Updates in Academic Affairs: December 8, 2014

Academic Program Review and Planning progresses, nears milestone

by Dr. Jody Brylinsky, associate provost for institutional effectiveness

Following a 15-month cycle of planning and implementation, the 2014-15 Academic Program Review and Planning process is nearing the end of the first component of Phase I review. Academic units will submit program self-studies and brief summary narratives by Dec. 17.

Two committees of faculty members who represent all colleges are providing oversight and observation of the review process. The APR&P Oversight Committee is monitoring policies and procedures related to the review process. This group will offer critical feedback for the next component of the Phase I cycle involving reviews from the campuswide APR&P Observation Committee.

The APR&P Observation Committee will begin meeting in January to review and provide observations regarding the APR&P criteria for the 590 programs involved in the unit self-studies. Observation reports will be used by academic unit chairs, directors, deans and the provost for Phase II planning.

I also am very pleased to announce that Dr. Mary L. Anderson, associate professor of counselor education and counseling psychology, will serve as the faculty chair of the Observation Committee. She joined the faculty of WMU in 2008 and currently serves as the coordinator of the School Counseling Program. Anderson is the developer of the School Counseling for Postsecondary and Career Readiness course, a new course for pre-service counseling students that was lauded earlier this fall during the College Opportunity Agenda event at Harvard University.

Nominations sought for WMU's highest faculty honor

Nominations are due Friday, Jan. 30, 2015, for the Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award, the highest honor WMU bestows on its faculty members.

The award is based on outstanding professional achievements. It recognizes those whose work is widely known beyond campus and constitutes a significant body of achievement, a substantial amount of which has been accomplished while a WMU faculty member. Wide recognition beyond WMU is essential.

Current, continuing board-appointed full- and part-time employees with faculty rank are eligible if they have at least seven academic years of service to WMU and are not previous winners.

Recipients will be honored during the 2015 Academic Convocation and receive a $2,000 honorarium that becomes part of their base salaries, a plaque, and an opportunity to present a campus lecture, exhibition or performance.

For more information, visit wmich.edu/research/awards.html, or contact Ernst A. Breisach, emeritus in history and chair of the Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award Committee, at eabreisach@gmail.com or (269) 344-1734.

In gratitude for all your work

Before our winter recess begins, please allow me to thank each and every one of you for all you do for our students and the WMU community.

We say the best evidence of our success as an institution is realized through our alumni. I would also like to acknowledge several milestones on the path of student success that provide further evidence of our thriving campus community.

During the 2014 calendar year, we welcomed 34 new tenured and tenure-track faculty to join the ranks of WMU. And from September through November alone, we welcomed thousands of prospective students for campus visits.

The collective investment of time, passion, and effort on behalf of our faculty, staff, and administrators plays a critical role in the success of our students. WMU will confer more than 5,500 degrees and certificates during calendar year 2014, including more than 4,000 bachelor’s, 1,300 master’s, and 128 doctoral and specialist degrees. Each of our students is impacted by the acts of kindness, professionalism and inspiration that are extended from each of you.

I look forward to further collaborating with you in 2015 as our focused initiatives on Academic Program Review and Planning, General Education and Strategic Enrollment Planning continue. Our commitment to the sustainable long-term planning of our programs will serve the future of our institution and generations of WMU students well.

Best wishes for safe and happy holidays,

Tim