State Budget Update

On March 22, the Governor issued an Executive Order (EO) reducing CMU’s August appropriation payment by 50 percent, or $3,744,700. The EO was approved by the legislature and has taken effect. The EO also contains language that implies that an originally planned reduction in the MPSERS retirement payment cost for the university will no longer take place. However, these funds are expected to be reinstated next year.

On May 25, nearly two months later, the Governor’s office and legislative leaders reached an agreement that reduced the state’s August payment to CMU by another $3,744,700 – the remaining August payment amount. The agreement also permanently cut 58.9 percent, or $1.39 million, of the current year budget restoration. The $1.39 is a permanent base reduction. According to the EO, the state will defer the August payment of $7,489,400 (the total of the cuts made in March and May) until the state’s 2007-2008 fiscal year begins on October 1. The state will give CMU the appropriated funds if they are available. The Governor signed the agreement June 6.

Since the $1.39 million reduction is permanent, I have requested each division to reduce its budget by one half of a percent (0.5%) effective immediately. This can be done for the 2006-2007 fiscal year only by using one-time funds from each division. There will be a permanent 0.5 percent base reduction in each of the division budgets beginning in the 2007-2008 fiscal year. I have asked the vice presidents to identify their one-time funds by mid-June and their base reductions by October.

To date, decisions from Lansing apply to the current year 2006-2007 state budget. No action has yet been taken on the 2007-2008 state budget or appropriations. CMU will continue to advocate for fair and equitable funding from the state on a per-student basis, particularly for in-state undergraduate students, and does not support separation of some universities in the state’s 2007-2008 budget (a position being advocated by Michigan State University, The University of Michigan, and Wayne State University). Your advocacy again this year for equitable per-student funding for CMU and all universities continues to be critical. More information is available at http://www.cmich.edu/govrelations/gov-relations.htm. Thank you for taking the time to support CMU and all of Michigan’s public universities.

Medical School Proposal Status

At the April meeting of the Board of Trustees, Trustee Sam Kottamasu (a Saginaw radiologist) proposed that CMU explore the feasibility of a medical school, a request that was supported by the other members of the Board.  CMU is participating in conversations with area medical centers and education providers, including Synergy Medical Education Alliance and SVSU.  Together with area health care providers and educational entities, we are assembling important questions to be answered to determine the feasibility, need, cost, and potential revenues for a mid-Michigan based medical school.  We will be looking closely at the fundraising potential for a medical school and hope to receive external counsel on key questions.  In the meantime, we are excited about the opportunity to potentially enrich the health and biosciences economic sector in mid-Michigan.

Diversity Initiatives

In response to the extensive set of charges associated with diversity issues distributed in December 2006, all plans have been submitted to me including a report from the Strategic Plan for Achieving Diversity Review Committee. Summaries of the plans that have been reviewed and accepted may be found on-line at http://www.cmich.edu/diversity_charges.htm. The Strategic Plan report is currently under review. Once the review is complete, Interim Provost Shapiro and I will work with the Office for Institutional Diversity to issue a revised Strategic Plan. Actions under the plans also continue, such as the university-wide staff diversity training held in May.

Distinguished Professor of the Year Mark Francek

CMU Geography Professor Mark Francek has been named the Presidents Council for State Universities in Michigan's Distinguished Professor of the Year. He is one of three state educators to receive this prestigious award in Michigan higher education for his exceptional dedication to undergraduate learning. Each of Michigan's 15 public universities nominated one faculty member who has shown a special commitment to undergraduate education and has had an exceptional impact on student learning. Congratulations, Professor Francek!

Senior Officer Searches

Denise Green from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been appointed as the next associate vice president for Institutional Diversity. Denise will join CMU in mid-July. My thanks to the members of the search committee, chaired by Interim Dean Pam Gates, and to Michael Powell, who served in the position on an interim basis for the past year in addition to his responsibilities as Affirmative Action Officer.

CMU has also appointed Janine Janosky, who has been associate professor in the department of family medicine and clinical epidemiology in the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine since 2000, as the vice provost for research effective September 1.

Graduate Studies

The search for a graduate dean has been put on hold. Congratulations to interim dean Gail Scukanec, who is leaving CMU later this month for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire as the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services.

In the meantime, here are some brief highlights of other activities in the Office of Graduate Studies:

• We have increased funding for graduate recruitment
• Continuation of funding for additional graduate assistants

ProfEd/Off-Campus Programs

Under the leadership of Merodie Hancock, hired earlier this year, ProfEd is advancing in the following areas:

• strategic planning and execution
• working with campus departments to eliminate barriers to non-traditional student learning while delivering CMU’s quality programs in off-campus and online environments
• implementing a new Customer Relations Management software system to improve conversion and retention of qualified students
• working with academic departments to more quickly deliver high demand programs to these same qualified students, regardless of time and location

In addition, an enrollment management plan is being drafted that includes enrollment management planning for ProfEd, graduate studies, and international education as well as for undergraduate enrollment.

Emergency Response at CMU

The Core Crisis Committee is continuing to meet during the summer and is exploring communication strategies on campus in the event of an emergency. Discussions include a wide range of redundant notification systems to reach as many people as possible as quickly as possible. Of course, we hope to never need to use these systems and must be prepared for the reality that no system can guarantee 100% notification.

Earlier this year, a web site on Emergency Preparedness at CMU was implemented. Located at http://www.cmich.edu/emergencyprep/, the site contains useful information to better prepare all members of the CMU community in the event of any emergency.

Information Technology Update

An update on the wireless and network maintenance and upgrades project is available at https://portal.cmich.edu/sites/IT/Announcements/Shared Documents/Network_Update_051707.pdf (access to the page requires a CMU user ID and password). The project is progressing quite well.

Construction Projects Progressing

Demolition work on the middle quad of Washington Street Apartments is underway to make room for the new Education Building (http://www.ehs.cmich.edu/Building_Updates.htm). Construction bids will be awarded in July. Work continues on the Satellite Energy Facility and the project remains on schedule. Construction is complete on the Beaver Island Instructional Center. A grand opening ceremony for the new center is planned for July 14. More information about all of the active facilities management projects may be found at http://fmgt.cmich.edu/consti/PepConst.aspx.

CMU Athletics Wins Reese Trophy

CMU Athletics has been awarded the Mid-American Conference’s prestigious Reese Trophy, which goes to the school whose men’s athletics teams turned in the top cumulative performance in the standings this school year. It is the second time in school history CMU has earned the award. Winning the Reese Trophy in conjunction with CMU’s success in being awarded the MAC Institutional Academic Achievement Award (nine times in the past ten years) exemplifies the combination of academic and athletic success for which CMU Athletics strives. Congratulations to the coaches and student-athletes who make these awards possible.