REORGANIZATION OF SEVERAL ACADEMIC AREAS

Over the past academic year, Indiana State University officials completed a reorganization of several key areas across the university, including the College of Graduate and Professional Studies (CGPS) and University College (UC).

With final approval from the Faculty Senate, ISU reorganized the centralized College of Graduate and Professional Studies in favor of a more decentralized administrative structure. The newly created Office of Graduate Studies, headed by its first Director, Dr. Kent Games, will coordinate overall distribution of university resources and facilitate recruiting, admissions, and new initiatives. But regular administration of graduate program policies and requirements will be housed more directly in the five academic colleges in which the programs, faculty, and students reside.

“The overlap in administration was striking,” noted Dr. Christopher Olsen, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Many other universities have moved in this direction, too, removing a layer of administration that sometimes confused students. All of these programs have program directors, faculty, and a college dean.” The CGPS did a lot of work, however, and all of that work still has to be done, but those overall responsibilities will now lie directly with College Deans’ offices, department chairs, and program faculty. One way to think of it, Olsen noted, is that administration of graduate programs will now look much more like undergraduate programs.

“This was an important move to make our administration leaner and more efficient,” Olsen said. “The CGPS staff did a great job, but in order to maximize our resources this is a good decision.” He noted that ISU is committed to graduate education and expanding enrollment in graduate programs. Primary responsibility for recruiting new graduate students now resides in the Office of Admissions, centralizing communication and outreach as the first point of contact for any and all students interested in attending ISU.

For the past ten years University College, under the leadership of Dean Linda Maule, has overseen the registration and professional advising of all first-year students at Indiana State. It has been incredibly successful, raising first-year retention rates consistently and by about ten percentage points. Embracing a bestpractices model of holistic advising, University College has set a high standard.

“Over the past decade Dean Maule and her advisors have demonstrated the critical importance of intensive advising that offers students access to professionals who are versed in many aspects of student life such as financial aid and mental health services, in addition to curriculum and career readiness,” summarized Provost Olsen. “It’s difficult to overstate the positive impact University College has had on students and the recent history of ISU.”

One additional measure of the success of the UC advising model is the $9.5 million Lilly grant received in 2020. This generous grant, part of their “Charting the Future” initiative, has allowed ISU to expand professional advising and reduce advising loads. Focused on narrowing achievement gaps among academically underprepared students, the first two years have shown remarkable gains in retention and overall academic performance.

Early in the past year Dean Maule announced her intention to step down as Dean and return to a full-time faculty role in the Department of Political Science. As part of this transition, the University College has been eliminated as a separate unit, although the University Student Success and Advising Center (USSAC) will continue much of its work. Most important, the model of professional advisors working in collaboration with faculty advisors is being extended to all undergraduate students. Every student, in other words, will have the luxury of two advisors—based in the USSAC, the academic colleges, and in departments—on whom they can rely. Professional and faculty advisors will work together on behalf of students. This approach has been successful at ISU and across the country, and will provide students with even greater support.