BAS Implementation Task Force
Peter Ryan, Chair
Jim Dunne, Tim Chamblee, Susan Seal John Dickerson, Terry Dale Cruse, Kari Reeves, Les Potts, Kevin Rogers
Charge
- Develop a curriculum and promotional materials that can be used in recruiting for the overarching degree program.
- Explore how we can eliminate competition between campuses (Starkville, Meridian, Online, and Coast) through changes in reporting structure to allow enrollment to be shown by discipline as well as by location.
- Realignment of tuition between the various campuses to avoid students paying differential rates, especially when they are mixing “campuses”.
- Carefully consider the funding model for online, considering how these funds are currently used. (This is a larger question than just BAS, but must be addressed in the context of the BAS program).
Clinical/Instructional Faculty Task Force
Mary Ann Jones, Chair
Brian Baldwin, Michele Herrmann, Kim Walters, Greg Francom, Sarah Lee, Chris Ayers, Michaela Beasley, Stacey McNeil, Scott Willard, Tommy Anderson, Kevin Rogers, Teresa Jayroe, Kari Reeves, Ian Munn, Stephen Pruett, Leah Kemp, Jack Smith, Kimberly Hall
Charge
- Develop recommendations on how the university can best support the academic program through non-tenure-track faculty with a stronger teaching load, how we can adequately and fairly evaluate these faculty, and how we can have a clear process for promotion for these faculty.
Data Science Task Force
Cindy Bethel, Chair
Jamie Dyer, Mimmo Parisi, Wes Burger, Shahram Rahimi, Seth Oppenheimer, David May, Dan Peterson, Keith Coble
Charge
- Develop a description of potential academic programs focused on data science that aligns with the strengths of MSU faculty, resources, and research foci.
- Define potential curriculum structure and content based on existing and potential MSU course offerings in topics relevant to data science.
- Outline potential data science program structures (e.g., certificate, degree, etc.) and their individual advantages/disadvantages.
- Provide an overview of existing and anticipated obstacles in the development and/or success of data science programs in terms of administrative, economic, political, or other factors.
Evaluation of Teaching Task Force
Michael Seymour, Chair
Rebecca Robichaux-Davis, Eric Moyen, Andrew Mackin, Shawn Mauldin, Tommy Anderson, Kari Reeves, Tom Carskadon, Lyndsey Miller, Ian Munn, Kelly Marsh, Tyler Packer and Meredith Brock
Charge
- Develop proposed revised language for AOP 13.15. As a part of this, we must bring AOP 13.15 in compliance with IHL’s recent Board Policy 407.02
- Determine if any adjustments in questions are needed for the student evaluations of teaching, including optional questions that faculty can choose that meet specific needs for their courses.
- Strengthen language that encourages faculty teaching evaluations beyond just student evaluations.
- Develop plans on how to optimize online evaluation, with special thought on how we can engender faculty support on the fairness of this evaluation mechanism.
Faculty Development Task Force
Wes Burger, Chair
Christopher Ayers, Robert Banik, Ra’Sheda Boddie-Forbes, Ashli Brown, Jim Dunne, Dana Franz, Kasia Gallo, Jim Giesen, Richard Harkess, Jason Keith, Jeff Leffler, Kelly Marsh, Shawn Mauldin, Lyndsey Miller, Robert Moore, Carley Morrison, Athena Nagel, Michael Newman, Rebecca Robichaux-Davis, Holli Seitz, Michael Seymour, LaShan Simpson, Lesley Strawderman
Charge
- Provide recommendations on how MSU can best prepare faculty for effective teaching, both face-to-face and online.
- Develop an inventory of best practices from other institutions on higher education teacher training.
- Consider how we can require training for new faculty, and refreshers for existing faculty.
Faculty Performance Evaluation Task Force
Jim Dunne, Chair
Brian Baldwin, Angus Dawe, Mary Beck, Beth Miller, Melissa Moore, Linda Cornelious, Pedro Mago, Andy Kouba, Andrew Mackin, Kimberly Hall, Michael Newman, James Henderson, Judy Ridner, Jeffrey Haupt, Randy Follett, Kent Marett, James Sobaskie, Bindu Nanduri, Mike Barnes, Carlton Young, Mary Love Tagert, Jason Bond, Derek Marshall
Ex-officio members: Tim Chamblee, Leslie Corey
Charge
- Develop a comprehensive performance evaluation document that fits the needs of faculty across the university.
- Evaluate best practices from other institutions that could be a part of the evaluation process.
- Recommend adjustments to any relevant university policies regarding faculty performance evaluation.
General Education Task Force
Angi Elsea Bourgeois, Chair
Jenna Altomonte, Tracey Baham, Robert Banik, Leslie Burger, Emily Cain, Dana Franz, Hsain Ilahiane, Maralyn Jackson, Julie Jessop, Mary Ann Jones, Hope Lee, Melanie Loehwing, Brian Locke, Tabor Mullen, Michael Newman, Emily Shaw, JohnEric Smith, Chris Snyder, Campbell Taylor, Kathleen Thomas, Robert West, Vincent Young
Charge
- Redefine and reimagine the goals and objectives of the General Education program
- Consider how MSU can move from a disciplinary focus to a learning outcome focus in its General Education curriculum
- Focus the General Education curriculum on student understanding of relevance of the information to life skills and a holistic educational experience
- Align the General Education curriculum with the university’s strategic plan and goals
- Determine how these revisions can be articulated with community college and transfer credits
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) Working Group
Tommy Anderson, Chair
Bimal Balakrishnan, Jonathan Barlow, Will Davis, Deborah Lee, Elizabeth Miller, Barton Moffatt, Sean Owen, Matthew Priddy, Rebecca Robichaux-Davis, Michael Seymour, Merrill Warkentin
Charge
- To develop language for faculty to use on syllabi that provides reasonable guidance for the use of GAI in the classroom.
- To define a set of best practices regarding responsible uses of GAI in the classroom, both from the faculty teaching perspective and a student learning perspective.
Grad School Task Force
Kevin Armstrong, Chair
Kari Reeves, Linkan Bian, Russell Carr, Marian Chancellor, Dana Franz, Don Grebner, Brien Henry, Richard Harkess, Jeffrey Haupt, Nicole Ponder, Teri Robinson, Peter Ryan
Charge
- Review current Graduate School practices and determine where impediments may exist to application, admission, enrollment and graduation. Areas for review include the new admission process, timeliness to decision making in the academic units on applicants, ease of enrollment and the graduation process.
- Review standardized test requirements for admission to graduate programs with consideration for specific populations such as adult learners, professionals and military personnel with rank.
- Review funding limitations including stipends (GTAs, GRAs, GSAs), tuition remission, health care and other factors that prospective graduate students are seeking.
- Assess productivity and viability of current programs, identify opportunities for potential new programs and explore expanding the online option for existing and new programs.
Health Science/Disparity Task Force
David Buys, Chair
Jamie Dyer, Devon Brenner, Art Cosby, Dan Gadke, Michael Newman, Holli Seitz, LaShan Simpson, David Smith, Lesley Strawderman, Carlton Young
Charge
- Develop a description of potential academic programs focused on health that aligns with the strengths of MSU faculty, resources, and research foci.
- Define potential curriculum structure and content based on existing and potential MSU course offerings in topics relevant to health science.
- Outline potential health science program structures (e.g., certificate, degree, etc.) and their individual advantages/disadvantages.
- Provide an overview of existing and anticipated obstacles in the development and/or success of health science programs in terms of administrative, economic, political, or other factors.
Non-Traditional Course Offerings Task Force
John Dickerson, Chair
Brien Henry, Susan Seal, Willy Hill, Elizabeth Blaine, Paul McKinney, Tommy Anderson, Harriet Laird, Tracey Baham, Carla Jagger, Brian Shoup, Jeremy Baham
Charge
- Develop recommendations on how we can better meet our students’ needs, and grow enrollment, in non-traditional course offerings. This could include summer school, inter-session classes, and ½ semester courses offered during the fall and spring (as well as any other options).
- Consider how these courses could better fit with student needs such as coop, part-time employment, and adult learners.
- Identify obstacles to implementing these recommendations, with ideas on how we might overcome these obstacles.
Online Education Task Force
Brent Fountain, Chair
Susan Seal, Peter Ryan, Jason Keith, Sharon Oswald, Rick Travis, Terry Dale Cruse, John Dickerson, Jennifer McPherson, Elizabeth Blaine, John Rodgers, Deborah Eakin, Rebecca Robichaux-Davis, Tyler Packer
Charge
- Evaluate best practices at other universities that should be considered at MSU.
- Determine impediments to enhancing online education at MSU.
- Explore how we can expand programmatic offerings at MSU.
- Consider structural changes needed in the financial model MSU uses for tuition distribution and overall support of not only online education, but the overall educational enterprise at MSU.
- Consider structural changes that could improve development and support of online education.
- Address how students in Starkville, Meridian and other locations can best capitalize on courses offered through all means available.
Open Educational Resources (OER) Task Force
Stephen Cunetto, Chair
Cheryl Bowen, Melody Dale, Kiley Forsythe, Seongiai Kim, Kris King, Joan Lucas, Jennifer McPherson, Peter Ryan, Emily Shaw, Kathy Sherman-Morris, Bryan A. Jones, David Heson, Katy Rizzo, Muneebah Umar
Charge
- Evaluate best practices at other universities that should be considered at MSU.
- Determine impediments to enhancing online education at MSU.
- Explore how we can expand programmatic offerings at MSU.
- Consider structural changes needed in the financial model MSU uses for tuition distribution and overall support of not only online education, but the overall educational enterprise at MSU.
- Consider structural changes that could improve development and support online education.
- Address how students in Starkville, Meridian and other locations can best capitalize on courses offered through all means available.
Outreach Task Force
Devon Brenner, Chair
Brent Fountain, Jeffrey Rupp, Leah Kemp, Alex McIntosh, Steve Martin, Bill Epperson, Kathy Jones, Timothy Hopkins, Jeremiah Dumas
Charge
- Develop a comprehensive inventory of outreach, service, and community enagement activities at MSU.
- Provide recommendations on best practices for outreach and service coordination from other universities.
Promotion & Tenure Innovation & Entrepreneurship (PTIE) Task Force
Mike Breazeale, Chair
Reuben Burch, Stephanie Lemley, Todd Mlsna, Nick Pashos, Amirtaha Taebi, John Walters and Amelia Woolums
Charge
- Explore how PTIE principles could be implemented at MSU.
Quantum Task Force
Jamie Dyer, Chair
Amin Amirlatfi, Trey Breckenridge, Katie Echols, Steve Gwaltney, Samee Khan, Seong-Gon Kim, Yaroslav Koshka, Mark Novotny, Shahram Rahimi, Gautam Rupak
Charge
- Identify existing MSU strengths, capabilities, and interest in Quantum Information Science (QIS) and Quantum Computing (QC)
- Develop a description of potential opportunities related to QIS/QC in terms of grantsmanship and research, from both departments and research centers/institutes
- Develop a description of potential opportunities related to QIS/QC in terms of academic programs
- Define potential curriculum structures and content based on existing and potential MSU course offerings relevant to QIS/QC
- Identify existing and anticipated challenges in advancing MSU's opportunities in QIS/QC
Recruiting Task Force
John Dickerson, Chair
Peter Ryan, Naron Remillard, Susan Seal, Lauren Wright, David Shaw
Charge
- Are there barriers to enrollment that we need to address at the undergraduate and graduate levels? For example, are deadlines impeding us? Do we require tests or other things that prevent students from applying? Are we too slow in responding and thus losing students?
- How can we grow DL students? What are the impediments we face? Do we need to create new degree options for DL?
- Is our DL funding distribution model appropriate today? Are there better approaches?
- Recruiting international students is challenging right now, but we need to redouble efforts where possible. What opportunities are we missing? Are there different strategies that would work better? Where are the unique opportunities we have?
Staff Performance Evaluation Task Force
Dallas Breen, Chair
Joey Bailey, Nicole Cobb, Susan Heath, Jamie Larson, Jack McCarty, Jamie Perry, Andrew Rendon, Julie Rester, Susan Seal, Delaney Vampran-Foster, Anna Webb
Charge
- Evaluate best practices from other institutions that could be a part of the evaluation process and develop recommendations from these for MSU.
- Recommend adjustments to any relevant university policies regarding staff performance evaluation.
- Develop a comprehensive but flexible performance evaluation document that fits the needs of staff across the university. There is value in consistency in process, but the types of jobs across campus vary significantly. Thus, what are the most important competencies we expect of all employees and then how can we allow for reasonable and fair flexibility to address the needs of different jobs and environments.
Student Evaluation of Courses Task Force
Stacy Haynes, Chair
Joseph Bailey, Robert Banik, Jason Barrett, Mike Breazeale, Cameron Cummings, Robert Grala, Lucy Mellen, Andy Perkins, Rebecca Robichaux-Davis, Paul Spurlin, Luke Tucker, Connie Wade
Charge
- Develop recommendations on implementation of student course surveys and best practices to ensure maximum student participation.
Student Success Task Force
Regina Hyatt, Chair
Tracey Baham, Scott Willard, Rasheda Boddie-Forbes, David McMillen, Tom Carskadon, Jim Dunne, John Dickerson
Charge
- Develop a complete inventory of all activities and programs we currently have that are relevant to student retention and success.
- Do a complete analysis of where these programs are overlapping or duplicative, where there are gaps, and how these efforts could work together in a more holistic manner.
- Evaluate programs at other universities and determine where there are good examples of what we can do, or do better.
- Most importantly, without constraints of what we are currently doing, step back and think about the drivers behind a lack of student success and then how we could assist them in fundamentally different ways that take into consideration these drivers.
Unmanned Vehicular Systems Task Force
Jamie Dyer, Chair
David Belk, Amelia Fox, Eric Hill, Tom Brooks, Eddie French, Joby Czarnecki, Carla Huston, Christine Ma, Peter Ryan
Charge
- Develop a description of potential academic programs focused on unmanned vehicular systems (aerial, terrestrial, and marine) technology and applications that aligns with the strengths of MSU faculty, resources, and research foci.
- Define potential curriculum structure and content based on existing and potential MSU course offerings in topics relevant to unmanned systems.
- Outline potential program structures in unmanned systems (e.g., certificate, degree, etc.) and their individual advantages/disadvantages.
- Provide an overview of existing and anticipated obstacles in the development and/or success of unmanned system programs in terms of administrative, economic, political, or other factors.
