School Restructuring

The project that is currently consuming most of my time and effort (aside from next year's budget!) is evaluating the structure of the school. We've currently got two task forces going-one on the academic side and one on the administrative side.

Some of you are wondering why I am handling these as two separate issues. I see the focus of the two groups as very different; the academic side of the School is charged with determining an academic structure that will foster and facilitate interdisciplinary programs while keeping a strong, focused computing/IT core. Much of that work will involve thinking about academic programs. The administrative structure needs to support faculty, staff and students on multiple locations at all levels-undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, external.

The Academic Restructuring Group will be meeting every Wednesday from now until April 29. Our goal is to have recommendations in place by May 1.

We had an excellent meeting and I believe that we are all very positive about our ability to coalesce around a set of recommendations. We also agreed that I would use my blog to post summaries of our meetings.

Here is what we've worked out so far:

Outcome from Week 1: What kind of school do we want to be?

“We want to be a school that offers strong, relevant, and attractive programs leading to degrees and minors internal and external to Seidenberg that are simultaneously (a) mutually beneficial and (b) leverage the interests of faculty.”

What is a strong core program? Technically challenging and intellectually stimulating

What is a relevant core program? Relevant to student body, and to the external community (both for-profit & not-for-profit)

What is an attractive core program? It draws enrollment, attracts potential students and is generally appealing to non-computing and administrative personnel.

What are the interests of the faculty? Research, teaching, etc…

To realize this vision, we need to consider ways to make this happen. Over the next weeks we will be discussing the following issues/topics:

Week 2:

Focus on core programs that are responsive to the needs of

• External Schools (interdisciplinary)

• Internal (core programs)

Week 3:

Special programs – DPS, NACTEL, Online, International, CLOUT, CIS 101 (enrollment, cost, margin)

Week 4:

Structure and governance of the school

Week 5:

Resources and faculty issues

Week 6:

Marketing above 5 outcomes to University Administration & Seidenberg Faculty

I also met with my direct reports, and we are looking at the administrative side of the school. In particular, we are defining what functions need to be done, which of the functions are location specific, and which are school wide. We will be using this to identify what resources are available where, and how we might make the best use of all of the talent in the School. We will be producing a set of recommendations by May 15.

I extend my thanks to everyone who is working with me in this transformation of our school.