University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA 01003 Fifth-Year Interim Report to the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education New England Association of Schools and Colleges August 15, 2013 University of Massachusetts Amherst • Fifth Year Interim Report to CIHE Part One: Introduction This fifth-year interim report actually comes four years after UMass Amherst’s last comprehensive evaluation in 2009. That review was originally scheduled for 2008, but as a result of changes in campus leadership the Commission approved a one-year delay. The next comprehensive evaluation is scheduled for Fall 2018. This report draws heavily from and is largely organized around the campus’s new strategic plan, Innovation and Impact: Renewing the Promise of the Public Research University (http://www.umass.edu/provost/sites/umass.edu.provost/files/uploads/JTFSO%20Phase%20I% 20Report.pdf), which is appended to this report. This document, which throughout is referred to as “the Plan,” forms the foundation of the fifth-year interim report for two reasons: 1. It encapsulates the campus’s thinking with respect to its current status and goals in virtually all the areas relevant to the Commission’s standards. It reflects a broadly collaborative planning process that extended across the 2012-13 academic year, and is therefore the most definitive statement of the campus’s “progress since the last comprehensive review and … project[ed] areas of focus for the next five years.” 2. The Commission identified five areas for special emphasis in the fifth-year interim report: a. Developing a strategic plan that sets overall institutional priorities; b. Developing a facilities master plan and priorities for addressing deferred maintenance; c. Implementing the new general education program, following a four-credit plan, ensuring that quality is sustained and that student learning is in concert with the stated learning outcomes; d. Implementing a strategic enrollment plan which includes a focus on the institution’s goals for retention and graduation of ALANA students and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds; and e. Achieving a balanced and sustainable operating budget. The Plan itself is “the answer” to the first of these areas of emphasis, and reflects the substantive responses to the others. Throughout this interim report, then, frequent references are made to the Plan. Significant extracts are quoted in italics with reference to the page number(s) in the Plan. In addition, of course, relevant information not included in the Plan is provided in the responses to both the Emphasis Areas and the Standards. As described in detail in the body of this report, the strategic planning process was developed through broad collaboration involving faculty, staff and students. The group with overall responsibility was the Joint Task Force on Strategic Oversight (JTFSO), created and appointed jointly by the Faculty Senate and the campus administration. JTFSO’s membership during AY 2012- 13 was as follows: Nancy L. Cohen, Co-Chair, Head of Department, Professor, Nutrition Bryan C. Harvey, Co-Chair, Associate Provost for Academic and Resource Planning Amilcar Shabazz, Co-Chair, Faculty Advisor to the Chancellor for Diversity and Excellence, Professor, Afro- American Studies William (Rick) Richards Adrion, Professor, Computer Science Carol A. Barr, Vice Provost for Undergraduate and Continuing Education Joseph F. Bartolomeo, Chair of Department, Professor, English Marilyn S. Billings, Scholarly Communication and Special Initiatives Librarian, W.E.B. Du Bois Library Richard S. Bogartz, Professor, Psychology Sergio F Brena, Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering 1 University of Massachusetts Amherst • Fifth Year Interim Report to CIHE John F. Dubach, CIO/Special Assistant to the Chancellor Elizabeth (Betsy) Dumont, Director of Natural History Collections, Professor, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Robert S. Feldman, Dean of the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences Diane P. Flaherty, Professor, Economics Steven D. Goodwin, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences Jennifer Healy, Student Trustee Akshay Kapoor, Student Government Association President John F. Kennedy, Vice Chancellor for University Relations Jean Kim, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life James F. Kurose, Distinguished Professor, Computer Science Michael F. Malone, Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement Mzamo Mangaliso, Associate Professor, Isenberg School of Management Andrew P. Mangels, Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Budget Director Ernest D. May, Secretary of the Faculty Senate, Professor, Music & Dance John J. McCarthy, Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School, Distinguished Professor Jennifer Randall, Assistant Professor, School of Education Annemarie H. Seifert, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Development Anurag Sharma, Associate Professor, Isenberg School of Management James P. Sheehan, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Jenny Spencer, President, Massachusetts Society of Professors, Associate Professor, English Martha L. A. Stassen, Assistant Provost for Assessment and Educational Effectiveness Donna M. Zucker, Associate Professor, School of Nursing In addition, JTFSO empaneled numerous committees and subcommittees, the full membership of which can be found at http://www.umass.edu/provost/sites/umass.edu.provost/files/uploads/JTFSO%20and%20com mittee%20membership.pdf. A complete description of the planning process can be found at http://www.umass.edu/provost/strategic-planning. With the Plan as the foundation, the fifth-year interim report was developed by a steering committee and a group of contributors, most of whom were also participants in the strategic planning process. The steering committee consisted of Bryan C. Harvey, Associate Provost for Academic and Resource Planning; Marilyn Blaustein, Assistant Provost for Institutional Research; Martha L. A. Stassen, Assistant Provost for Assessment and Educational Effectiveness; and Ernest D. May, Secretary of the Faculty Senate and Professor of Music and Dance. The network of key contributors was: Carol A. Barr, Vice Provost for Undergraduate and Continuing Education Marilyn Blaustein, Assistant Provost for Institutional Research John Bryan, Associate Provost for Academic Personnel Shane Conklin, Director of Administrative Services, Facilities and Campus Services John Dubach, CIO and Special Assistant to the Chancellor Enku Gelaye, interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life Juanita Holler, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities and Campus Services Ray Jackson, interim Director of Physical Plant Jean Kim, Vice Chancellor for Student Affair and Campus Life Michael F. Malone, Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement Andrew P. Mangels, Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Budget Director John J. McCarthy, Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School John McCutcheon, Director of Athletics James Roche, Associate Provost for Enrollment Management Jay Schafer, Director of Libraries Thomas Shaw, interim Director of Design and Construction Management Mary Deane Sorcinelli, Associate Provost for Faculty Development Martha L. A. Stassen, Assistant Provost for Assessment and Educational Effectiveness Dennis Swinford, Director of Campus Planning Ruth Yanka, Executive Director, Administration and Finance Operations 2 University of Massachusetts Amherst • Fifth Year Interim Report to CIHE Many other members of the campus community were recruited to contribute through this network. Drafts of the major components of the interim report were reviewed by JTFSO, the Rules (executive) Committee of the Faculty Senate, the Campus Leadership Council (Chancellor’s cabinet), and the academic Deans. 3 University of Massachusetts Amherst • Fifth Year Interim Report to CIHE Part Two: Institutional Overview UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass Amherst was born in 1863 as a land-grant agricultural college set on 310 rural acres with four faculty members, four wooden buildings, 56 students and a curriculum combining modern farming, science, technical courses, and liberal arts. Over time, the curriculum, facilities, and student body outgrew the institution’s original mission. In 1892 the first female student enrolled and graduate degrees were authorized. By 1931, to reflect a broader curriculum, “Mass Aggie” had become Massachusetts State College. In 1947, “Mass State” became the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Immediately after World War II, the university experienced rapid growth in facilities, programs and enrollment, with 4000 students in 1954. By 1964, undergraduate enrollment jumped to 10,500, as Baby Boomers began to come of age. The turbulent political environment also brought a “sit-in” to the newly constructed Whitmore Administration Building. By the end of the decade, the completion of Southwest Residential Complex, the Alumni Stadium and the establishment of many new academic departments gave UMass Amherst much of its modern character. Rapid growth to accommodate the Baby Boom generation brought total enrollment to 25,000 by the mid-seventies, a plateau that would remain fairly constant for the next three decades. During this period