Two months have passed since I announced an important universitywide effort — the review of our strategic plan. It is time for an update on our progress. I also want to share with you exciting news that four of our faculty members have been elected to Fellow status in the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This is a significant honor and among the most highly prestigious awards recognized by the Association of American Universities.
Strategic Planning
The new presidential committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, charged with overseeing and coordinating the review and update of the strategic plan is actively engaged in reviewing feedback received from the forums held on all four campuses, the Strategic Plan Survey, and comments sent to strategic.plan@wsu.edu. The comments and suggestions will be carefully considered as the draft plan is prepared.
I am confident that this exchange of ideas will stimulate innovation as we respond to the challenges we face and the opportunities we have before us. I want to thank the members of the university community who have participated in the process for their commitment to this effort as we work to achieve our aspirations as a preeminent land-grant research institution in the years to come. Without your participation, the progress made to date would not have been possible. Ultimately, our collective efforts will offer the university a vision for the future and provide guidance for making strategic decisions that will have a profound and positive impact on scholarly excellence in selected areas, the academic experience of our students, and the service we provide. There will be an opportunity for university-wide review of the revised plan that the committee will prepare.
Reaccreditation and Academic Program Prioritization
The process of reviewing our strategic plan is closely linked to two equally important and parallel efforts. The first is preparation for our 10-year reaccreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Comprehensive self-studies and reviews of all important components of university operation are now being conducted at department, college, and university level. The result of these efforts will be a report which will be submitted to an evaluation team that will visit Washington State University to conduct the re-accreditation review in less than 18 months. Much work remains to be done in preparation for this important visit, but I commend all units and areas for the progress they have made to date.
The second effort is a two-phase academic program prioritization process. Each phase will be coordinated by its own Academic Affairs Program Prioritization Task Force. The Phase I task force has begun work to create a framework for the review and prioritization of academic programs. Once President Floyd and I approve the proposed framework, the Phase I task force will oversee the review process for academic programs.
It is intended that the prioritization of academic programs should take advantage of work now taking place in all units, particularly the reaccreditation self studies. Phase I Task Force work will be completed with the submission of program self-study reports to the Provost. The Phase II Task Force will then begin the work of reviewing reports and prioritizing programs. This prioritization process will provide a roadmap for investment and reallocation in support of strategic priorities and will ensure the most efficient use of resources. I will provide more detailed updates in the future to highlight progress as these important efforts move forward. A parallel process for evaluating non-academic support units is being developed separately, headed by Greg Royer, Vice President for Business and Finance.
Four AAAS Fellows
Achieving our goals is closely tied to the excellence of our faculty. In October, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) recognized 471 members as Fellows, including four from WSU. I am pleased to say that those from WSU are Wendy C. Brown and David J Prieur, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology; Timothy Kohler, Department of Anthropology; and Lai-Sheng Wang, Physics and Materials Science at WSU Tri-Cities.
This recognition, awarded to only a few of all AAAS members, is an honor that truly exemplifies the quality of our faculty. According to the AAAS, Fellow status is bestowed upon members “whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished.”
Brown is recognized nationally and internationally for her research on T lymphocyte responses to tick-borne pathogens of cattle and for the use of T lymphocytes to identify promising vaccine antigens. Prieur’s research focuses primarily on genetic diseases of animals, especially those that are spontaneous models of similar human genetic diseases. Kohler’s work involves quantitative analysis of archaeological data and simulations of aspects of prehistoric behavior, a method of modeling that helps archaeologists make sense of what they find in the field. Wang, whose research focuses on nanoscience, is an affiliate senior chief scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
Next Steps
In closing, let me say again that there will be further opportunities for you to participate in updating our strategic plan and in setting Washington State University’s future directions. We value your ideas and input.
Robert C. Bates
Provost and Executive Vice President
