Senior vice president for operations and finance Shawn Norman detailed three areas of focus during his first 100 days on the job and goals moving forward for the division at the April 18 Faculty Senate meeting. Norman started at Iowa State on Jan. 1.
Norman told senators he hired Grant Thornton International to help him conduct an assessment of the division of operations and finance. The assessments three areas of focus:
- Operations: A review of resources and policies.
- Resource Management Model: Ensure the campus community knows what the budget model is and how it works. Norman said the aim is to simplify, not change, it.
- Communications: Develop a communication strategy to improve communication inside and outside the division.
Norman said the assessment will continue through June.
The operations and finance division features four units: budget, institutional financial strategy and treasury; finance services; facilities planning and management; and specialty business services and cultural arts.
Speech communication degree
Senators approved discontinuing the bachelor's degree in speech communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The program graduated four students last spring. The English department will save more than $75,000 by eliminating 10 courses associated with the major.
Elections
The senate elected three council chairs who will be sworn in at the May meeting:
- Academic affairs: Jennifer Schieltz, natural resource ecology and management
- Faculty development and administrative relations: Brian Hornbuckle, agronomy
- Resource policies and allocations: Tim Bigelow, electrical and computer engineering
The Faculty Senate's final meeting of the semester is May 2.
