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Gary Shapiro will ask a new university committee to identify strategies to raise student academic performance.
Shapiro, interim provost/executive vice president, formed the committee to support CMU 2010 Priority I, Strategy 1: Raise academic standards by implementing efforts that increase expectations and learning across the curriculum.
The committee will identify ways to promote better academic performance, and members will work with the provost and other offices and groups to implement the ideas.
Shapiro said it’s too early to tell what the committee will develop.
“The core function of any university is helping our students learn,” Shapiro said. “I’m using the term ‘raising academic performance’ rather than ‘raising academic standards’ because, while it’s important to raise standards, it’s more important to provide the resources and educational opportunities to students to be able to reach those standards.
“We need to make sure our students are performing at the highest levels possible,” he added.
“This is what a university is all about – to maximize the opportunities for learning and performance by students.”
Then and now
In 2000 then-provost Richard Davenport formed a task force to examine the issue of raising academic standards. Over the next couple of years, the group produced a publication called Shared Expectations and initiated dialogue on grade inflation.
“Now we have Vision 2010, which properly identifies the key priority of the university as teaching and learning, and as one of the strategies talks about raising academic expectations,” Shapiro said.
“We’re taking some key steps, some of which have been funded by CMU 2010 and some of which have been funded by other campus units.”
Shapiro said many people around campus recognize the importance of achieving these priorities.
“Various efforts to support improved academic performance include imiatives by FaCIT to help faculty improve teaching, expansions and enhancements to the Writing Center, a new Math Assistance Center in the College of Science and Technology, and an enhanced Honors program.”
The work continues with the new committee Shapiro has formed.
“We’re looking for opportunities and strategies that will move us ahead,” he said. “We should be taking whatever effort is possible to move forward.” •
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