Minutes of the Academic Restructuring Task Force 
Held on January 23, 2004 
B110/EC401  
Introduction:  
The meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m. with Dr. Moolenaar introducing the 
members of the task force, which is made up of the Academic Council and 
faculty members, and welcoming other faculty members present.  She went on to 
say that the plan about to be embarked upon will be reinventing our university 
and making it a better place for all of us.    
Statement of Purpose  
Dr. Moolenaar said that this charge was given by Dr. Ragster and that there are 
opportunities for faculty input. She also admonished the faculty not to spread bad 
information concerning the plan.  If there are concerns go to the source because 
it presents irrefutable harm to our students if misinformation is spread.  
The academic enterprise of UVI, she stated, will be reorganized into two schools 
within a single university with each school serving both campuses and each 
campus providing its own programmatic identity.  
Restructuring Plan  
The plan is to have the current programs distributed on each campus keeping in 
line with the Program Alignment Studies.   Suggested names for the schools, 
which are not in concrete, are School of Applied and Technical Studies and 
School of arts and Sciences. The current programs will either be strengthened, 
merged with other programs or phased out.  Come curricula changes would have 
to be approved by the Board.  The way programs would be distributed between 
the two schools was then explained.  
The current structure with six divisions and twelve chairs will be restructured, with 
faculty input, to meet the following goals: enhancing program quality, greater 
efficiency, enhance disciplinary learning for students, provide greater opportunity 
for faculty leadership in development, improve scheduling of courses and 
enhance faculty evaluation.  
Each school will be administered by a dean who will have programmatic 
responsibility for the school.  Faculty will report to the dean in which their 
discipline is housed.  Your input in this process is very important.  
Dr. Moolenaar also indicated that the Provost will retain institutional level of 
authority and will have the responsibility for development of academic and 
student policies and will ensure consistence of the quality of the programs in the 
 
two schools and direct the assessment of student learning outcomes.  We have 
not yet finalize the descriptions these responsibilities and invite the input of 
faculty in determining the descriptions and responsibilities. In coming up with 
identities, some of the programs may have to be campus bound for various 
reasons and such programs will determine campus identities.  Each school will 
operate as a cost center.  
Assumptions and Advantages  
Chancellor Jackson said that the Provost, Chancellor Leipzig, and herself had 
been looking at the plan for more than three weeks or more and it is based on 
the strategic plan.  One of the overlying responsibility for program development 
will remain in the academy and be as close as possible to program level. This is 
the only way programs will develop if it stays as close as possible to ensure that 
an entity has responsibility for the development.  In order to proved programs to 
both campuses and students outside of the territory, faculty must become able to 
deliver quality instruction in a variety of modalities.  Align to the vision programs 
review and alignment studies and with faulty input programs should be group 
according to certain commonalities that will provide greater interdisciplinary work 
and learning and be delivered with greater efficiency.  She asked Ms. Washing to 
assign cost for program alignment date, which will take about a month or two for 
the entire university.  
For 2005-05, she continued, no faculty person will loose their job because of 
restructuring plan. This effort continues to be a dynamic process which will have 
faulty and student input.  She emphasized that this is not just a plan that the 
administration is feeding you, your input is needed.  The plan will be 
implemented in two phases with finalization date being 2005.  We have a 
responsibility to the board of trustees to report to them by the June meeting.  
Restructuring is done with a focus on the future of the institution.  Opportunity for 
programs to grow into schools, students from both campuses access majors 
offered in either school.  This would shift much of the administrative work done 
by the Chairs to the Deans level while freeing faculty to focus on program 
development and professional development.  
Questions  
Dr. Moolenaar then asked if there were questions before moving on.  Questions 
asked were: 
1. 
Is this plan for consideration or can we change it 
2. 
Will students have to relocate to complete a specific degree 
3. 
Clarification on graduate offerings 
4. 
Clarification on two schools  
5. 
How is the infrastructure on delivering course between both campus 
focusing on the two schools 
6. 
Do you have estimates on what it will cost/save to implement this plan 
 
7. 
Do you think that the end result will be less than the current system 
8. 
How can we be more effective at curriculum development when we will 
have a head as a dean that cannot have the knowledge of the discipline 
that person oversees 
9. 
How many programs identified 
10. 
Do you have an idea on how to define programs 
11. 
Does students remain on campus and major in math on another campus  
Dr. Rosenthal commented that our facilities are not up to this task and we are 
facing a serious expansion and that the investment is very significant.  There is 
nothing that prevents us from implement this advantage and achieving that kind 
of integration now.  There is no structure that is stopping it except for one; we 
have a separate Chair on each campus and that is the major cause of drift 
between the two campuses and of lack of use of our video facilities.  I look at the 
plan and see that it is trying to solve some problems.  This plan tried to achieve 
a campus identity but cannot see how it will work   
Dr. Leipzig said that there is comparative advantage for this particular module.  
There must be some coordination at the program level but one must look at the 
entire structure in order to make certain assumptions  
12. 
What role students have in this process  
13. 
Is there a possibility that administrative employees will loose there 
positions with the restructuring plan 
14. 
If I am on St. Croix do I have to relocate to St. Thomas to complete a 
degree in Humanities; How do you plan to accommodate students with 
families who want to complete degree offered on the St. Thomas campus 
15. 
Please clarify how we are moving to different identities 
Chancellor Jackson said her personal feeling is that the St. Croix campus should 
be associated with a school but there are benefits to this plan and we need to 
bear with them  
16. 
Where is the money to carry forward this plan coming from  
Timetable and Milestone  
The effective date of the restructuring is August 1, 2004 and intends to have 
permanent deans appointed to the schools by July 1, 2005.  The restructuring 
plan will be two phased and taken to the Trustees for ratification June 2004.  
Phase one will have the development of the dean position by the middle of 
February and will appoint two interim deans by May 15.  The program review 
and alignment will begin next month and go through the summer.  Select the 
academic leadership by May 15 and finalize the schools name by April 15. 
Phase two will be the identification of the permanent deans and completion of 
the program alignment reviews.   
 
Draft Description of Dean Position  
Dr. Leipzig gave a synopsis of the criteria of what the Dean should be.  He said 
the important thing is to look at the functional approach.  The question of where 
the Deans will reside was questioned.  Dr. Leipzig said that it was not important 
where they reside as long the function of the office was being carried out.  Each 
dean will have an office of both campuses. Prof. Washington said that the offices 
should be profit centers and not cost centers.  He would also like the document 
to be sent in digital form so that attendees not present could have a copy.  
Comments  
Dr. Moolenaar said she would send it to the task force members.  
Ms. Cook asked if the programs offered from 2005 will differ from what is offered 
today.  Dr. Moolenaar said the programs will be for the 2005/2006 catalog.  
Ms. Pierre-Louis wanted to know if funds were in place for the restructuring and 
if it will impact the student’s tuition.  
Esdaille said that he is concern with the speed with which the restructuring is 
going to be implemented.  All the literature concerning the reorganizing 
reframing of organizations caution that things should be done cautiously and not 
hastily.  The experience we have seen in business, with Hewlett Packard the 
lady who was the chief executive officer came in and start using some of the 
same words today of reinventing business and had some grand plans to do that 
as a result this did not occur because there was not enough ground work from 
the people involve and as a result there was a loss of market share. An 
organization consists of people and it has to be the will of the people to make it 
work.  I think that the faculty has a vested interest in this institution and would 
like to caution that we move forward cautiously not just to say that by the 1st of 
August we have a restructuring in place. We have to make sure it is the right 
thing, we have to make sure that everybody has bought into this, and there is 
enough exposure to be certain that this thing is going to work   
Dr. Moolenaar explained that the Trustees has given them this date and they 
worked backward to come up with this implantation date.  She further stated that 
she appreciated the words of Dr. Esdaille.  
Dr. Harrigan said he was looking forward to a proposal and not a plan because 
the plan does not give enough elbow room to make meaningful 
recommendations.  If the Board does not approve the plan than what and how 
does Middle States play into this structure?  
Dr. Moolenaar said she will check to see the requirements of Middle States and 
get back to him. 
  
Dr. Phillips said he is speaking on the behalf of his division and there is a need 
for clarification on the matter of graduate degree and what is the relation of the 
Provost to the graduate programs  
The degrees will be offered through the schools and policies with the Provost.   
Dr. Phillip said that the perception is that the administration is top heavy and now 
two more levels are going to be added.  
Dr. Moolenaar indicated that Chancellors now are both dean and chancellor and 
it is not being very effective.  The programmatic piece have to removed and it 
would give greater control  
Adjournment  
The meeting was adjourned at 4:50 p.m.