Update, July 7, 2005

From: Sanford Shugart
To: All Faculty and Staff
Date: 7/7/2005 11:48:49 AM
Subject: Update, July 7, 2005

Please forgive my silence these past few weeks. I had intended an email immediately after the June Board meeting, but got distracted. So now, with half the summer completed, I have a few items of update for you.

1. Chief Learning Officer - I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Kaye Walter will be joining us on or about September 1 as Chief Learning Officer. Dr. Walter has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Rice University and is a seasoned teacher, dean, and chief academic officer. Her work at Kansas City Kansas Community College in assessment, curriculum, technology, and community outreach has been most impressive. She has the heart of a servant leader and is eager to collaborate with the faculty, deans and provosts in our efforts to improve student learning.

2. Improving Student Learning - Closing the Gap
We have been awarded a four-year implementation grant for the Achieving the Dream (ATD) initiative from the Lumina Foundation. During 2004-05, through a planning grant, a broad representation of faculty and staff worked on a proposal aimed at improving student outcomes and closing the performance gap across demographic populations at the College. Dr. Julie Phelps has been selected as project director for the grant, and provosts will be working with deans, faculty, and staff to develop campus plans for achievement of our goals. Watch for more ATD news and ways to get involved as activities begin….

3. Budget - The Board approved a budget for the coming year at the June meeting. The new budget represents about a 4.6% increase in the operating fund, with additional increases in capital funding for equipment, technology and buildings. Compensation was increased an average of 5% for tenured and tenure track faculty, 3.8% for all other full-time staff. The budget also includes a significant increase in equipment and technology, in part to accelerate the refresh program and do some catching up... I realize these budget issues rarely touch most of you where you live every day actually teaching and serving students, but I don't want you to feel like any information is kept from you. The College Planning Council did a fine job of guiding the budget process and we should have what we need to continue the work that matters most to us, teaching and learning.

More later...

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