goals and initiatives to facilitate student success
Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Committee (implemented, continuous)
– Partnership of Academic Affairs & Student Affairs
– All colleges & schools are represented on the Committee
– The focus is on undergraduate retention and graduation
– 2014-15 focus: Course availability; four-year plans; data provision
SEM Committee Priorities for 2015-16 (in process)
– Strategies for targeted student populations (at-risk, on-campus, online, transfer)
– Academic advising process (handoff between majors, advisor professional development, policies,
Academic Advisor Council)
– Information systems education, coordination & training (Starfish, CourseLeaf, ImageNow, PAR
Predictive Analytics, iDashboards)
– Policy for students who might face academic probation, suspension, or dismissal
Spring 2016 registration initiative to reach out via academic advisors to admitted students who haven’t yet
registered and help them register
Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM)
Initiative:
Promote Undergraduate Retention & Success
How? We’ve focused on student support, outreach, and interventions to drive increased retention and
persistence and to clear pathways to timely completion
 Invested in partnerships among the Divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, and created a
standing committee structure that involves all undergraduate colleges/schools, as well as the
professional schools and the undergraduate student body
 Created effective communication mechanisms to message the importance of a campus-wide effort
on retention, including a new webpage
 Enhanced early warning and intervention systems for at-risk students
 Developed iDashboards to meet college/school and department needs for data that will help them
offer right courses at right times
 Moved course catalogue fully online, with consistent updating
 Implemented Astra Schedule to facilitate classroom scheduling that matches features and size with
student and faculty needs
 Developed four-year plans for all undergraduate majors and implemented in catalog, while
identifying a cycle for review
 Simplified course and degree planning by hard-wiring four-year plans as degree maps to inform
curriculum, student progress, and advising
 Built quality-control expectation of alignment into the curriculum development and review process
Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM)
Initiative:
Promote Undergraduate Retention & Success
 Created Common Course Scheduling expectation and guidelines to ensure courses offered
at commonly available times and preclude conflicts
 Asked departments to review all curricula and catalog to ensure listed courses are
regularly offered and in sequence
 Developed course availability model (1100 courses identified, with flags to review and
eliminate student barriers in top 10% of courses, including inconvenient offering time,
capacity or section limits, conflicts by course level)
 Provided cross-functional advising services through our new One-Stop Shop and the
Student Success Center
 Optimizing Summer Orientation as a planning vehicle for student advising
 Creating new advisor training and iCAN coaching system
 Investing in information systems to provide better predictive data analytics and put more
information in the right peoples’ hands
 Conducting outreach via academic advisors to admitted students who haven’t yet
registered and help them register
 Revising current probation, suspension and dismissal policy to improve interventions
 Discussing current minimum 125-credit graduation requirement
 Spring 2016 registration initiative to register admitted students (see later slide)
Student Success Initiatives:
Retention and Graduation (iCAN project)
• UND’s new iCAN (Integrated Coaching and Advising Network) has been
established following recognition as a community member by EDUCAUSE.
Proposal submitted to EDUCASUE in summer 2015 authored by staff in my
office including UND Student Body President, Matthew Kopp.
• Pilot iCAN programs established with Student Success Center and CoBPA
Academic Advising.
• Access to EDUCAUSE resources will ensure best practices in using
technology to conduct advisement.
• Academic advising group is reconstituted to secure faculty input.
• Faculty and staff based initiative with Lisa Burger and Thomasine
Heitkamp working collaboratively following participation in EDUCAUSE
training.
• We secured funds from EDUCAUSE, as a community member, to support
iCAN initiative (a significant first step will be the implementation of the
early alert system in several pilot projects).
My Priorities
• Continue communication with:
– the Senate Executive Committee, Former Chair, Current Chair
and Future Chair of Senate Workgroup, and Student
Government President/VP – Monthly meetings with each
– University “Letters” - 16
– Provost’s webpage: we have made improvements to the
website and will continue to make progress moving forward –
updated website is live
– Blogs – 48 blogs since July 2015
– Weekly office hours – 2 hours/week: Total so far = 20
– 5 blogs on exceptional teaching and research activities of
faculty across campus
• Goal to have monthly follow-up forums in the Spring
• AA representative to Staff and Student Senate meetings
My Priorities
• Mentor the new Vice President for Research and
Economic Development (Grant McGimpsey) and
Dean of Libraries and Information Resources
(Stephanie Walker) and support their activities
and initiatives
– Stephanie’s presentation (this semester)
• Ombuds Search - Henok Elias, University
Ombuds, will start February 1, 2016. His office is
located in 314 Cambridge, Room 201. Phone:
701.777.6239
Resource Enhancement
• Continued work on Development (fundraising) projects
• Increase # of students
• Enhance retention
• Enhance grant activities
• Enhance work leading to economic
development
• Increase efficiencies/reduce redundancies
Resource Enhancement (Example)
• Outreach pilot program designed to increase
spring admits of students who had not yet
registered for classes as of the middle of
December
• Partnership between SA and AA
• 194 students targeted (32 freshmen and 162
transfer students who were admitted)
• Results – 58 students registered (30% overall –
44% (14 FYR) and 27% (44 TRN))
Challenges/Opportunities
• Budget Gap (based primarily on the tuition
cap)
• “Allotment” (return of biennium funds)
• Transition of the Presidency
• Name and logo
• Continued work on Development (fundraising) projects
• Building Trust
Q&A