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Proposal Would Restructure College/Departments
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April 3, 2003 -- Michigan Tech would collapse 25 colleges, schools and departments into nine administrative units under a proposal by the university's administration. Kent Wray, provost and senior vice president, unveiled the proposal to the Budget Reduction Advisory Group on Wednesday.
University president Curt Tompkins organized the budget reduction group to review budget reduction alternatives and make recommendations to meet the reduction targets for 2003-04.
The group also received a proposal to eliminate the mining engineering program and the School of Technology. In addition, a tuition study committee report presented five possible tuition structures. The budget reduction group will consider these proposals, as well as other budget cutting plans.
"This is one way that we can significantly reduce costs without directly affecting a student's education," Wray said about the reorganization. He estimates the move would save the university about $1.5 million.
Colleges and departments would reorganize into a series of schools or divisions, each with one administrator with the title of "dean" or "division chair." The groupings would match departments with similar academic and research areas.
For example, portions of biology would merge with forestry and environmental sciences. Civil engineering, geological engineering and surveying would comprise another school.
The reorganization includes eliminating the School of Technology and the mining engineering program. Two technology degree programs, chemical engineering technology and civil engineering technology, would also be cut. The others would be transferred to the appropriate school.
Tenured and tenure-track faculty members would move with the degree programs, but some vacant faculty positions will not be filled.
Mining engineering currently enrolls 20 undergraduates and seven PhD students. Chemical engineering technology has eight students and civil engineering technology enrolls 27. Both technology programs are two-year degrees.
The plan also calls for filling the position of Vice Provost for Instruction, which has been vacant for two years. Most of the administrative units now reporting to the Provost would be assigned to this position.
The graduate school will continue to exist, as will the department of distance learning, engineering fundamentals (the first-year engineering program), and international studies and programs.
The budget reduction committee will hold an open forum on April 16 and deliver its first draft on May 1. There will be a public comment period through May 21, with the committee's final report due to the president on June 3.
More information on the BRAC and Michigan Tech's budget situation is available at www.mtu.edu/budget
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