Ways in Which the College Is Engaging With the University Strategic Planning and DEI Processes
In our efforts to advance DEI and elevate the quality of our teaching, research, creative activity, and community engagement, we recognize that there is no excellence without diversity, equity, and inclusion. By placing DEI at the center of our strategic planning, we aim to move the College to a position of pre-eminence in the arts and humanities. The above-mentioned initiatives connected to the new build of the Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS), the establishment of and support for our Critical Race Residencies, and the efforts we have made to advance work in Critical Race Studies, tie directly into the University DEI strategic plan. Our leadership in this area was reinforced by the appointment of Dean Long as Co-Chair of the search for MSU’s first Vice-President and Chief Diversity Officer, and by the appointment of four members of our faculty on the DEI Strategic Planning Steering Committee (Yael Aronoff, Sheila Contreras, Mohammad Khalil, and Dylan Miner). The Dean also served on the Focused Inquiry Group on Institutional Resources.
The College Financial Advisory Board (FAB) has been preparing the College for a transition to a different budget model. Efforts have been centered around educating College leadership and Fiscal Officers on the nuances of different budget models. In addition, the group has been interacting with other Big Ten Universities to understand the benefits and challenges with the different budget models being used. The FAB has led meetings with the College Budget Officers with the goal of creating collaborative working relationships within colleges and is partnering with central offices to improve processes and foster quicker adaptation of new systems (e.g., the new Travel System and PowerBI reporting dashboard).