Administrators say a Stewarding Excellence @ Illinois review gives the university a new blueprint for evaluating the success of campus initiatives and small centers.
The Stewarding Excellence project team reviewed 10 campus programs, with final recommendations laid out in a June 14 response from Bob Easter, interim vice president and chancellor, and Richard Wheeler, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost.
"The project team embraced the challenge," the administrators said in their response, "and provided meaningful recommendations for systemic improvements and individual initiatives."
The team focused on resources available to the 10 programs and how efficiently they are run.
Systemwide recommendations include outlining "explicit, detailed charters" for new program proposals, which include "expectations of self-efficiency for any proposed center or institute."
The administrators said criteria used by the project team in their evaluation - including location, function type and life-cycle stage - would continue to be used in the future.
"The framework is an excellent starting point for a more disciplined handling of new and existing initiatives and small centers," Easter and Wheeler said.
At the request of President Michael Hogan, Easter said he was leading a universitywide periodic review of centers and initiatives.
"The results of this effort will be to establish universitywide policies, which will be applied in a uniform manner to meet the requirements of the Illinois Board of Higher Education," Easter said. "This work is well under way and should be completed soon."
Other systemwide initiatives include:
- Develop clear, balanced policies across campus units on the distribution of instructional units and instruction cost recovery.
According to the administration's response, discussion of redesigning the IU and ICR systems would begin with the College of Engineering's new ICR model, which promotes uniformity and encourages the growth of targeted faculty research.
- Utilize targeted alternatives to creating centers and institutes.
The administration recommends an expansion of the reach of the Campus Research Board, with the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research administering "targeted research funds" for emerging issues and identified academic themes.
- Address additional structural and systems issues impacting centers and institutes.
Administrators said the ongoing study of those structures would include separate and ongoing Stewarding Excellence reviews of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.
"This period of exploration will guide the future decisions for the organization of multi-disciplinary initiatives," Easter and Wheeler said.
- Better integrate centers and initiatives through more stringent review and better campus oversight.
Easter and Wheeler said those initiatives would help lead to better identifying and pursuing emerging academic and research areas - while balancing ongoing fiscal concerns.
"As a guiding principle, the least amount of bureaucratic structure should be created in order to pursue any area of research and scholarship," they said.
Program issues recommendations for initiatives, centers
By Mike Helenthal
Assistant Editor
Specific recommendations have been made for 10 initiatives and small centers at the UI following a detailed review by the Stewarding Excellence @ Illinois project team and administrators.
"The project team has rightly recommended alternative structures for stimulating and encouraging scholarship in emerging areas of interest which do not require the level of investment previously provided," said Bob Easter, interim vice president and chancellor, and Richard Wheeler, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost.
The following is a list of some of those recommendations. For the complete report go to http://oc.illinois.edu/budget.
Informatics and humanities
The Stewarding Excellence project team studied the non-profit Dalkey Press; the Center for Translation Studies; the Illinois Informatics Initiative; and the Institute for Computing in Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
Based on that study, administrators have made recommendations or posed further questions on the following programs:
Administrators did not question the value of Dalkey, but asked "whether it should remain independent of a campus unit or be incorporated into an academic home."
They said the discussion would continue along with Dalkey directors and Ruth Watkins, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
"To realize its full potential as an academic partner, the Dalkey Press must deepen its connection with faculty and students," said Easter and Wheeler.
n Center for Translation Studies
It was agreed that the program should remain with the School of Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics, though administrators said a proposed Master of Arts degree program should generate revenue.
The center is awaiting approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education to operate a temporary, on-campus center, though reduced campus funding over the past two years means it will become further dependent on outside resources in the future.
"As the project team mentioned, campus support to CTS should be able to decline as more revenue is generated by the center," the administrators said.
- Illinois Informatics Institute
On-campus funding for the project has diminished significantly as I3 looks to become more self-sufficient, and administrators recommended it be headed in the future by a half-time director and an advisory committee.
"The amount of campus recurring support will be declining ... and I3 will be asked to operate under a different administrative model," administrators said.
Funding will be added to take into account the addition of the Advanced Learning Group, which administrators said was "intended to be an investment of resources to faculty."
Campus funding for the Community Informatics Initiative ends in 2012.
- Institute for Computing in Humanities, Arts and Social Science
Leaders of I-CHASS, which provides digital tools for faculty members, were lauded for their ability to target and win external funding.
Administrators said the I3 advisory committee would in the future also help guide I-CHASS.
"Over the next two years the campus will continue to examine the I-CHASS budget with the goals of protecting this valuable service to faculty members while reducing the required central funding," Easter and Wheeler said.
Education and diversity
The Stewarding team reviewed the Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society; the Center for Education in Small Urban Communities; and the Illinois Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education program.
Administrators said, "due to many factors" the CDMS would be closed Aug. 15 and replaced by a targeted research fund with oversight by the Campus Research Board.
"The Office of the Provost will work with current faculty and staff during this transition," said the administrators.
The Center for Education in Small Urban Communities, thanks in part to increased external funding, received a positive recommendation - and a directive to continue seeking outside funds from the school districts with which it works.
A decision on hiring a part-time or permanent director will be made by the College of Education dean.
I-STEM, meanwhile, will be moved from the Chancellor's office to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost.
"We have concluded that I-STEM should exist outside of any college so that the breadth of their activities on campus can be captured," said Easter and Wheeler.
Health and Science
The Stewarding project team also reviewed the Division of Biomedical Sciences and the Health and Wellness Initiative, noting their importance in supporting biomedical and translational research innovation.
But administrators noted changes needed to be made in the structure of HWI, which will be integrated into the Center on Health, Aging and Disability within the College of Applied Health Sciences.
As for the Division of Biomedical Sciences, led by newly appointed interim vice president for research Larry Schook, it "represents an area where the campus is committed to making a significant investment in recurring funding for the future."
Administrators said the review of the health and science initiatives will be aided by the Stewarding report and by information provided by the Illinois Interdisciplinary Health Science Initiative. Results of the ongoing review will be part of the development of an overall strategic plan.