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Program continues efforts to better CMU by 2010
With two years left, Catherine Riordan said CMU 2010 has made significant progress in bettering Central
Michigan University.
The program, which in 2005 laid out a vision plan for achievement by 2010, is seeing many of its
goals met as "CMU's five-year strategic plan."
Riordan, vice provost of Academic Affairs and co-chair of the Institutional
Strategic Planning Committee, named the current student-to-faculty ratio, with fewer students to faculty, as one of the biggest
successes underneath the plan's first priority: Teaching and learning.
"That's a very positive thing for us," she said.
"We've made significant progress."
Teaching and learning is one of just five priorities that underline the direction
for 2010. Other areas of improvement include expanding the Honors Program and the academic expectations of first-year students.
Under
each priority are two to six key performance indicators, which enable officials to monitor the achievement of targeted strategic
goals.
"(Key performance indicators) are the best measures we have available to track our progress," Riordan said.
"It's asking the basic question in terms of how we're doing ... becoming a nationally prominent university."
Though
the committee does not necessarily wish to compete with other institutions, she said, part of CMU 2010's hope is to be among
leading universities of this caliber.
One thing that has set CMU apart is its leniency in accepting incoming undergraduates,
giving a wide variety of students the chance to excel.
"We can take all of those students and have them toward their
educational goal," Riordan said.
Among other efforts, CMU 2010 each year sponsors several projects, which are aimed
to end in either a two- or three-year period.
"(Sponsored projects are) most directly targeted to a priority, with
a likelihood of succeeding," Riordan said.
One of the approved projects for 2008 is strengthening CMU's Interdisciplinary
Programs. It will receive $96,426 out of $228,502 of this year's total project funding.
This project stresses the institution's need to offer interdisciplinary courses and give a good understanding of those
programs to students. Director of Curriculum and Assessment Denise Webster is the project leader, as well as a member
of 2010's Communication Committee. "The biggest (part) is the degree to which there's a discussion of integrated learning,"
she said. "(It's) multiple disciplines coming together." Separate projects have been approved and still are moving
forward. One two-year project approved in 2007 was Leveraging Institutional Resources: A Matching Fund for Competitive
External Funding. Craig Reynolds leads the project, in addition to being Research and Program officer and a Culture
and Integrity Committee member. "We have provided match ing funds for eight separate projects," he said. "This
is part of CMU's push to become nationally known." Seventeen dollars in matching funds to every $1 in return is the
investment ratio, and $151,000 has been pooled into the eight projects, Reynolds said. Both Reynolds' and Webster's
projects are supported by CMU 2010's Vision Fund and are required to meet seven conditions as described on 2010's Web site,
planning.cmich.edu. As conditions are set for a project's future, 2010 is beginning to think forward as well. After
the year 2010, a new vision plan can be set in motion, which Riordan said will be based off a more specific version of current
priorities. "The conversations we're having now are still pretty tentative," she said. "We're not calling it 'CMU 2020.'" 2010
has held two open forums this semester. Those presentations are available for free download through iTunes, which is part
of the initiative's effort to communicate its plan and progress with the campus community. "We're trying to use technology
to better get information out," Riordan said. news@cm-life.com
Central summer camps provide opportunities for leadership, fun
Camping, swimming among available activities
High school students across Michigan will have the chance this summer to test their leadership skills.
The
Academy High School Leadership Camp, organized by the Leadership Institute, is one of many summer camps hosted on campus in
2008.
While each camp will serve a specific purpose and age, The Academy is geared toward learning and teambuilding.
"A
lot of it is leadership development based," Coordinator of K-12 Leadership Jenell Barnard said. "It allows us to reach out
to the community and develop leaders."
Campers will stay in residence halls for five days on campus, which she said
could benefit them, as they get a feel for what it is like to be a college student.
Eric Johnson will be a student
coordinator for the camp when it starts July 13. He said he would like to teach high school, making this a valuable experience
for both the campers and himself.
"I really enjoy facilitating small groups, especially at the high school level,"
the Freeland junior said.
According to CMU's summer camp and activities Web site, there is a variety of summer options.
Learn-to-Swim
will offer lessons for all ages and levels during its three separate sessions this summer, as they do throughout the year.
However, the program will now include private instruction options.
Assistant Director of University Recreation Aquatic
and Safety Amy Jo Jenkins said the new instruction will greatly benefit special needs participants and others who found no
improvement in group classes.
Instructors for all classes are American Red Cross certified CMU students. They will
teach a large range of ages.
For more information about Learn-to-Swim, The Academy or any other activity, visit cmich.edu/summercamps/.
news@cm-life.com
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