Five Colleges Strategic Planning : Task Forces and Working Groups

Task Forces and Working Groups

A number of cross-institutional task forces and working groups advanced strategic priorities that had been identified earlier in the planning process. Included below are the memberships and charges of these groups.

Transportation and Class Scheduling

We have received many suggestions for transportation services that would better serve the needs of students and employees for Five College classes, activities and events. These include: more express bus service between campuses, better matching of bus service to class times, better bus service for community service projects in Holyoke and Springfield, and better bus service for evening activities. We are exploring with PVTA and UMass transportation how we might address some of these needs quickly. We are also discussing with consultants how we might best study more deeply the options for different types of transportation and how transportation and class scheduling can be most effectively articulated.

Academic Matters

[Review the Academic Matters working group's report, titled "Academic Ideas for the Five College Strategic Plan," posted 7/2/10]

Charge: Review suggestions for improvements in Five College academic programs and academic support services. Identify distinct proposals and the time frame for addressing them. Suggest the relative priorities (importance) of these proposals and who might be the best people within the Five College community to address them. Identify, if known, other consortia that have addressed these projects or possible consultants who might assist our studies or implementation of solutions.

Neal Abraham, Executive Director of Five Colleges, Inc. and Five College Professor of Physics (co-convenor)
Jack Cheney, Professor of Geology, Amherst College
Allen Hart, Dean of Students, Amherst College
Bryan Harvey, Associate Provost for Academic Planning and Assessment, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Lisa Henderson, Associate Professor and Chair of Department of Communication, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Elizabeth Pyle, Registrar, Mount Holyoke College
Danielle Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty, Smith College
Lee Spector, Professor of Computer Science, Hampshire College
Charles Staelin, Professor of Economics, Smith College
Nate Therien, Director for Academic Programs, Five Colleges, Inc. (co-convenor)
Alex Wirth-Cauchon, Director of Research and Instructional Support, Library, Information and Technology Services, Mount Holyoke College
May Yang ’10, President of Student Government Association, Mount Holyoke College

Administrative Matters

Charge: Review areas of operations and ideas and suggestions that have been received during the Five Colleges planning process. Give careful consideration to areas of operation for which there would be improvements in service and savings in cost from workflow analyses; compilations of best practices; communities of practice meeting regularly, shared services; shared staffing; and/or more coordinated, cooperative, or consolidated operation. Identify 6-8 areas of administrative operation (both current operations and needed new operations) worthy of further exploration, including joint planning, shared consultants, and workflow and staffing analyses as part of exploring them as possibilities for cooperation and collaboration to enhance services and reduced costs.

Business and Administrative Operations
Ruth Constantine, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Smith College
Joyce Hatch, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Barbara Lucey, Treasurer and Business Manager, Five Colleges, Inc.
Mary Jo Maydew, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Mount Holyoke College
Peter Shea, Treasurer, Amherst College
Mark Spiro, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Hampshire College

Student Affairs
Dawn Ellinwood, Dean of Students, Hampshire College
Penny Gill, Dean of the College, Mount Holyoke College
Allen Hart, Dean of Students, Amherst College
Jean Kim, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Maureen Mahoney, Dean of the College, Smith College
Joanne Vanin, Associate Vice Chancellor/Dean of Students, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Information Technology
Dan Blanchard, Associate Chief Information Officer and Director of Network Systems and Services, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Bob Crowley, Director of Information Technology, Hampshire College
Kate Etzel, Interim Director of Information Technology, Five Colleges, Inc.
Herb Nickles, Executive Director of Information Technology Services, Smith College
Peter Schilling, Director of Information Technology, Amherst College
Charlotte Slocum Patriquin, Chief Information Officer and Executive Director of Library, Information, and Technology Services, Mount Holyoke College

Five College Identity and Community

[Review the Identity and Community working group's report from May 14, 2010.]

Charge: Review suggestions of new events or programs to manifest the five college community for its members and ways to articulate and brand the five-college experience for external audiences. Consider ways in which the five colleges as a joint entity can most effectively engage the economic and political issues of our region. As relevant, look to other consortia that have addressed these projects and/or to possible consultants.

Christoph Cox, Professor of Philosophy, Hampshire College
Alejandro Chaviano ’12, Amherst College
Laurie Fenlason, Executive Director of Public Affairs, Smith College (convenor)
Kevin Kennedy, Director of Communications, Five Colleges, Inc.
Kevin McCaffrey, Associate Director of Communications, Mount Holyoke College
Patricia VandenBerg, Executive Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives, Mount Holyoke College

Possible Working Group
Five College Post-Baccalaureate Programs

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	Task Forces and Working Groups A number of cross-institutional task forces and working groups advanced strategic priorities that had been identified earlier in the planning process. Included below are the memberships and charges of these groups. Transportation and Class Scheduling We have received many suggestions for transportation services that would better serve the needs of students and employees for Five College classes, activities and events. These include: more express bus service between campuses, better matching of bus service to class times, better bus service for community service projects in Holyoke and Springfield, and better bus service for evening activities. We are exploring with PVTA and UMass transportation how we might address some of these needs quickly. We are also discussing with consultants how we might best study more deeply the options for different types of transportation and how transportation and class scheduling can be most effectively articulated. Academic Matters [Review the Academic Matters working group's report, titled "Academic Ideas for the Five College Strategic Plan," posted 7/2/10] Charge: Review suggestions for improvements in Five College academic programs and academic support services. Identify distinct proposals and the time frame for addressing them. Suggest the relative priorities (importance) of these proposals and who might be the best people within the Five College community to address them. Identify, if known, other consortia that have addressed these projects or possible consultants who might assist our studies or implementation of solutions. Neal Abraham, Executive Director of Five Colleges, Inc. and Five College Professor of Physics (co-convenor) Jack Cheney, Professor of Geology, Amherst College Allen Hart, Dean of Students, Amherst College Bryan Harvey, Associate Provost for Academic Planning and Assessment, University of Massachusetts Amherst Lisa Henderson, Associate Professor and Chair of Department of Communication, University of Massachusetts Amherst Elizabeth Pyle, Registrar, Mount Holyoke College Danielle Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty, Smith College Lee Spector, Professor of Computer Science, Hampshire College Charles Staelin, Professor of Economics, Smith College Nate Therien, Director for Academic Programs, Five Colleges, Inc. (co-convenor) Alex Wirth-Cauchon, Director of Research and Instructional Support, Library, Information and Technology Services, Mount Holyoke College May Yang ’10, President of Student Government Association, Mount Holyoke College Administrative Matters Charge: Review areas of operations and ideas and suggestions that have been received during the Five Colleges planning process. Give careful consideration to areas of operation for which there would be improvements in service and savings in cost from workflow analyses; compilations of best practices; communities of practice meeting regularly, shared services; shared staffing; and/or more coordinated, cooperative, or consolidated operation. Identify 6-8 areas of administrative operation (both current operations and needed new operations) worthy of further exploration, including joint planning, shared consultants, and workflow and staffing analyses as part of exploring them as possibilities for cooperation and collaboration to enhance services and reduced costs. Business and Administrative Operations Ruth Constantine, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Smith College Joyce Hatch, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, University of Massachusetts Amherst Barbara Lucey, Treasurer and Business Manager, Five Colleges, Inc. Mary Jo Maydew, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Mount Holyoke College Peter Shea, Treasurer, Amherst College Mark Spiro, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Hampshire College Student Affairs Dawn Ellinwood, Dean of Students, Hampshire College Penny Gill, Dean of the College, Mount Holyoke College Allen Hart, Dean of Students, Amherst College Jean Kim, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, University of Massachusetts Amherst Maureen Mahoney, Dean of the College, Smith College Joanne Vanin, Associate Vice Chancellor/Dean of Students, University of Massachusetts Amherst Information Technology Dan Blanchard, Associate Chief Information Officer and Director of Network Systems and Services, University of Massachusetts Amherst Bob Crowley, Director of Information Technology, Hampshire College Kate Etzel, Interim Director of Information Technology, Five Colleges, Inc. Herb Nickles, Executive Director of Information Technology Services, Smith College Peter Schilling, Director of Information Technology, Amherst College Charlotte Slocum Patriquin, Chief Information Officer and Executive Director of Library, Information, and Technology Services, Mount Holyoke College Five College Identity and Community [Review the Identity and Community working group's report from May 14, 2010.] Charge: Review suggestions of new events or programs to manifest the five college community for its members and ways to articulate and brand the five-college experience for external audiences. Consider ways in which the five colleges as a joint entity can most effectively engage the economic and political issues of our region. As relevant, look to other consortia that have addressed these projects and/or to possible consultants. Christoph Cox, Professor of Philosophy, Hampshire College Alejandro Chaviano ’12, Amherst College Laurie Fenlason, Executive Director of Public Affairs, Smith College (convenor) Kevin Kennedy, Director of Communications, Five Colleges, Inc. Kevin McCaffrey, Associate Director of Communications, Mount Holyoke College Patricia VandenBerg, Executive Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives, Mount Holyoke College Possible Working Group Five College Post-Baccalaureate Programs