CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

February 1, 2005
 

TO:	The CMU Community
FROM:	Michael Rao
SUBJECT:	CMU Update 48

Here’s another update with information that you might find helpful..

Thank You for Your Continued Help with Advocacy

If you have written letter(s) to the Governor and Legislators advocating for more equitable per-student funding for CMU, thank you! If not, please write letters of support to the Governor and members of the Legislature who serve on the appropriations committees. Please write in support of acting to adjust funding on a more equal per-student basis across the state’s public universities. To view important talking points that you may wish to include in your letter, please click on http://www.cmich.edu/govrelations/state-funding-tp.htm. More general information, including addresses for government officials, a sample letter that you may wish to consider, and other information can be accessed by clicking on http://www.cmich.edu/govrelations.

CMU and most other public universities cannot suffer additional revenue reductions without dire consequences. Additional cuts would be devastating. The threat of additional cuts forces us to prioritize the programs and services that we have managed to retain. Following four years of continuous cutting, the university must move forward with mission-critical investments to improve the quality of students' experiences. We need to look at ways to lower the student to faculty ratio, add more library resources, and recruit and retain strong students and faculty and staff. CMU also places high priority on services and programs that enhance global perspectives and provide desperately needed resources, particularly for programs that foster student research and creative work. Regardless of state funding, these are programs and initiatives that must be protected.

Without consideration of new revenues, CMU would face a budget deficit of $11-$15 million. In light of this, I have asked Provost Storch and Vice President Ross to reconvene the Senior Staff Budget Advisory Group (SSBAG). Simultaneously, however, we are also discussing other possible revenue solutions, all of which are preliminary.

In the meantime, the Budget Review Advisory Council (BRAC) will continue, at least through the current fiscal year. BRAC will meet a limited number of times to review the fiscal year 2005-2006 proposed capital budgets, non-general fund budgets, and general fund budget. BRAC's work will be integrated with the Budget Restructuring Review Committee and SSBAG to communicate the university's budget planning processes.

Vision Planning

The Vision Planning Steering Committee is nearing completion of very important work. Members include: Tom Storch (Chair), Gary Dunbar, Angela Haddad, Bob Howell, Melody Hull, Marvis Lary, Mike Leto, Randi L’Hommedieu, Catherine Riordan, George Ross, Stan Shingles, Marcy Taylor. The committee solicited a broad base of input and is recommending measurable objectives associated with the board’s approved vision statement. These will be shared with the board in March. Please visit the committee’s web site for a current update at: http://www.provost.cmich.edu/viceprovost/visionplanning.htm.

Some have asked why a new vision statement was adopted by the board. The Board’s interest in changing the vision statement emanated from a sense that both faculty and administration felt that the previously approved statement was narrowly focused. Last year, the board assembled a committee that oversaw the process which resulted in the statement it approved last spring. Members included Dean Karen Adams, Trustee Jeff Caponigro, Dave Keilitz (alumni), Trustee Roger Kesseler, Trustee John Kulhavi, Dean Marvis Lary, Robert Lee (chair, Academic Senate), Dean Sue Ann Martin, Stan Shingles (staff), Marcy Taylor (faculty), Trustee Gail Torreano, and Brandon Wulf (student).

The online ‘vision survey’ completed by faculty, staff, and students in the fall semester reaffirmed the university’s top priority of teaching and learning, its commitment to education that values and enhances diversity and global perspectives, and calls for the allocation of resources to support excellence in research and creative endeavors. These priorities reaffirm priorities rated highly by the university community in 2001 (http://www.provost.cmich.edu/core_values.pdf).

The Academic Senate at its January 6 meeting discussed these institutional priorities and developed ideas for ways in which the Senate could support the priorities. Their engaged ongoing participation is a key component in CMU’s vision planning process. These faculty members have provided specific recommendations that will help set a course of action and appreciably help determine direction, enabling the university to achieve its goals for academic excellence. I am grateful for the insights, suggested strategies, and hard work of the members of the Academic Senate in this very important endeavor.

There have also been many others who have contributed to this process and will play key roles in implementing the new priorities and strategies. Once this new plan has been approved by the Board of Trustees, as part of our annual planning cycle, divisions and units across campus will be asked to develop plans for how they can contribute to the accomplishment of these institutional priorities and strategies. I look forward to even greater engagement of the campus in this next phase.

Welcome to New Members of CMU Board of Trustees

On January 27, Governor Granholm appointed Marilyn French Hubbard, vice president of Henry Ford Health Systems, and Sam Kottamasu, M.D., a radiologist in Saginaw, to the CMU Board of Trustees. Both of the university’s new trustees are accomplished individuals whom I have been fortunate to meet previously. It is a pleasure to welcome them publicly and I look forward to working closely with them.

Regional Accreditation

Higher Learning Commission accreditation self-study efforts continue. Please refer to http://www.cmich.edu/hlc-accreditation/ for more information about accreditation.

Many thanks to everyone involved in the accreditation process, including the subcommittee working on the special emphasis in the self-study related to the transition to an institution with increased scholarship and national prominence. Gary Dunbar (Chair), Kathy Benison, Ray Christie, Pam Eddy, Ed Hinck, Katherine Rosier, and Rich St Andre have all worked diligently on this worthy topic. This special emphasis originated with some faculty colleagues who recognized CMU’s current issues associated with its transition toward greater scholarship. Recommendations the consultants make will be carefully considered and widely discussed, and any associated with terms and conditions of work will be subject to collective bargaining.

New Vision of Excellence Campaign

Trustee Roger Kesseler, chair of the groundbreaking New Vision of Excellence Campaign (www.vision.cmich.edu), announced that a total of $52.7 million had been raised as of November 30, 2004. Although the general campaign goal of $50 million has been achieved two years ahead of schedule, there will not be a slowdown in campaign activities. There are still many unmet needs and the ultimate objective of the campaign is to meet all college and program goals. An emphasis will be placed on increasing endowments for faculty chairs and professorships, along with student scholarships. Congratulations to all those involved in the campaign and a special thank you to all who have contributed so far.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Week Activities

The university community celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Week with a series of very successful and well-attended events. The events were the best attended that I have seen since coming to CMU. Thank you to all of the offices and groups involved in planning these events, including the Offices for Institutional Diversity and Minority Student Services, and the student Non-Violence Coalition.

CMU International Linkages/Partnerships

Many thanks to those who are continuing to develop international partnerships despite challenging circumstances. CMU currently has thirty-seven active agreements, fifteen memoranda of understanding, and six agreements under review. The largest number of international linkages is in Asia, particularly in China and Korea. Most partnerships abroad deal with student exchange or transfer and study abroad sites for CMU students. CMU is also exploring internships and student teaching placements abroad and team teaching opportunities between CMU and Chinese faculty. Karen Adams and Guilan Wang visited five Chinese universities in November; Gary Shapiro and Sue Dyste visited Japan last spring to recruit students; Won Paik and Yoon Il Auh developed partnerships with several Korean universities; and Bob Kohrman, Gongzhu Hu, and Albert Peng visited two universities in Shanghai to develop joint degree programs. Economic challenges are a key reason for students to study abroad and learn from international students, so that they can understand and participate in more global economies and markets.

Career Services Statistics

CMU has experienced an increase in employer visits to campus conducting interviews and participating in campus events. Indicators suggest that the 2004-2005 job market will hold greater opportunity for new graduates than in previous years. Highlights of the 2003-2004 employment survey are available online at http://www.careers.cmich.edu/Students/ar03_04.pdf.

On-Line Bulletin Implemented

Many thanks to the many teams that have developed the university’s new website containing all of its bulletins: https://bulletins.cmich.edu. This database-driven site allows students to browse the academic information of the CMU bulletin in real time and to assemble an entire academic program of study for discussion with university advisors. The university is looking forward to implementation of further features of the Campus Management system in the next two years. Submit any comments about the site to asreview@cmich.edu.

Research Update

CMU faculty and staff members continue to increase external funding to support their intellectual endeavors and projects benefiting students. Please take a few minutes to browse through the most recent awards: http://www.orsp.cmich.edu/awards.htm.

Combined BA/MA Programs

A number of combination bachelor’s/master’s programs are in development and may be available as soon as fall 2005. “3+2” programs will allow exceptional students to complete both an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree within a five-year period. I applaud the vision of my colleagues in economics, neuroscience, political science and others who are considering interesting academically rigorous possibilities.