Academic Structure Task Force

Dear ETSU Community,

Through the work of the Committee for 125 Chapter II, stakeholders from across campus have worked over the past few years to develop a bold and inspiring vision for the future of our university. This past fall, we set forth a course of action to help us achieve that vision. “Go Beyond: ETSU’s Strategic Plan through 2026” is both a roadmap and a challenge to take our work to the next level — to go beyond good to great.

One characteristic that has always made ETSU exceptional is our unwavering commitment to the mission of this institution: to improve the quality of life for people in our region and beyond. Since 1911, our campus has been deeply connected to the region, recognizing that the success of the institution and the success of the communities we serve are inextricably interwoven. As we seek to magnify our impact, we know that we must continue to build on our strengths and deepen our efforts to promote student success.

During our strategic visioning and planning processes, a recommendation emerged to better align the university’s operational and organizational structure with the strategic plan. This past fall, we began conversations with our college deans around how we might reorganize our colleges and academic programs to best serve our students now and into the next decade. Following this discussion with the deans, we have decided to move forward with campus-wide conversations regarding reorganization.

Today, we are launching a task force charged with developing a proposal to examine the academic structure of our colleges and ensure we continue to create clear and seamless pathways toward degree completion, provide holistic support for our students, and align with the goals in our strategic plan.

The following key questions will guide the task force:

• What college organizational structure would best serve our students to ensure they have a clear path from admission to graduation?
• How do we build on our existing strengths in teaching, research, and service by aligning academic units and expanding capacity?
• How do we avoid duplication or overlap in our offerings and reduce confusion for our students?
• How do we continue to build on our reputation as a premier health sciences institution in Tennessee and develop additional signature programs or areas of study?
• How will the organizational structure lead to greater flexibility and innovation as we continue to build on the institution’s core strengths and respond to the changing landscape across higher education?
• How will a reorganized structure ensure the university uses its resources strategically to meet its goals?
• How will the structure support the university’s vision and mission and facilitate achieving the goals in the current strategic plan?

We are pleased to announce that faculty members Dr. Nick Hagemeier and Dr. Virginia Foley have agreed to co-chair the task force. We would like to express our sincere appreciation for their leadership in this effort. Other task force members will include faculty, staff, administrators, and students. The task force will finalize its membership and officially begin work in March, with the expectation that they will provide a final proposal during the Fall 2023 semester. Throughout this process, we will work to ensure broad stakeholder input, transparency, and communication. In the coming weeks, we will post updates about the task force on the university’s strategic plan website at etsu.edu/strategy.

Sincerely,

Academic Structure Task Force