The administration is looking to students to help change the way USM is run.
On June 11, the school released the final draft of the Strategic Plan – a manifesto outlining eight goals to sustain the school through a period of economic uncertainty.
The plan, which was penned by faculty, students, administrators and members of the general public, went through three drafts before it was released June 11.
Now that the plan has been whittled down to eight goals, the administration is looking to students to figure out how to implement those goals (for a list of the eight goals, see sidebar).
“One thing to remember is that the Strategic Plan outlines ends, but doesn’t necessarily provide the means to those ends,” said Student Body President Maggie Guzman, a member of the Strategic Plan Steering Committee. The committee is working to get students in on the conversation that will inevitably shape their USM experience.
“Every level of university can have a voice in how to implement these ideas, I’m just trying to get the word out to students about the strategic plan and how they can have an effect on it,” said Guzman.
But the Strategic Plan is not the only document that will shape USM in the years to come.
The White Paper on Administrative Restructuring, created by a five-member task force of college deans and Academic Affairs V.P. Susan Campbell, acknowledges “USM, as currently structured, is unsustainable.”
The White Paper, commissioned by President Botman, outlines two scenarios for the restructuring of USM’s executive administration, and five scenarios that focus on the restructuring of academic affairs, but is careful to reiterate that these scenarios are “presented as conversation starters.not [to] be construed as specific recommendations for the future.”
“What we need to figure out is if pulling anything out is going to disturb other levels of the university,” said Guzman. “Eliminating a V.P. or dean or even a campus are ways that we can significantly reduce what we spend,” she added.
While the Strategic Plan and White Paper might seem at first to be parallel, competing attempts at university reorganization, USM Public Affairs Director Bob Caswell insists that the two documents are working toward the same goal.
“It’s more a tool or a complimentary effort, as opposed to something that is going to cause conflict,” said Caswell.
“This whole system wide planning effort [The White Paper] is one of several tools at our disposal to help move USM’s restructuring effort [The Strategic Plan] forward,” said Caswell.
Guzman also sees the Strategic Plan and White Paper as having a mutually beneficial relationship. “They are related in that way more change can be made through the Strategic Plan, because the White Paper will ensure we have the money to do it.”
Additional reporting by News Editor, Dan MacLeod.