[VPAAEtal] Provost Update - 3/15/2023

[Academic Affairs]

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Hello, Academic Affairs!


Happy spring break! I hope this week provides some well-earned relaxation, and that you return ready to enjoy a productive last half of the semester. I'll jump right into several updates:


I am excited to share with you that we have begun the work on revising our strategic plan. Several weeks ago, vice presidents and deans provided recommendations for faculty and staff to serve on two committees- one updating the strategic plan, and the other one focusing on the implementation of the strategic plan. I want to thank Dr. Mike Tapia and Amanda Horne, who have agreed to chair the Updating Committee, and Dr. Hattie Powell and Dr. Greg Lubiani who will be chairing the Implementation Committee. Cece Gassner will serve as project manager and administrative support.


The good news is that we won't be starting from scratch on our strategic plan, as we will take the current plan and examine it for what needs updates or tweaking. The basic pillars will be reviewed, but the bullet points under each will likely be refreshed to reflect the higher education environment after everything we've been through in the last few years. The timeline is somewhat accelerated, as the expectation is that the new plan will be effective January 1, 2024. Our goal is to have most of the update work completed by the end of this semester (including focus groups, surveys, etc. of the campus community), let things marinate over the summer, and complete the update work by mid-September. The implementation group would then pick it up and complete their work by the end of the Fall semester.  Please know that there will be numerous opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders to offer feedback as we craft the next strategic plan and ensure our follow-through. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the chance to share their thoughts!


As many of you are aware, we are also currently focusing on the accreditation of our institution.  Dr. Ricky Dobbs and the Department of Institutional Effectiveness and Research (IER), along with other faculty and staff on campus, have been working hard on our upcoming SACSCOC Reaffirmation Compliance Certification (Class of 2024). Our deadline for the submission of the Reaffirmation Compliance Certification is early September 2023, with the Quality Enhancement Plan due in February 2024. Under the direction of Dr. Dan Su, Executive Director of IER, Alison Soeder and other members of the IER office have put together a weekly newsletter with a timeline countdown and more details on SACSCOC Reaffirmation and Accreditation. These newsletters will be sent out on the Faculty and Staff Listserv and may be found on A&M-Commerce's SACSCOC Reaffirmation website<https://www.tamuc.edu/sacscoc/> as they are published.


I will finish with two quick reminders:


  *   The last open forum for the Enrollment-Budget presentation will be on April 5th at 2 pm in the Pride Room. If you haven't yet joined CFO Tina Lingingston and me, please make sure to come April 5. Although we have a short PowerPoint presentation, we are happy to answer any questions you may have, and have truly appreciated the great interactions we've had over the past few months in relation to our budget and enrollment.
  *   My open-door meetings are on Tuesdays from 4-6 pm, and the topic is open. I would love to learn more about what's on your mind. Please contact Cynthia Rhodes at Cynthia.Rhodes at tamuc.edu<mailto:Cynthia.Rhodes at tamuc.edu> to schedule a 15-30 minute time. (And if Tuesday isn't good for you, let Cynthia know and she'll find another day that works for you.)


As always, thank you Lions for all you do!  Together we are a university on the move and one that continues to transform lives.

tvh
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Tammi Vacha-Haase, PhD

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs









Texas A&M University-Commerce<https://www.tamuc.edu/>



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