Dear Faculty and Staff —

At the Cabinet meeting this week, Chancellor Gooch offered a deep expression of gratitude for the work and presence of so many colleagues at her investiture ceremony last Wednesday. Further business included a discussion of the proposal to develop a strategic academic program “map” for integrated decision making; the use of NSSE data to benchmark improvements; and the violence visited on the Michigan State University campus (and our current active shooter response plan) as well as the tremendous loss of life in Turkey and Syria due to the area earthquake. Communication also has begun with students regarding reservations for commencement (Saturday, May 13) as well as the desired event presence of our faculty.

Open office hours were held on Tuesday with seven colleagues visiting: five faculty and two staff colleagues. Issues discussed included classroom scheduling; possible barriers to on-ground classes despite student requests for those classes; grants and contracts; artificial intelligence, and campus culture. The issue of on-ground vs. online classes is complex, and two department chairs and I explored the “cluster classes” (related courses from different disciplines) schedule option as well as related issues of class times, student and faculty preferences, and child care.

I had suspended faculty searches last Friday (for a week) due to concern about whether the search positions had budgeted funds. After considerable “digging around,” it was found that several of the non-concluded searches had no funds for the specific position being searched for – which continued an institutional pattern for the past several years. Thus Thursday, and after intense consultation with the respective college deans, I recommended to the Chancellor that nine of those unfunded searches be cancelled. The respective college deans have details on both still approved as well as the cancelled searches. The cancellations will defer an estimated $633,000, which would have been committed from the 2023-24 fiscal year onward. Still, 20 searches were approved to continue at an estimated cost of $1,830,000 with about $600,000 funds budgeted leaving an unfunded balance for approved searches at $1,230,000. Finally, I do realize departments and programs may have worked diligently to find and recruit candidates. I also realize that the timing of these search cancellations is both inconvenient and may even be distressing. My hope is that you understand the basis for these cancelled searches – it was not easy for anyone now involved to make such decisions.

The week finished with a long discussion among colleagues at the Chairs Forum regarding common issues and concerns – including teaching effectiveness, increasing fiscal constraints, the campus culture, uncertainty, and the need for a discussion/learning forum for chairs. The Campus Senate Executive Committee also met on Friday with another full agenda of work on curricular resolutions and related issues.

Thank you,

Linda

Linda M. Delene, PhD

Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA) and Provost

University of Illinois Springfield