Muirhead Report

(December 1997)

Sohn Report

December 2001

1. Restructure of graduate programs to decentralize administrative responsibility within each academic school.

A. Recommend a committee examine the establishment of a Chairs Leadership Institute.

2. Do not “balkanize” the School of Arts and Sciences but consult with departments that may be transferred to another school.  Follow-on ad-hoc committee report submitted May 1998 concluded the School of A&S should not be divided but should be given more administrative staff to coordinate programs and manage budgets.

B. Recommend a committee investigate the feasibility of restructuring the weekly class schedule to include some “free time” that would permit the scheduling of common office hours and curricular events/meetings designed to foster an enhanced sense of community.

3. Do not change structure in the School of Business, however recommend an ad-hoc committee examine the transfer of department of economics to the SOB.

C. Consider the creation of an Office of General Studies that would manage first year students and individuals with undeclared majors.

4. Do not change structure in the School of Education, but recommend an ad-hoc committee to examine potential growth areas in health and human services.

D. Recommend FOUR attached models to restructure the academic schools in order to improve communication, cohesiveness, and stronger academic outcomes. 

5. Do not change structure in the School of Technology. Recommend the administration of the school review its mission & programs and submit findings to the president.

6. Recommend a new “incubator” School be established to develop cutting-edge programs in the information sciences. The departments of math & computer sciences would initially comprise this pilot test.

7. Further develop both non-credit and credit programs for external audiences. Responsibility for non-credit should be a function of Institutional Advancement, while responsibility for credit should be a function of the Continuing Education Office.

8. Recommend the normal curricular processes consider the following changes:

• Transfer MIS 201 to the department of computer science.

• Transfer managerial communications from MIS department to communication department.

• Transfer journalism courses from English department to the communication department.

9. Recommend additional study to consider the potential development of a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies and a two-year “University College” for the undecided incoming student.