Theme 2: Restructuring Academic Units

Phase 2 update

NOTE — This content was presented as a slide presentation at a chairs and directors workshop on October 11, 2024. It does not represent any approved actions or conclusions.

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Provost’s Fellow: Amanda Klemmer

Concerns:

  • How academic restructuring will help with short-term budget goals
  • Moral is really low on campus, creating an upheaval and cultural changes could impact the success of faculty, staff, and therefore students
  • Using a purely quantitative metric-based portfolio review will not account for the diversity of different functions academic programs can have
  • At a learner focused university, academics should be the last buckets to save money (opposed to purely research and administrative units)

Process for SRE restructuring (similar for academics, research, and administration):

  • Doing a systematic and holistic portfolio review that involves rubric criteria and values we outline in this document for all academic, research, and administrative units on campus
  • Simultaneously having all units on campus start the budget build as soon as possible to align results of the portfolio review with the funds needed to support units
  • Having an outlined, step by step plan for how the rubric will be used and deferring to Deans on which units should be considered for restructuring within and across colleges
  • Presenting campus 2-3 scenarios for UMaine restructuring, the consequences of each scenario for the budget and academics, and then present those options to groups around campus (like UW Oshkosh)