Arts and Sciences Transition Team
March 20, 2008
Thursday, HH 309
Why the reorganization?
- Improve undergraduate education
- Improve opportunities for trans- and inter-disciplinary scholarship
- Raise awareness of centrality of liberal arts education
- Rotating chair of A&S presents challenges, such as sustaining consistent vision/focus
After making public presentations & receiving input, Chancellor has decided that a single dean of A&S is the best way to address the issues.
Two groups to provide input to the Chancellor
- Chancellor's Working Group (CWG), formed by the Chancellor in collaboration with SEC
- A&S Transition Team (TT), formed by the deans of A&S and SPAS
Dean Bingham will be in both. Hopefully there will also be several faculty in common in order to facilitate communication between the two groups.
Transition Team Charge
To identify issues relating to reorganization, communicate with constituencies in A&S and SPAS, and propose solutions to the Chancellor
Most pressing issues
- What kind of person will best lead the new A&S?
- What will the organization be
below
the Dean of A&S?
Critical issues to be addressed while forming the new organization (no order)
- Academic effectiveness
- Faculty access to those who make the decisions
- Access to those making personnel/tenure decisions
- What will happen to RTRF?
- How will it all connect to the UHM structure?
- Some degree of sub-unit autonomy
- A&S influence proportional to its size
- Fiscal structure-centralized or dispersed?
- Efficiency
- Promote interdisciplinary scholarship
Other issues mentioned
- What prevents collaboration?
- Crosslisted courses
- Interdisciplinary Centers
- Are we duplicating administration?
For next meeting
Discuss with our colleagues the critical issues to be considered while forming the new structure. Are there more?
Next Meeting - Thursday, April 3rd, 2:30 to 4:00, Hawaii Hall 208