President's and Provost's Fund for Program Innovation and Excellence
"Rigor, Relevance and Excellence" is the title of Central Michigan University's 10-year strategic envisioning process presented to the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees by President Bob Davies as part of his 2019 annual report to the board. Davies initiated the effort in response to the many challenges facing institutions of higher education in the current social, political, and economic landscape.
"Ten years is a longer planning time horizon to allow for bold and innovative thought to take place," Davies said. "It enables us to think in transformational terms, not in annual and short-term transactional tactical forms. We will reshape Central and position ourselves to better serve our students; foster innovation and economic development; ensure civic and social advancement; and spur new creations that will impact our region, our state and beyond." Envisioning the future: CMU in 2030 - Published September 19, 2019.
In his conversations with stakeholders and constituents in the past year, President Davies developed a preliminary set of overarching strategic pathways that he shared at College Start-up Meetings, Academic Senate, SGA, and in his report to the Board of Trustees:
- Enhance the overall academic quality and environment of CMU by ensuring and committing to rigor, relevance, and excellence in our curricular and co-curricular programs.
- Distinguish CMU as the equitable and inclusive marketplace of ideas, thoughts, and actions.
- Build and foster a reciprocal ecosystem of innovation, economic development, and cultural enrichment between and among the many communities throughout the state of Michigan, with a primary connection to the rural and underserved communities that CMU has honorably and successfully served.
- Understand and proactively address the dynamic college student market.
- Redefine and expand our business model to include opportunities in:
- Lifelong learning.
- Partnerships with organizations.
- Mid-career educational needs.
In support of this envisioning process and our commitment to Rigor, Relevance, and Excellence, CMU initiated (September 2019) a request for Proposals for the President's and Provost's Fund for Program Innovation and Excellence seeking curricular or co-curricular projects (and perhaps scholarly projects) that lead to: Distinguishing CMU as the equitable and inclusive marketplace of ideas; Enhancing opportunities in lifelong learning, partnerships with organizations, fulfilling mid-career educational needs, developing leaders and enhancing leadership skills, thoughts and actions, provide a primary connection to the rural and underserved communities that CMU serves, enhance enrollment and retention, offer distinctive programs for the world in 2030. Our goals for this program are linked to our strategic pathways and include the launch of new or reimagined programs that will attract new students and pave the way for the knowledge and skills needed in society in the next 10 years; innovative and entrepreneurial collaborations to enhance our excellence and make maximum use of our excellent faculty; address the dynamic college student market by creating programs for changing demographics; enhance the rigor and relevance of our curricular programs as well as our culture of innovation.
More information about these various programs an initiatives can be found in the following document: Innovation Funds Table with summative information