When the Sustaining Teaching and Research Task Force began meeting in 2023, its committees and working groups were charged with assessing challenges, prioritizing strategies, and recommending specific actions to bring about substantive improvements to our education, research and service models. Each committee was provided with a list of issues and challenges derived from faculty feedback received by the provost during listening tour visits, Academic Senate meetings, and other formal and informal conversations. Committees formed working groups to consider specific issues and formulate solutions.
START members are hard at work, developing initiatives and action plans to transform how the campus fulfills its education, research and service missions. Town halls are held periodically to provide real-time updates on committee progress and solicit feedback and field questions from faculty and staff. We have outlined the process for evaluation of recommendations below.
Phase One
START Working Group develops and submits a recommendation to its parent START committee. The committee will:
- Request edits to the recommendation
- Approve the recommendation
- Deny the recommendation
If the recommendation is approved, it will be submitted to the full START Task Force for consideration. The process, similar to the committee level, is:
- Request edits to the recommendation
- Approve the recommendation
- Deny the recommendation
If the START Task Force approves the recommendation, it is submitted to the provost for review. Again, the process is:
- Request edits to the recommendation
- Approve the recommendation
- Deny the recommendation
If a recommendation is approved by the provost, it proceeds to Phase Two.
Phase Two
Depending on the nature of a recommendation, it may be submitted to a number of entities for consideration and feedback. These include:
- Academic Senate, Academic Federation, and/or Staff Assembly, including a determination by the Academic Senate if a formal Request for Consultation is applicable
- Provost’s Leadership Council and/or the Chancellor’s Leadership Council
- Budget and Institutional Analysis
- Other Interest Groups, based on the nature of the recommendation
The provost will send an email to all faculty and staff to review and provide input on START recommendations, which are available the Recommendations webpage.
The provost will evaluate feedback received from these broad stakeholders and groups and will request edits, approve, or deny the recommendation.
If the recommendation is approved, implementation will begin.