Members Appointed to Three Strategic Planning Task Forces
10/13/2020
JONESBORO – Three academic task forces to support the upcoming strategic plan at Arkansas State University were announced by A-State’s Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Alan Utter last week.
Utter charged the task force members and established chairs to look into three areas identified by the university’s Strategic Planning Committee.
“I appreciate the leadership of our Provost in proactively setting up these groups to begin investigation by a broad group of faculty members,” Chancellor Kelly Damphousse said. “The reports and feedback we receive will be important to our finalization of the plan and its launch phase this fall.”
Utter indicated the three groups will establish procedures for meeting soon and begin the work of gathering and evaluating information related to their respective areas.
“Many of the faculty involved were intimately a part of similar discussions as break-out topics from our Strategic Planning Committee, and I am looking forward to their reports on these very important areas,” Utter said. “The charge to each group is to evaluate our current practices and make recommendations. It may be to maintain our current policies in an area. It may be to suggest changes or adjustments. They may also propose new goals or pathways.”
Will McLean of Political Science will chair the Program Evaluation Task Force, which will look into strengths and potential for each degree program currently at A-State.
The members of the Program Evaluation group and their academic areas include Aaron Shew (Agriculture), Shelley Gipson (Art), Lauren Clark (Music), Kris Biondolillo (Psychology), Joanna Grymes (Teacher Education), Bill Burns (Chemistry), Carmen Williams (English), Shawn Drake (Physical Therapy), Gauri Guha (Economics), Libby Nix (Nursing), Brandon Kemp (Engineering), Karen Wheeler (Academic Affairs) and Fen Yu (Institutional Research).
Joe Ford of Art + Design will chair the General Education Task Force, which will evaluate the university’s common core of courses taken by all students.
The members of the General Education group include Lillie Fears (Journalism), Sarah Davidson (Nursing), Zahid Hossain (Engineering), David Saarnio (Psychology), Andrea Davis (History), Amanda Lambertus (Mathematics), Temma Balducci (Art + Design), Ross Carroll (Physics), John Hershberger (Chemistry), Nikesha Nesbitt (University College), Karen McDaniel (Marketing and Management), Wheeler and Yu.
Loretta McGregor of Psychology will chair the Test Optional Task Force, which will consider issues related to admission and reliance on standardized testing.
The members of the Test Optional group include Lynn Boyd (Sciences & Mathematics), Mickey Latour (Agriculture), Cheryl DuBose (Radiation Sciences), Toccara Carter (Learning Commons), Jerrod Lockhart (University College), Pamela Bowie (Enrollment Management), Jill Simons (University College), McLean and Yu.
# # #
