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May 2008
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CAMPUS NEWS |
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Town Halls Reveal Current Successes, Needs for Improvement Members of the AU community gathered in two town hall sessions last month to discuss the current progress and future process of creating a new two-year budget and a new 10-year strategic plan. President Neil Kerwin, SPA/BA '71, members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and students all participated in the April meetings.
On April 28, faculty, staff, and students came together in the lounge at McDowell Hall to pool their energies and ideas for the university’s new strategic plan. In an hour and a half dialogue, facilitated by outgoing Student Government President Joe Vidulich, SPA/BA ’08, and Associate Librarian and Faculty Senate member Gwendolyn Reece, the conversation expanded to global and national marketing strategies while zeroing in on campus issues such as faculty and staff relationships. Vidulich was pleased with the event and the overall process so far. He noted that while things were still in the development stage, he was optimistic that the committee had done a great deal of work to ensure the success of the strategic plan. “There’s been an overall commitment by the university to involve anyone and everyone in this process,” he said. Reece was excited for how well the process had gone so far. “We’ve all been operating in a team-based sort of way,” she said. The committee has been able to draw a sizeable amount of material from a diverse set of participants from throughout the AU community, she said. “I think the president has committed to this being a real process,” she said, noting that AU’s dependence on tuition makes AU accountable in a very immediate way. Reece also spoke about how important alumni are in the process. “Our alumni have taken their AU education out into the world,” she said. “They have a very important perspective that our current students don’t yet.”
As for specific issues brought up during the meeting, Anthony Riley, chair of the Department of Psychology at CAS and a member of the strategic planning committee, sees the relationship of faculty, staff, and students as one of the most pressing issues for the university. “If there’s anybody that has continuity across the years, it’s the staff,” Riley said, adding that he hoped improving that relationship would improve alumni participation and create a more consistent and positive undergraduate experience for current students. A week earlier, President Kerwin, along with Board of Trustees chair Gary Abramson, SPA/BA ’68, held a question-and-answer session in the Ward Circle Building. With the provost and other members of the board present, Kerwin and Abramson answered questions relating to several issues, including the effect of energy costs on the university, the need for more money for student activities and financial aid, and opportunities for student input on the new budget and strategic plan. “Right now I think the main focus is to participate in the discussions that are taking place,” said William Delone, chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. Delone was adamant about the ongoing need for outside voices in the process. “We’re really focusing on what would you like to see this institution be and aspire to in the next five years?” As the discussion continued, more specific topics arose such as the funding of a Women’s Resource Center; the effect of the current housing crisis on the university’s building projects; and the diversity of AU in applicants, admitted students, and programs available to undergraduates. When asked about his first year as president, Dr. Kerwin offered encouragement and a look ahead. “We’ve had excellent participation so far in the strategic planning process, excellent participation by the community in the provost search process,” he said. | |||||
