May 2, 2017

On behalf of the Academic Program and Administrative Services Prioritization (APASP) Task Force, I am pleased to share the first drafts of several key components proposed to guide UM’s prioritization process. The ASASP Task Force believes it is important to share these first drafts with the University community and solicit feedback from you before the end of the semester.

The APASP Task Force began designing UM’s prioritization process with the following:

  • Framework: provides an overview of the process, timelines, roles, etc. Please note: several of the concepts mentioned here (eg. formulas/weights, categories of ranking, etc.) will be developed using the feedback we receive between now and May 10. We will share drafts of those concepts the next time we solicit input from the campus community.
  • Timeline: Updates on our progress and requests for input will be ongoing from now until October. Presentations of the Task Force’s final recommendations to the various shared governance groups shall take place prior to their presentation to the Board of Regents on October 27, 2017.
  • Units of Analysis: definitions of the components of academic programs/administrative services to be used in the prioritization process.
  • Criteria and metrics: the standards on which the analysis will be based and the data, both qualitative and quantitative, to support the criteria.

Request for input INSERT LINK TO FEEDBACK FORM HERE

The first iterations of these key components of prioritization at UM as developed by the subcommittees of the APASP Task Force are available on the APASP website for your review. You can provide input in three ways:

  • Use the feedback form provided on the website until 5 p.m. on May 10, 2017;
  • Attend campus forums in the UC Theater for in-person discussion:
    • from 11 a.m. – noon on Monday, May 8 and
    • from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9;
    • Attend campus formus with Robert Dickeson, who will be helping UM with prioritization:
      • from 4-5 p.m. Wednesday, May 10 in UC 332-333 and
      • from 11 a.m. – noon on Thursday, May 11 in UC 332-333.

Remain engaged with APASP

I know that there is much anxiety about the fact that the prioritization process is taking place over the course of the summer months. I invite you to view prioritization not as “something that’s happening to you”, but “something that you are a part of.” To ensure we meet our commitment to transparency and open lines of communication, I would like you to know how to remain engaged with the prioritization process:

  • The APASP website (www.umt.edu/apasp): the principal vehicle for information on the work of the Task Force. Please check this website regularly.
  • Your UM email account: we will send regular updates to the campus community via email.
  • Input requests/feedback forms: each time the Task Force needs input from the campus community, we will notify you via UM email, update the website, provide an online feedback form, and schedule campus forums for in-person discussion.

We are just at the beginning of a comprehensive review of UM’s programs and services, and the rich perspectives and ideas that you offer are essential to the creation of a successful process. The APASP Task Force is committed to using your input to shape our work.

Finally, I want to recognize and thank the members of the APASP Task Force for the hard work they have done thus far and their individual and collective commitment to making sure we complete prioritization with a sense of urgency balanced by fairness, rationality, and in the best interest of UM and its future.

Beverly Edmond, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs