FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2000 CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119 DRAKE UNIVERSITY PROGRAM REVIEW FOCUSES ON EXCELLENCE, INNOVATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY Drake University officials today announced a series of recommendations stemming from a campuswide effort to review all of the University's academic and administrative programs. The program review process, which started in January, is designed to ensure that Drake's programs continue to be among the best in the country, that they are relevant to the University's strengths and goals, and that they meet the learning goals of students and the needs of society. "Our rapidly changing world demands that institutions periodically conduct such an in-depth study," said Benjamin B. Ullem, chair of the Drake Board of Governors. "As a graduate of Drake, I have a vested interest in the University's success and high quality, and I'm proud that my alma mater is working strategically to ensure that its success and high quality continue." "This indeed is an exciting time at Drake University," said Drake President David Maxwell. "For students, this bold planning effort means they will have even more engaging and meaningful learning opportunities that will prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century." Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack praised Drake for its program review efforts. "Iowa has a strong tradition of excellence in both public and private higher education," Vilsack said. "That tradition will only be maintained in the future if our educational leaders are willing to embark on periodic evaluation of educational programs and commit themselves to finding innovative ways to meet new and emerging needs of both our society and our student learners. Drake University, through its academic program review process, is clearly positioning itself to maintain a position of educational leadership in Iowa's future." "Drake University is creating its future, not simply reacting to the unknown, nor resting on the achievements of the past and present," said Robert Dickeson, author of "Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services" and senior vice president for higher education policy, research and evaluation, USAGroup Foundation, Indianapolis. "They are taking a leadership role in focusing on excellence, innovation, and accountability, and I am impressed by the wisdom, thoughtfulness, and responsibility that pervades this initiative. From a financial perspective, the cost of higher education has been a topic much in the news nationally, and the subject of Congressional scrutiny last year — and very few institutions are addressing this issue head-on in the responsible and responsive manner that Drake has." At a news conference, Drake Provost Ron Troyer discussed the highlights of the Provost's Report on Academic Programs, which he developed with the help of nine elected faculty members. Among other things, the report recommends that Drake: Develop more learning communities on campus Put more emphasis on active learning, discovery and collaborative inquiry Encourage a study-abroad experience for all students Develop a campus climate that is welcoming to a diverse student body and promotes greater diversity among the faculty and staff Create an endowment-supported faculty development fund Establish a new faculty-student research fund Increase the faculty research fund Drake's 118 academic programs have been grouped into four categories: enhance; maintain; redesign, reduce or restructure; and phase out. The current foreign language program is among those in the phase out or eliminate category. "But that does NOT mean that Drake will no longer provide students with high-quality access to foreign language learning," Troyer said. "It DOES mean that Drake is going to devise a better way to do that than the traditional college-level, classroom-bound approach, which is inefficient and often ineffective. We anticipate that these major changes will catapult Drake to the forefront of language learning in higher education while vastly improving the learning experiences of our students." Students who have not taken two years of a secondary language before they get to Drake will be encouraged to take an "Introduction to Language Learning" course at Drake. The second step in this highly innovative program is an immersion experience in another country where the target language is the primary means of communication. A constellation of international university partners is being established to design intensive language programs for Drake students. A third and critical component of foreign language competency is the support provided on campus, Troyer said. His report recommends Drake hire a specialist in second language acquisition to work with students individually to design a multi-year course of study, and to provide a rich menu of on-campus options to continue developing language abilities for students returning home from their in-country immersion experience. Drake's 132 administrative programs also were evaluated as part of the program review process. Vicky Payseur, Drake vice president for business and finance, served as co-chair of the Administrative Program Review Steering Committee. "From a financial perspective," Payseur said, "the goal is to realign our resources (both fiscal and human) so that we are investing in those programs that will best serve and enhance the academic mission of Drake and, ultimately, ensure our students' success. Wise stewardship of the University's resources also requires that we ensure that the dollars entrusted to us in the form of tuition, grants, contracts and philanthropy are applied in the most efficient and effective manner possible." The administrative recommendations include: Renovating and enhancing the residence halls Restructuring the Olmsted Center operation to put more emphasis on student activities. Outsourcing or corporate partnering of print and mail services Potential outsourcing or corporate partnering of athletic ticketing, buildings and grounds maintenance, sports medicine, technology network support and waste removal. All recommendations announced today will be submitted to President Maxwell and to the Drake community for campuswide review and discussion. Based on deliberations with the Review and Priorities Advisory Committee and the Cabinet, President Maxwell will present his recommendations to Drake's Board of Governors in December. Any recommendations for phasing out academic programs will be submitted to the Faculty Senate for a vote as required by the University's Academic Charter. Final program decisions will be made by the Board of Governors at the board's February 2001 meeting. Note: All of the recommendations are posted at www.drake.edu/review.