Overview
Washington State University, as other distinctive, land
grant, research institutions of higher education in this
country, has a mission of instruction, scholarship and
research, and service. The vision for WSU directs
the institution to achieve excellence and pre-eminence in
a selected number of areas of scholarship and research
while delivering world-class graduate and undergraduate
degree programs and making significant contributions to
the economic vitality of the State of Washington and
beyond.
With few new resources available for investment in
strategic priorities, the university must use existing
resources in the most efficient manner possible. In
order to increase the efficient use of our limited
resources Academic Affairs will prioritize programs to
place them on a continuum from investment to
phase-out. This prioritization process will
create a roadmap for investment and reallocation over
time.
The prioritization process is being coordinated through
the work of two task forces appointed by the
Provost. The Phase I task force, chaired by Drs.
Mary Doyle and Ken Casavant, designed the review
process. The Phase II task force, chaired by Drs.
Ken Casavant and Larry James, will make university-wide
program prioritization recommendations to the Provost by
April 15, 2008.
The process for the prioritization of programs in
Academic Affairs involves a multi-part assessment.
In preparation, the Phase I Academic Affairs Program
Prioritization task force developed a framework to guide
the reviews. The framework consists of an
‘alternative futures’ matrix for the review
of Teaching and Learning, Scholarship and Research, and
Outreach and Engagement. A similar matrix was
developed for the review of Centers, Institutes, and
Laboratories. The matrix will assist programs in
placing themselves on the alternative futures
continuum.
A second key element of the framework is a set of
criteria to guide the reviews. The suggested
criteria include centrality, cost effectiveness, internal
and external demand, impact, productivity, quality and
size. The criteria vary slightly for Teaching and
Learning, Scholarship and Research, and Outreach and
Engagement.
All areas in Academic Affairs are using the framework
developed by the Phase I task force to conduct
self-reviews of each of their programs
(‘programs’ are determined by the Dean and
the Chair or appropriate administrator). Next, the
dean or area administrator will submit to the Provost,
program priorities for their college/area along with
justification and supporting materials that include the
individual program self-reviews. The Provost will forward
these materials to the Phase II task force, which posts
them in this website and provides them to the deans/area
administrators and Faculty Senate. The Phase II
task force will develop its recommendations from the
materials and data prepared by Institutional Research
considering input from the website, Faculty Senate, and a
Program Prioritization Forum that includes the Phase II
task force, deans/area administrators, chancellors, and
provost.
The Provost will report results and recommendations to
the university community before the end of the Spring
2008 semester. Implementation of recommendations
will begin during FY09 and may extend over a number of
years.
