By A’ishah Crawford
As we collectively navigate a time of widespread change, CI is making plans for the coming decade in an initiative called Charting Our Course. Provost Mitch Avila stated in the Charting Our Course Town Hall on Jan. 28 that this initiative will shape our “academic and institutional identity for the next 20 years.”
Toward the goal of shaping the future of our campus programs, eight faculty teams were formed to collaborate on the Charting Our Course initiative. Avila explained during the Town Hall that these teams met throughout the month of January in order to “create a comprehensive academic plan that (will) inform decisions through the end of the decade, identify new degree programs, prioritize opportunities for academic excellence, incorporate mission pillars and honor principles of shared governance.”
The faculty teams were given titles related to their core objectives. The first three team titles are: Educational Distinction, Mission Pillars and Academic Organizations. Additionally, five Academic Program (AP) Development teams have been focused on formulating prospective academic plans in specific departments. These teams are: AP Development Team 1 – Humanities and Ethnic Studies, AP Development Team 2 – The Arts and the Region, AP Development Team 3 – Social Sciences, AP Development Team 4 – Lab & Health Sciences and AP – Development Team 5 – Cross-Disciplinary Academic Programs.
During the month of February, there will be opportunities for students and community members to join the conversation about how CI will chart our course. Each of the faculty teams will host Town Halls and forums where input from our campus community regarding these initiatives will be welcomed. More information regarding these opportunities can be found in a Campus Global email from the Provost dated Jan. 28, with a follow-up email sent on Jan. 31.
The Provost’s email also indicated that another email is yet to come with RSVP links for breakfast, lunch and coffee with both Avila and President Richard Yao between Feb. 14 and Feb. 25. At that time, the CI community will be able to ask specific questions about the direction the University is taking.
The Provost’s Office aims to produce a Multi-year Academic Plan in March or April, which will “(set) out what we’ll do for the next five to 10 years,” said Avila. He stated during the Town Hall meeting that “the penultimate version (is to be) expected by early April for presentation to the (Academic) Senate.”
The Charting Our Course initiative is aiming to provide multiple new academic programs for CI students in coming years, which is an exciting prospect for our campus community. For now, we have the opportunity to share our input regarding Charting Our Course in the Town Halls which are upcoming this month. The whole community of CI is encouraged to get involved with this initiative by providing input to help guide the course of CI’s next generation of programs.
To view the recording of the Charting Our Course Town Hall from Jan. 28, please visit: https://sites.google.com/myci.csuci.edu/coc-csuci-2022/home?authuser=0
