Trustees establish new academic-focused ad hoc committee

As Central Michigan University prepares for its 10-year reaccreditation from the Higher Learning Commission, members of the CMU Board of Trustees are expanding their understanding of academic operations as a step in making well-informed policy decisions.

Board Chair Todd Regis announced the establishment of an ad hoc committee to develop a systematic process for Trustees to become more deeply informed about the university’s academic policies and practices. 

"One of the responsibilities of the Board laid out in our bylaws is to understand the university’s processes for assessing academic programs, and one of the criteria of the HLC accreditation is that Trustees are knowledgeable about academic operations,” Regis said. “As a Board, we need to strengthen our understanding of CMU’s processes for establishing, evaluating and updating our academic offerings so we can make informed decisions when considering policy matters.”

The newly formed Strategic Academic Operating Plan Ad Hoc Committee will be chaired by Trustee Ed Plawecki, with Board Vice Chair Denise Williams Mallett serving as a standing member. The committee also includes:

Additional members of the committee may be appointed as needed in the months ahead. Regis said the ad hoc committee will run from September 2024 through September 2025, ensuring work is complete ahead of the HLC accreditation visit.

Committee chair Trustee Ed Plawecki said the committee has been tasked with gathering data and input to support the Board’s education on academic operations, which in turn will guide policy discussions. 

“The committee also will solicit input from all of the academic colleges and departments as part of its process,” Plawecki said.

CMU is preparing now for its HLC accreditation self-study and visit, which is scheduled to occur in April 2026. HLC’s criteria includes a requirement for the board to act in the best interest of the institution, including the students it serves, and a requirement for planning for quality improvement. Regis said the work of the ad hoc committee will address both those requirements.

The ad hoc committee’s work also will support and strengthen work currently underway in the Academic Visioning Process and the priorities established in CMU’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, Regis said.

“It is the university’s mission to be defined by the success of our students and graduates, and our impact on the communities we serve. We need to understand the processes in place to assess the demands of our students, the needs of the communities we serve and career outlook from employers,” Regis said. “As a board, we want to make informed decisions as we guide the institution to achieve that success.” 

The CMU Board of Trustees will gather this month for committee meetings on Wednesday, September 25, and for its formal session Thursday, September 26. Board of Trustees meetings are held in the Bovee University Center on CMU’s Mount Pleasant campus.