Phase 1 Academic Positioning: Committees, Structures, and Processes

Academic Positioning will focus on collaboration, shared responsibility, and transparency. The committees and structure reflect the ideas surfaced in planning retreats and subsequent consultations. The diagram on the right provides a generalized overview of the structure and workflow and detailed descriptions of the committees are below.

Focused-Topic Working Groups

Focused Working Groups are meant to be relatively small teams (3-10) of interested individuals focused on developing proposals on targeted topics. Although conceived as smaller, nimble groups, there is no size requirement or constraint, and ensuring maximum collaboration is critical.  Topics FWGs might be develop can include new curriculum, majors, academic structures, scholarship initiatives, non-academic processes, or university processes. A member of the Project Management Team (see below) will be assigned as an ex offico member of each Working Group to service as a liaison, assist the group with research, and help ensure timely progress. 

Topics for the Working Groups can surface in a combination of two ways

1. Topics may be brought forward by any groups within Academic Affairs such as individuals or groups of faculty, departments, Senate, Graduate Council, Deans’ Council, or supporting offices. These ideas will first come to the Project Management Team as a short “pre-proposal”. If viable, the PMT will then assist in developing the full Working Group. If an idea is similar to another existing project, the PMT will help bring the groups together.

2. Topics may be identified by the Project Management Team, Executive Management, the Executive Advisory Committee, or any other entity. If viable, the PMT would then work with appropriate groups to staff a Working Group to pursue the topic and develop a proposal.

Project Management Team

The Project Management Team (PMT) is a mid-sized group (12-15 members) that coordinates the overall project and the Focused Working Groups. PMT will help staff Working Groups when needed, support Working Groups with data, watch for duplicative efforts, review pre-proposals and receive final proposals.  The Project Management Team is composed of individuals with diversified experiences and talents who are broadly representative of Academic Affairs interests and not focused on current structures. Members apply and are selected by the Provost.

Executive Advisory Committee

The Executive Advisory Committee (EAC) is a group of interested people well-positioned to provide advice during the Academic Positioning process. Representation comes from groups such as Board of Regents, local and state community, business community, and campus members. The EAC consults on both potential Working Group topics and fully refined proposals, in consideration for advancement to the Executive Management. The EAC helps with communication for external audiences. Members are selected by Executive Management.