Dear Colleagues,
I hope this email finds you well. In follow-up to my earlier announcement regarding the Academic Affairs Program Optimization (AAPO) process, I am pleased to announce the following individuals have graciously agreed to serve on the AAPO Steering Committee. I am grateful for their willingness to engage in this important process.
- Trevor Bond, Interim Dean, Libraries
- Kim Christen, Associate Vice President/Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Advancement and Partnerships, Office of Research
- Renny Christopher, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, WSU Vancouver
- Nairanjana Dasgupta, Regents Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Arts and Sciences
- Dave Field, Professor, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture
- Samantha Gizerian, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Lisa Guerrero, Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusive Excellence
- Dogan Gursoy, Regents Professor, School of Hospitality Business Management
- Holly Henning, Associate Professor, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences
- Stephanie Kane, Assistant Vice President for System Analytics and Reporting, Office of Strategy, Planning, and Analysis (Ex-officio)
- Sergey Lapin, Vice Chancellor for Research, WSU Everett
- Kate McAteer, Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, WSU Tri-Cities
- Bob Mealey, Chair, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Squeak Meisel, Chair, Department of Art, College of Arts and Sciences
- Melanie Neuilly, Chair, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, College of Arts and Sciences
- Erika Offerdahl, Director, Transformational Change Initiative, Office of the Provost
- Wendy Powers, Dean, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences
- Ken Roberts, Chair-Elect, WSU Faculty Senate
- Katherine Rodela, Chair, Department of Educational Leadership and Sport Management, College of Education
- Ryan Thomas, Director of Graduate Education, Murrow College of Communication
- Jon Walter, Assistant Vice President for System Strategy and Insight, Office of Strategy, Planning, and Analysis (Ex-officio)
- David Whidbee, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Carson College of Business
As a reminder, only the departments, schools, and colleges reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice President will be engaged in our AAPO process. The primary goal of the AAPO is to ensure that the Provost’s Office reporting areas have identified college and unit priorities that can be evaluated annually with agreed-upon outcome indicators. Kristina Peterson-Wilson (Vice Provost for Academic Administration & Chief of Staff) will lead the process on my behalf.
In early January, I will meet with the steering committee to formally start the process. It is anticipated that their work will focus on the following:
- Developing measurable outcomes and efficiency indicators and associated data sets for instruction, outreach, research, and service.
- Developing a plan to share the committee’s initial recommendations and gather system-wide feedback.
- Drafting the framework for an annual process to evaluate priorities and productivity using the agreed-upon outcome indicators and established data sets.
At the conclusion of their work, the steering committee will submit a report that articulates the AAPO process, provides recommendations for the measurable outcome and efficiency indicators, and outlines an annual evaluation process. I anticipate this report will be submitted by the end of May.
If you have questions regarding the AAPO process, please contact Kristina Peterson-Wilson at kpeterson2@wsu.edu. I appreciate your continued support and look forward to the AAPO creating agility and contributing to clearly articulated goals and priorities.
Please look for additional updates on the Academic Affairs Program Optimization process as we progress through the academic year.
Best,
Chris Riley-Tillman
Provost and Executive Vice President