Process
The process being used at Central Michigan University is strongly based upon a process described in Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services: Reallocating Resources to Achieve Strategic Balance by Robert C. Dickenson. Program prioritization was a primary topic of the summer Council of Deans’ retreat. Many draft documents were prepared, shared, and revised by Council members. The draft plan was then presented to the Council of Chairs for discussion and comment. Several drafts followed and discussion of the process was presented in detail to the Academic Senate in November 2010.
The prioritization process will begin with each department providing a review of their programs utilizing both quantitative and qualitative information. Substantial data will be available from OIR, ORSP, Academic Affairs, and the College of Graduate Studies. Departments, using these data as well as other types of information, will begin the process by evaluating their programs and placing each program in one of the five categories of programs as described earlier. Departments will then submit their review of the program and the program ranking accompanied by the rationale for placing the programs in the various categories to their college dean.
The process continues with each of the colleges appointing a College Advisory Committee to review the material submitted for each program and to provide a college ranking for each of the programs being prioritized in that college. At this point, beginning with the college rankings, the process calls for a forced distribution of programs.
The advisory committees for each college will then submit to their dean program rankings with the following indicated percentage of programs placed into each of the following categories.
| Rating Categories | Percentage of Programs |
|---|---|
| Candidates for enrichment | 10-15% |
| Retained at higher level of support | 25-30% |
| Retained at neutral level of support | 25-30% |
| Retained at lower level of support | 25-30% |
| Candidates for reduction, phasing out, consolidation | 10-15% |
The college deans will then provide a final ranking for the programs in their college and submit these rankings with accompanying data and rationale to the provost. It is expected that college deans will use the prioritization ratings of programs within their own college as a guideline to distribute resources within their colleges.
Prior to any final decisions being made, the campus community and departments will be invited to provide their input. The final prioritization will be by President Ross and will occur early fall 2011. Implementation of the recommendations and reallocation of resources will begin in 2011 and continue for several years.