In response to President Gee’s December 2020 charge to transform the University into a land-grant institution of the future, the Office of the Provost is leading an effort to rethink the University’s academic programs and student support services.
“Higher education has been facing myriad challenges for many years – only to have those exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Maryanne Reed. “At WVU, we must be ready to adapt and change to stay relevant to our students and the communities we serve, now and into the future. President Gee has called upon us to embrace our role as West Virginia’s flagship university to drive progress and prosperity in the region and provide a learning laboratory for our students that will enable them to succeed and prosper in a changing world.”
Since December, Reed has emphasized the need to prepare students for both the jobs of today and careers of tomorrow by growing and creating degree programs that are rigorous and relevant. Other goals include renewing the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, strengthening WVU’s R1 position and enhancing the University’s reputation by aligning resources to invest in key academic areas that leverage the institution’s differentiators.
In partnership with the Education Advisory Board, the Office of the Provost has begun gathering data to inform the process and engage faculty, staff and academic leaders in the work.
Several committees have been formed, including the Academic Advisory Committee, composed primarily of faculty members, as well as key recruitment and retention staff members, who were identified in partnership with Faculty Senate leadership and the academic deans. The group will meet with a strategic research analyst from EAB on a bi-weekly basis to review, respond to and provide feedback on the data and analyses generated by the Provost’s Office.
Other newly created committees will help the University accelerate its focus on improving student success, revising the institution’s faculty rewards and recognition structure and strengthening graduate education.
The new site includes a list of overarching goals for the University’s academic transformation efforts, an in-depth explanation of the current priorities and a general timeline leading up to the June 25 Board of Governors meeting at which Provost Reed will present initial recommendations.
The site will be updated as details about each phase emerge and will include links to related stories on WVU Today, ENEWS and more.
WVU faculty, staff and students are encouraged to visit the site for more information. Questions about the academic transformation process can be directed to academictransformation@mail.wvu.edu.