CMU 2010

Progress Report - November 2008

Final Round of Vision Fund Projects

Our last call for Vision Funding ended in late October, and since that time, each of the five priority committees has been working hard to put forth recommendations for the final round of funding.  On December 15 the ISPC will assemble to make further recommendations for the president to consider for the remaining funding, which totals slightly under $1 million.  A final decision will be made this spring, and award money will be allocated on July 1, 2009.

Annual Report to the Board of Trustees

At the Board of Trustees meeting on December 4, representatives provided an annual report of the progress CMU 2010 has experienced over the 2007-08 fiscal year.  This comprehensive report updated the Board on topics including sharing the Vision with the campus community, progress on many Key Performance Indicators, alignment and support of our priorities, evaluation and continuous improvement to the planning process, highlights of progress made on funded projects, and plans underway for "Beyond 2010."  To view an electronic version of the report, click here.

Next Strategic Plan

The first round of open forums for providing input into CMU’s new strategic plan have concluded.  On behalf of the coordinators for the "Beyond 2010" Open Meetings, I would like to extend a sincere THANK YOU to all of you that joined us and participated in one of our events.  We received many thoughtful ideas and valuable feedback throughout the last few months, and for that, we are grateful!

There may be others that wish to contribute to the construction of the next strategic plan or even add to the ideas that emerged from those that attended one of our sessions, so we encourage you to provide anonymous feedback electronically by visiting our website and completing an open-ended survey.

Once the survey is closed (likely mid-December), the ISPC will review the ideas from the open forums and from reports by campus-level committees that were prepared over the past few years.  Five or six major themes will be identified and described in two open meetings:

We hope you can join us for this next round of development.  If you are planning to attend one of these meetings, we ask that your RSVP through Human Resources at x6447 or by emailing StratOD@cmich.edu. 

More information on the planning process, including a timeline of events and the foundational matrix, is available on our "Beyond 2010" website.  We have also posted the ideas you all have come up with in previous staff, student, faculty, and off-campus sessions and posted them on the respective sites.

Spotlight on CMU DNA Sequencing and Analysis Core Facility

The Grand Opening of the CMU DNA Sequencing and Analysis Core Facility was in November 2006.  Since the hiring of Dr. Janet Miller and the grand opening, the facility has helped improve the infrastructure for research at CMU, assisted researchers using molecular techniques, impacted researchers across campus, increased the engagement of undergraduates in molecular research, and integrated new equipment into existing and new curricula.  A presentation that describes the timeline, equipment, goals, impact and future of the facility can also provide evidence for the success of this project.

Highlights include:

  • Upgrade on Genetic Analyzer from a single capillary to an ABI 3130, 4 capillary sequencer for significantly higher throughput of samples (Sept. 2007)

  • Helped increase external grant acquisition: in 2008, 3 new NIH or NSF grants awarded to investigators using equipment in the facility

  • High level of students performing molecular research: 25 students have presented research at national and international meetings each year since the opening of the DNA-SACF

  • 15 undergraduate students have completed BIO 403 independent research projects using molecular techniques

  • 9 students are co-authors on publications of research projects that utilized the DNA-SACF

  • 5 courses have benefited from the DNA-SACF and increased the academic challenge of the coursework

For more information, please visit http://dnasaf.bio.cmich.edu/

How to Become a Spotlight Project

Since July 2006, we have included "Spotlights" on several projects that are helping CMU 2010 move forward.  Please note that we are interested in ANY project that allows CMU to realize our Vision, not only those that have been funded with CMU 2010 Vision Funds. 

To share your success with the CMU community, please email CMU2010@cmich.edu.   Feel free to identify the month you would like to be featured and a short summary of progress or list of highlights to be displayed.  We are more than willing to assist you in documenting your spotlight, so you may provide the name of a contact person and the best way to reach this person for a short interview as an alternative.  We are very grateful for those that volunteer!  Thank you.

November 2008

 

 

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