Priorities of the Provost/VPAA Office
for 2015-2016: Senate Forum
Update: February 24, 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
– The hold harmless year has been defined and will be
posted to the MIRA website shortly
– Deans have developed uniform guiding principles for the
allocation of resources at the college-level
– Deans are scheduling conversations with other campuses
via Skype on institutionalizing the MIRA model at the
college-level
– Deans may be traveling to the University of Minnesota this
spring to see how their resource allocation model works at
the college-level
• Working with University Senate Leadership on Joint
Communications
– Website – www.und.edu/2020
Implementing the new budget model
(MIRA) –Current
Other MIRA Progress
• Budget 101/102 are being presented regularly and all are invited to
request individual sessions for departments, committees, etc.
• Budget 103 is in draft form and should be finalized in the next
several weeks
• The Space Committee has met and formed subgroups to work on
developing space policy and procedure for the 3 specific space
types:
– Classroom Group
– Office Space Group
– Research Space Group
• The Support Unit Allocation Committee will be having its first
meeting at the end of February
• MIRA levers will be finalized in the next two weeks
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
•
Eight meetings so far this academic year re. these issues (in process, new items in italics)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
•
Beginning to envision recommendations for revised Faculty Handbook section on PTE (in process)
–
•
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
Organization of draft Faculty Handbook outline and plan of action for subgroups
Concepts will be added to draft Faculty Handbook outline as completed by subgroups and discussed at
Working Group meetings
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 has been posted and review of
applications began February 15 and will continue until the
position is filled.
Search for a Dean for the School of
Graduate Studies - Timeline
• Weeks of February 15 & 22 - Peter Rosenberg reviews files, narrows
candidate pool, contacts top candidates. Candidate Detail Forms are
collected “introductory interviews” are conducted with top candidates.
• Week of February 29 - Candidate data available for review by the
University of North Dakota search committee by end of business on
Monday, February 29.
• Week of March 7 - Suggested time for Peter Rosenberg and the search
committee to meet at the University of North Dakota to review candidate
information
• March 12-16 - NASPA Annual Conference, Indianapolis
• Mid-to Late March - Search committee conducts interviews with
semifinalists.
• Early to Mid-April - Finalists visit campus for interviews. Search
committee submits unranked stakeholder feedback to hiring authority.
– SJG conducts formal and off-list reference checks. Background investigation
initiated for leading candidate concurrent with job offer (will take
approximately two weeks to complete).
Examples of SBHE/Chancellor Priorities
• Master Planning Process
Master Planning Process
• SBHE requires a Physical Master Plan by February 16,
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.
Master Planning
• Master Planning Process
• Master Planning Presentation on December
11, 2015
– http://und.edu/finance-operations/facilitiesmanagement/openforum2.pdf
• Master Planning meeting on January 13th
Master Planning Update
• 3 Committee members have been added. U Senate, Staff Senate
and the Division of University and Public Affairs have
representatives on the Steering Committee.
• First submission of the MP document will occur Feb. 16th
– This document will include institutional history and inventory.
• Extension for second submittal is April 15th
– This document will include information on capital project requests.
• VP McGimpsey is leading efforts to examine and plan for the
research needs. Research component will be incorporated into
the next phase.
• 3 broad strategies were shared with the campus. Input from the
campus on those strategies has been shared with the Steering
Committee. No one specific strategy is moving forward at this
time. We are waiting for the new President to review and
provide direction.
• Next phase of planning will begin in the fall
Examples of SBHE/Chancellor Priorities
• Master Planning Process
• Open Educational Resources (OER)
Open Education Resources (OER)
• Committee is working 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.
• 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.
Open Education Resources (OER)
• Open Educational Resources (OER) Updates
– Stephanie Walker and Thomasine Heitkamp have submitted two
proposals to NDUS for funds. The funds are to assist five faculty
members to adapt their classes for OER purposes, and to expand
the 50th ed. of The History of North Dakota so it will have
expanded digital and interactive features along with new
accompanying text.
• Please contact Stephanie and Thomasine if you have any questions
Stephanie.Walker@und.edu and Thomasine.Heitkamp@und.edu
– We will also provide library and technical supports to faculty
wishing to use OER materials.
– Ongoing working group co-chaired by Stephanie Walker and
Thomasine Heitkamp
– For more information, the Chester Fritz Library created a
website about Open Access publications
• http://libguides.und.edu/openaccess
Open Education Resources (OER)
• Open forum on January 28 with David Ernst
Examples of SBHE/Chancellor Priorities
• Master Planning Process
• 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
•
•
•
•
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; policy approved at
February University Senate meeting
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
Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM)
Initiative:
Promote Undergraduate Retention & Success
 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
 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
Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM)
Initiative:
Promote Undergraduate Retention & Success
 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).
Student Success Initiatives:
Retention and Graduation (iCAN project)
MEANINGFUL
INTERVENTIONS
integrated
COACHING & ADVISING
NETWORK
Tracking
Student
Outcomes
RESULTS
THAT
MATTER
Student Success Initiatives:
Retention and Graduation (iCAN project)
• EDUCAUSE Integrated Planning for Advising for Student Success in Higher
Education (iPASS)
• EDUCAUSE Community Member Award
– This award is to be expanded over the period of 10/15/2015 through
9/7/2018
• Access to best practice in using technology tools to do advisement
• iCAN Working Group – Thomasine Heitkamp and Lisa Burger, faculty
representatives from all colleges offering undergraduate education, staff
and administrators using technology tools, and Student Body President,
Matthew Kopp
• Pilot Project – CoBPA and Student Success Center
– Bi-weekly meetings to work out kinks in use of technology tools
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” – 20
– Provost’s webpage: we have made improvements to the
website and will continue to make progress moving forward –
updated website is live
– Blogs – 60 blogs since July 2015
– Weekly office hours – 2 hours/week: Total so far = 25
– 14 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 - February 18
• Henok Elias, University Ombudsman, started
February 1, 2016. His office is located in 314
Cambridge, Room 201. Phone: 701.777.6239
http://und.edu/ombuds/
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