NAU President Rita Cheng met with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey last week during a visit to Phoenix. She was joined by Arizona State University President Michael Crow and the University of Arizona President Ann Weaver Hart. Cheng said the discussion centered on the state budget and models for funding Arizona’s universities.
Laura Jones, associate vice president for Planning and Institutional Research, reviewed the Delaware Cost Study Summary, grants, contracts, advancement data and preliminary enrollment numbers for the fall. The full report is available on the PAIR website.
Eva Putzova, director of University Policy Initiatives, is spearheading NAU’s strategic visioning process that thus far has engaged select alumni and individuals within several partner organizations including the Flinn Foundation and United Way. Next steps in the process include distributing an online survey to campus and the broader community. Constituent input that will shape the vision statement and the strategic plan will be reviewed in November. The process is expected to near completion by the end of 2015 and outcomes will be communicated in the spring.
K. Laurie Dickson, associate vice provost for curriculum assessment, and Becky Butcher, project director for University College, are spearheading NAU’s reaccreditation process with the Higher Learning Commission. The designation is a requirement for an institution’s students to qualify for federal financial aid. NAU’s current accreditation extends through the 2017-18 academic year. Information on institutional accreditation is available on the provost’s website.
As students began classes on the Flagstaff campus this week, several construction projects have finished or are nearing completion, said John Morris, associate vice president of Facility Services. The Science and Health Building’s opening also reopened the eastbound traffic loop from Knoles Drive to Tormey Avenue, and the sidewalk between Lone Tree Road and San Francisco Street along Pine Knoll Drive is wrapping up. A new project with American Campus Communities will break ground in the next few months, adding 634 beds and raising the total on-campus housing availability to 9,734.
NAU President Rita Cheng said the university will begin a search for the vice provost of the Center for International Education. Liz Grobsmith, interim director of the center, will chair the committee along with members:
- Ramona Mellott, dean of the College of Education
- Ding Du, associate professor of economics
- Terry Baxter, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering
- Alexandra Carpino, department chair of Comparative Cultural Studies and professor of art history
- Daniel Palm, director of Asian Academic Engagement
A search firm will be on campus Oct. 5 and 6 to meet with the committee and various constituents. Additional information will be posted on the provost’s website.