Deep Enough or Wide Enough?

Prioritization has been a long and difficult process for EMU. This past Friday morning, in a meeting led by President Swartzendruber, the Board of Trustees discussed and approved the final recommendations.

To begin, Swartzendruber gave a slide show presentation summarizing the process, which has run from Dec. 2004 to the present. There were 208 academic and administrative programs evaluated by the Prioritization Steering Committee (PSC) in seven categories. Of the 110 recommendations considered, 75 were finalized.

The data analysis that was done, said Swartzendruber, highlighted trends that were both "unhealthy" and "inconsistent with [EMU's] peer groups." One example is over the past 15 years, EMU has lost 93 students while gaining 18 faculty members.

Swartzendruber also spoke to the issue of grant money. It is nice, he said, when it comes in, but grant programs require that either current staff members take on more tasks or new staff be hired. The university is then left with a problem when the money runs out.

Both criticisms and affirmations of the prioritization process were highlighted in the presentation. Critiques included that the process was too data-driven, the right questions were not asked, and that the scoring vernacular (e.g. "below average") used was painful for the programs receiving lower scores. Positive responses to the process were that it was open and participative, that feedback was both allowed and encouraged, and that there will be a three-year phase-in.

After the presentation, the board members had the opportunity to ask questions and voice any concerns or comments that they had regarding the process or the recommendations. Trustee Paul R. Yoder, Jr. said that he was concerned that we are not going "deep enough or wide enough" in the process, but also gave examples of concrete numbers, such as the undergraduate full-time enrollment goal and the new housing policy, that he says are positive. Myron Blosser, associate trustee, brought up the labeling of the process as "evolutionary." Evolution, he said, can be very rapid. It occurs when the environment changes. He said that we need to ask what the environment is and who dictates it.

Swartzendruber's response was that taking deeper cuts may have an effect on attracting students. Since one of the prioritization goals is to increase the undergraduate full-time enrollment, it is important to keep university morale high, Swartzendruber said. He said that in the long run, students will want to come here if the institution is strong—things such as publicity saying that we've dropped five majors will turn off potential students.

The point was made that this process has demonstrated both vulnerabilities and opportunities for EMU. Board members emphasized that our institution needs to be financially viable and sustainable. Adding to that, Swartzendruber highlighted the importance of having revised assessment plans and revisiting the goals each year. "You can't have an institution without solid finances," he said.