During the spring semester, the Provost’s Office will host a meeting for deans, chairs, and directors with the AAPO steering committee, which will serve as a critical initial discussion during the first phase. Academic leadership will be asked to share the initial discussion with their respective faculty and return feedback to the steering committee. Additional meetings will be hosted throughout the academic year to ensure meaningful feedback is obtained.
The Provost’s Office will aim to have the initial phase of the Academic Affairs Program Optimization process completed for the incoming president’s consideration upon their anticipated arrival in the summer of 2025. The evaluation process (phase two) will not be initiated until the incoming president has reviewed and approved the framework and recommended priorities. However, we anticipate an annual unit-level evaluation will be operationalized to ensure we remain a forward-looking land-grant research university.
Following the incoming president’s approval, it is anticipated that the AAPO will generate a dashboard and be used during system strategic planning, annual financial planning and allocations, federal and state governmental processes, and other critical institutional planning activities to increase comprehensive integrated planning system-wide. At the college and unit level, the evaluation stemming from the AAPO will be used by the Provost’s Office to carefully evaluate the unit’s alignment with the determined priorities and efficiencies of outcome indicators, determine modifications or closures, and support institutional funding decisions to ensure informed growth and stability.
Finally, the AAPO will allow colleges and units to focus on their priorities, reduce efforts that are not readily aligned with stated priorities, create agility, and allow faculty and staff to contribute meaningfully to clearly articulated goals and priorities. The evaluations will also allow the Provost’s Office to partner with Marketing and Communications to develop a system-wide internal and external communication strategy to highlight the academic and faculty affairs successes and articulate the reality of our enterprise.