Author: Brynn Boyer

As the fall 2012 semester draws to a close, I want to provide you with more information about the Strategic Resource Allocation process that I’ve announced. This process will begin early in the new year and continue into the fall of 2013. As I had noted at the opening meeting of the faculty last August, I believe that it is essential to begin this exercise now as the next step in advancing UMW’s position among the region’s  and nation’s outstanding public liberal arts and sciences institutions. It is this fundamental commitment to excellence and continuous improvement that defines Mary Washington and drives the Strategic Resource Allocation process.

Understand that UMW is not facing a state of financial exigency. While budgets are tight, we have all worked together to maximize efficiency, and for that, I am most grateful for your extraordinary commitment to this remarkable institution.  However, in the current economic climate, two of our primary sources of revenue, state support and tuition increases, will be very limited, going forward.  A third potential source of new revenue, increasing undergraduate enrollment, presents challenges and practical limitations as well. Thus, we can expect very limited new funds from these traditional revenue sources.

I am convinced that, in order to move the institution forward, we must take steps now to make UMW more distinctive through strategic investment in existing programs and/or the creation of new ones that increase our competitiveness. We must look internally for the resources to make these changes.  Failing to do so virtually guarantees a continued decline in our ability to recruit and retain the very best faculty and students.

Last week, Larry Goldstein, president of Campus Strategies, LLC, spent a full day on campus conferring with several groups of faculty and administrators. He was here at my invitation to assist in the development of a framework for the analysis.  I am pleased to share with you the broad outline of that framework.

First and foremost, Mr. Goldstein will be serving in the role of facilitator, to provide expertise in setting up a process that will work best within the context of the University of Mary Washington.  While Mr. Goldstein is a nationally-recognized leader in this area, having worked with more than 200 colleges and universities in similar studies, each process is unique and is designed by the particular institution.  I emphasize that we are in full control of our study and that UMW, with Larry’s assistance, will be establishing a process that is respectful of our culture and unique to our own situation.

The Strategic Resource Allocation process will be coordinated by Ian Newbould, Interim Provost, and Rick Pearce, Vice President for Administration and Finance.  As coordinators, they will serve as the official external spokespersons for this project, but will not participate in any deliberations.  The work of the study will be conducted by two task forces:  one to examine academic programs and another to examine all support programs.

The academic task force will be comprised exclusively of teaching faculty. I believe that it is most appropriate for the faculty to examine and make recommendations regarding the future directions of the academic programs at the University.  I am working with the University Faculty Council on the best manner in which to make the appointments of faculty to this task force.  It is imperative that the individuals asked to serve will not be representing any individual unit, discipline, or constituency, but rather they will bring to the deliberations a broad, open-minded view and an institutional perspective.

The support programs task force also will be broadly constituted.  While it will include members of the teaching faculty, the largest share of members will come from administrative areas.  If feasible given the anticipated workload of the task force, I also hope to have a student member of this task force.  Again, we will be seeking individuals who understand the broad needs of the University, and appreciate the goals of the Strategic Resource Reallocation process.

Both task forces will receive an appropriate level of administrative and logistical support to support their program reviews.  Additionally, they will rely on advice from Larry Goldstein, who will serve as a facilitator to assist with the work of the groups. It is important to note that the task forces will be charged with making recommendations, but not with responsibility for implementation. There will be a deliberative process for the review of the final reports, which will be made publically available upon completion.  Ultimately it will be my responsibility as President, as charged by the Board of Visitors, to determine which recommendations to accept and to establish the timetable for implementation.

Although the specific assessment criteria and weighting factors will be developed by the respective task forces, their charges will contain the following essential elements:

First, the criteria must be holistic.  That is, they must take into consideration the full gamut of assessment factors including qualitative and quantitative, financial and nonfinancial, and any other relevant measures of performance.

Second, the criteria must result in a fair assessment of all programs. Although the differences among programs will result in some programs faring better on some criteria than others, the selection and weighting of criteria must ensure that no individual program is unfairly treated in the process.

It is my expectation that this will become a discipline that is used periodically by the University to revisit institutional priorities.  Within this process we must also provide a means for bringing forward new program proposals. I am receptive to suggestions about this important aspect of our study.

I know the task before us is challenging and that it will require patience, trust, and a spirit of cooperation from all segments of the University community.  However, in order for UMW to achieve and sustain a position of preeminence among the nation’s public liberal arts institutions, I believe this effort is necessary.  I have no preconceived ideas about the outcomes or recommendations that will emerge from the process.  Instead, I have confidence in the validity of the undertaking and the quality of work anticipated from all participants.  I am confident that we will emerge from this process as a stronger institution.

From President Richard V. Hurley

I am pleased to announce that Hall Cheshire has been named Acting Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the University of Mary Washington effective immediately.  Hall has agreed to lead the Department of Information Technology during the interim period while a search for a permanent CIO is carried out.  The search for a permanent CIO will take place during the first few months of 2013 and we expect to have someone in place by June 30, 2013.

Hall is a very experienced IT professional who also carries the title of Executive Director, Enterprise Information Services at UMW.  He has served UMW since 2009.  His willingness to accept these additional duties and responsibilities is appreciated by all of us.

— Richard R. Pearce, Vice President for Administration and Finance and CFO

For the past two months our weekly tips have included features on coffee, lighting, junk mail, kitchenware, green meetings, and more.  The goal of this series is to educate employees about ways to improve sustainability in the workplace.  But this week we’re asking YOU to do something to educate other employees.  If you’re reading this article and consider yourself a conscientious individual who is concerned about having a greener office, we’re challenging you to step up to the plate and form a Green Team in your office!

What is a Green Team you ask?  Well, since you asked, a Green Team is a groups of staff members from an office/department that meet regularly to educate themselves and their coworkers about sustainability.  The goal of a Green Team is to ultimately come up with ways to improve office practices when it comes to sustainability. You’re not being asked to recreate the wheel;  although the more ambitious, the better! Simply organizing a small group of 2-3 people to meet every month and discuss sustainability in your office would be a great start.  So after you’ve drafted some like-minded individuals to put together a Green Team for your office, here are some ideas to help you get started:

• Meet every month to discuss observations you have made about office behaviors (items not being recycled, lights being left on, excessive paper towels being used in the kitchen, etc.)

• Take the time during full staff meetings to bring up your observations to other co-workers and get them to make a commitment to change harmful/wasteful behaviors

• Establish goals for your office; start with small goals to build momentum (e.g. getting everyone on board with shutting off their computer monitors when leaving their offices for lunch or especially for the day)

• Use signs to educate colleagues about sustainability issues (“Don’t forget to turn off the lights!” posted near the light switch in the kitchen or in the copy room)

• Post articles about sustainability in a general area space in your office where co-workers can see it, or send emails containing links to articles on sustainability for your co-workers to read (remember to do this in moderation).  Who knows, maybe someone missed this week’s “Office Sustainability Tip of the Week” in EagleEye.  As a member of your office’s Green Team, you can share it with your co-workers in case they may have missed it.

• Form an informal “Green Orientation” program where you teach new employees about ways to go green in your office when they first start

Now that you have read this article and gotten some ideas, there is no time to waste (pun intended) — start a Green Team in your office now!  If you have any suggestions for things we can all do differently each day to create more sustainable office environments, please feel free to leave a comment or email me the idea to be featured in a future Tip of the Week.

The PCS Action Group members for the “Office Sustainability Tip of the Week” are Kevin Caffrey, Elizabeth Sanders, Robert Louzek, and Dre Anthes.

Last week’s tip: Social Sustainability

The next edition of the EagleEye newsletter will go out on Thursday, Jan. 10.

EagleEye, which reaches close to 1,000 users each week, is the perfect place to announce faculty accomplishments, event information and campus happenings. The newsletter goes out on Thursday afternoons to all faculty and staff, as well as other internal constituents.

Faculty and staff can submit information to EagleEye using the directions at http://umweagleeye.wpengine.com/contribute/, or by emailing Brynn Boyer or Marty Morrison in the Office of News and Public Information.

Email submissions received before 1 p.m. on Thursdays are guaranteed to appear in the current week’s newsletter.

Please contact Brynn Boyer (bboyer@umw.edu) or Marty Morrison (mmorris3@umw.edu) with any questions.

Professor of Psychology Christopher Kilmartin spoke to an audience of more than 1,300 as the keynote speaker at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Psychology diploma ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 8. The ceremony honored psychology graduates from August through December.

In his speech, Kilmartin encouraged graduates to embrace the uncertainties of the future, while remaining confident in their abilities.

“Create the voice that says, ‘I hope this is the worst thing that ever happens to you.’ Learn from your disappointments, but learn that you can survive them,” he said.

Kilmartin received a master’s and a doctorate in counseling psychology from VCU.