Strategic Improvement Group and UW Faculty Senate Committee to Host Public Forum Feb. 18

The University of Wyoming’s Strategic Improvement Working Group has been working since last semester with groups across campus to address some of the concerns raised in the “Great Colleges to Work For” survey.

The 12-member Strategic Improvement Working Group is working with stakeholders across campus on several improvement plans in four general areas assigned to four subgroups: staff relations; decision-making, shared governance and faculty relations; resources and position management; and administrative systems and business processes.

The working group is collaborating with the Faculty Senate to develop a faculty forum regarding the Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED) on campus, says UW engineering Professor Michael Barker, the Strategic Improvement Working Group chair.

“The topic was identified as important to faculty and staff, and it is timely given the changes that have occurred in ORED, the consultant work with ORED, the economic development emphasis in the state, and the Grand Challenges initiative,” Barker says.

The Strategic Improvement Working Group and the Faculty Senate Forum on Research and Economic Development will host a joint meeting from 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, in the Wyoming Union Family Room. The forum is open to the campus community.

Barker, also the Faculty Senate’s secretary, will moderate the discussion.

Among items to be discussed:

-- ORED overview from Diana Hulme, associate vice president for research.

-- Research Services -- pre-award -- Farrell Rapp, Research Services director.

-- Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) -- post-award -- Jerry Fife, OSP interim senior director.

-- Research compliance, Carolyn Broccardo, research integrity and compliance director.

-- Technology Transfer/Research Products Center, Victoria Bryant, director.

-- Updates from Ed Synakowski, ORED vice president.

A question-and-answer session will follow the program.

“In response to campus’ ‘Great Colleges’ survey results, the Improvement Working Group and the Faculty Senate have coordinated the right people to come together to communicate ORED’s operations,” Barker says. “This forum will be to address the perceived and real issues and concerns with the functions and operations of ORED.”

The forum will include attendance from ORED and OSP; the UW Board of Trustees Research and Economic Development Committee; Acting President Neil Theobald; and representatives of Academic Affairs, Budget and Institutional Planning, deans and directors.

“This is the opportunity for faculty and staff to participate and to gain a better knowledge of ORED, and to help identify systemic issues and recommended improvements that address ORED’s effectiveness,” Barker says.

He adds that ORED has gone through changes, and the faculty and staff have raised issues and concerns.

“Now, we need those same faculty and staff to participate in the forum to work through the changes, the issues, the concerns so that ORED can best serve faculty and staff, the university and the state,” Barker says.