Washington State University (WSU) Provost’s Office will initiate the first phase of an Academic Affairs Program Optimization (AAPO) process in collaboration with Finance and Administration’s Strategic Program Review and Resource Reallocation process during the 2024-2025 academic year.
As the entire higher education industry re-evaluates its enterprise and opportunities for evolution, it is imperative that the AAPO bring our mission as a land-grant, R1 research institution into alignment with our operations. Through data-informed decision-making, we will use the optimization process to support high-quality educational and research programs, improve WSU’s overall financial health by stabilizing the operating budget, and ensure that we continue to fulfill our institutional mission. The primary goal of the AAPO is to ensure that departments, schools, and colleges reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice President have identified college and unit priorities that can be evaluated annually with agreed-upon outcome indicators. This process will include a substantive engagement strategy with faculty to create an environment that is built upon trust, transparency, and equity to ensure that future annual evaluations are defensible.
During the initial phase of the AAPO, the Provost’s Office will focus on establishing a process that will be led by a steering committee composed of faculty, associate deans, chairs, deans, directors, Faculty Senate representatives, and vice chancellors for academic affairs. Their efforts will be supported by Institutional Research, the Office of Strategy, Planning, and Analysis, and vice provosts. The steering committee will be tasked with developing a phased plan for 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.
- Submitting a report that articulates the AAPO process, provides recommendations for the measurable outcome and efficiency indicators, and recommends outcome indicators for instruction, outreach, and research for the Provost and Executive Vice President’s consideration and adoption.
The steering committee may engage with other higher education institutions on how they are conducting similar annual prioritization efforts, as several other universities are engaged in this work. Understanding what has worked well and what was insufficient for those institutions will help shape an effective process for WSU. Additionally, work recently completed within WSU that can supplement this process and avoid redundant efforts will be made available by the Provost’s Office to the committee.
The steering committee will also be asked to ensure that the following Strategic Program Review and Resource Reallocation goals are aligned carefully with the AAPO:
- Promote a data-informed approach to understanding program investments
- Recognize that administrative/support units, campuses, colleges, and departments/schools have varied resource needs, autonomy, and service level expectations
- Align the university’s financial position with the development of the system’s land-grant mission and strategic plan, capital campaign goals, and institutional risks
- Promote equity through increased transparency and accountability
- Provide clarity in the alignment of resource allocation and outcomes with accountability for budget responsibility