Monday April 28, 2016
NorthernStar
Volume 116 Issue 58
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Prioritization reports to be released Feedback wanted starting Monday
Process Update: Next Steps outlined
Task Force Co-Chairs speak to councils
DeKalb | Graded program priori-
tization reports are expected to be completed and turned in Saturday. Program prioritization, which began in 2014, uses task forces to create reports that review 223 academic programs and 236 administrative programs to influence the allocation of university funds. Academic programs are generally degrees offered by NIU, while administrative programs are any operations or services that support the degree.
Mar. 30 - Apr. 14 Town Hall Meeting
Once the reports are submitted, NIU will work to make the reports available by 3 p.m. Monday. The reports will have an option to submit anonymous or attributed feedback, which will be available until May 23. “Certainly you can provide feedback directly to the program leaders... or/and you can provide it through the website,” said Carolinda Douglass, vice provost for Academic Planning and Development, at a town hall meeting Wednesday.
Next Steps Timeline
April 27 Task Forces issue final reports
May 2 All responses and feedback due
Report components The reports set to be released 3 p.m. Monday will likely have the following: • Introduction • Program category rubric • Results • Recurring themes • General comments • Recommendations • Categorization of programs
Program Prioritization
March 29
Alexander Chettiath News Editor
May 23 Divisional action plans complete
July 15
Reports posted on website w/ feedback mechanism
Shared governance groups create formal responses
Responses and feedback sent to program leaders
Action plans go to President's Cabinet for review
VPs/Division leaders work on action plans
Executive Budget Comm. & APC/RSB reps review plans
Council of Deans works on unified plan
President reviews plans, ensures recommendations are reflected in budgets presented to BoT Photo Courtesy NIU Program Prioritization website
This graphic shows the program prioritization timeline up to July 15. The task force final reports will be released 3 p.m. Monday and will be available for feedback from the university community at niu.edu/program-prioritization until May 23.
The reports that will be released Monday will likely have an introduction, program categorization rubric, results, recurring themes, general comments, recommendations and categorization of programs. These results will be made public while the narratives will only be able to be accessed with a login, Douglass said. “People wrote the narratives with an understanding that they were being used internally and we are trying to respect that with putting a login,” Douglass said. Administrative and academic task forces have separate grading scales and initially scored programs
on quality and performance. The programs then must be placed in one of five categories: candidate for enhanced resources, no change in resources, reduced resources, transformation or subject to additional review. The goal is to equally distribute the graded programs into each category. Once the reports and feedback are submitted May 23, action plans will be developed and completed by July 15. Action plans will be reactions to the task force recommendations. These reactions will be categorized into no action, routine action or significant new action. If
significant new action is proposed then the action plan must provide follow-up steps with a timeline, impact on individuals and resources and anticipated outcomes. These plans will be developed by program leaders, vice presidents, division leaders and deans, according to a presentation at the town hall meeting Wednesday. “The actions related to the program prioritization recommendations cannot all be implemented immediately,” said Provost Lisa Freeman at the town hall. “... We may be able to start doing some things in Fiscal Year [2017], more in [FY 2018], but this is a longer term
Program categories All 459 programs will be evenly distributed in the following five categories: • Enhanced resources • No change in resources • Reduced resources • Transformation • Subject to additional review process, changes will be initiated over, probably, four to five years.” Freeman said the action plans and task force recommendations will be used immediately to influence hiring decisions.
Faculty shows concern for program report mistakes Alexander Chettiath News Editor
DeKalb | Faculty Senate passed a motion addressing its concern on the public release of the program prioritization reports, and the potential for misunderstanding, at a meeting Wednesday. Program prioritization uses task forces to create reports that review 223 academic programs and 236 administrative programs to influence how much a program should be given in resources, according to the program prioritization website. The program prioritization reports will place each program into one of five categories: candidate for enhanced resources, no change in resources, reduced resources, transformation or subject to additional review. The reports will be
Faculty Senate
Read Wednesday’s meeting agenda at bit.ly/1rB6yYj. released Monday for public feedback through May 23. The concern was raised by Barbara Jaffee, associate professor of the School of Art and Design, who said the ability of the public to view the placement of programs into categories may influence recruitment, especially if inaccurate information is referenced in the report. The motion asks university leaders to be mindful of potentials for miscommunication and to be ready to respond and educate as needed.
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Barbara Jaffee, associate professor of the School of Art and Design, speaks at the Faculty Senate meeting Wednesday. Jaffee said she was concerned about the possibility of the ability of the public to view the placement of programs into Read Faculty Senate | Page 2 categories because it may influence recruitment.
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Students prep Black Lives Matter show Students will hold a Black Lives Matter tribute show 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday in Altgeld Hall. The show will feature music and poetry performed by students. Read more on Page 6.