Institutional Overview
2.1 Institutional characteristics,
setting, and purposes
UMass Dartmouth is a new member of the University of Massachusetts system,
having transformed itself from Southeastern Massachusetts University to the
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 1991. Situated in a rural environment
on 710 acres mid-way between the industrial cities of New Bedford and Fall River,
the campus makes a strong visual statement with its concrete structures built
according to plans by the late architect Paul Rudolph.
Consistently recognized by U.S. New and World Report as one of the ten best
regional universities in the north, UMass Dartmouth has seen a 34% enrollment
growth in the last five years in response to its 58 undergraduate and graduate
degree programs in five colleges and one school. Twenty-one undergraduate
programs are accredited nationally/ internationally, including AACSB International
accreditation for the programs of the Charlton School of Business, achieved in 2000.
On the graduate level there are 18 master's degree programs and 4 on the doctoral level.
The extent of the growth of these latter programs is perhaps best demonstrated by the
increase in research funding from $2 million to $12 million and a doubling of graduate
enrollments in the last nine years.
The university takes its regional role as "the" public university in southeastern
Massachusetts very seriously. It takes a key leadership role in regional planning,
economic development, research, education, and cultural affairs. Campus facilities
have been expanded to both Fall River and New Bedford, which leverage the regional
environment: Buzzard's Bay, for instance, for the Marine Science center.
Professional, liberal arts, and creative arts programs all contribute to and are
embedded in the life of the region to develop leaders for the future. Textile science
and technology was the founding subject of the schools that grew to be UMass Dartmouth,
and the subject is still taught as part of the engineering college. More recent program
additions which are also deeply embedded in the region include nursing, marine science,
and Portuguese studies.
2.2 Special circumstances since the
NEASC 2000 visit
At the time of the 2000 NEASC visit, Chancellor Jean MacCormack was newly appointed as
Chancellor. The NEASC report provided her with a thoughtful self study, and the April 2000
NEASC team visit and report focused her agenda on some key areas important to campus growth
and development. Armed with these reports, other ideas, and system imperatives, and responding
to regional opportunities, Chancellor MacCormack has led in the implementation of a number of
initiatives and also addressed emerging issues.
Administrative reorganization
An administrative reorganization has (1) added focus and structure to two key areas:
Library Services, Information Resources, and Technology (LSIRT); and External Relations;
and (2) provided a more broad-based executive decision-making structure and processes.
(1) LSIRT was formed to provide more focus on the points of synergy among library services,
institutional research, and information technology, and reports to a Vice Chancellor.
Economic development, communications, public service, donor development, and alumni
relations - pivotal priorities in fulfilling our regional mission and providing extramural
funding - have been organized under the External Relations division, which also reports to
a Vice Chancellor. (2) Executive coordination and leadership have been enhanced by the
formation of an Executive Council composed of the Vice Chancellors, Deans, and selected
other senior members of the administration. The Council's role is to engage in transformational
activities for the campus, and participate with and advise the Chancellor on decisions
that impact strategic directions. This council meets every other week. The smaller cabinet
of Vice Chancellors meets in those weeks that the Executive Council does not meet to deal
with transactional activities that impact day-to-day operations.
Recruitment for key leadership positions
Searches have been conducted and hires made for Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences,
Dean of the College of Engineering, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance,
Director of Grants and Contracts, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Continuing Education.
These hires have brought new perspectives and skill sets to the campus. These two deans
and the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance replaced interim administrators who
were in place at the time of the visit. The permanent additions have brought a sense of
stability to their respective organizations and have advanced their performance in real
and measurable ways. The Office of Grants and Contracts director filled a position that
was vacant since 1998; and in the year or so that she has been in place, a substantial
(30%) increase in grant activity has occurred. The addition of the Associate Vice Chancellor
for Continuing Education placed a professional in that position who already has made significant
contributions in extending the educational boundaries of the university.
Significant campus enrollment growth
Enrollments have been growing at all levels. Enrollment growth has brought with it demands
for new processes, structures, and strategies. Two new dormitories present a visible example
of some of those changes. Somewhat less visible but of increasing importance is the attention
to and process for enrollment planning that this growth requires, as discussed in detail in
the chapters below on Focus Area A, Planning, Focus Area B, Graduate Integration, and Focus
Area C, Financials. Growth in graduate programs, discussed in the chapter below on graduate
integration, has been accompanied by the addition of new degree programs at masters and
doctoral levels.
New system-wide enterprise technology system
For its five campuses the University of Massachusetts is implementing the PeopleSoft information
system, which is costly but holds promise of more effective services, communications, and management
data. Although PeopleSoft costs have placed significant, unplanned financial stress on UMass Dartmouth,
expense projections and strategies for their payment have been developed, as explained in the chapter
for Focus Area D, Financials.
State-wide economic downturn
The recent precipitous decline in state revenues has impacted campus progress in some financial
stability issues. State revenues to the campus have declined, and there have been mid-year budget
reversions; further declines are anticipated for fiscal 2004 and 2005. Student charges have
increased and are anticipated to increase more. In addition, an early-retirement incentive plan
developed by the legislature led to the retirement of 10% of UMass Dartmouth's faculty and 10%
of our staff at the end of fiscal 2002, and under the plan's terms state funding would be reduced
by an amount equal to 80% of the salaries of those who retired. Although the declines in state
funding were not tied directly to these retirements as had been proposed, state funding reductions
that occurred were of about that size. Were it not for the statewide financial downturn UMass Dartmouth
would have resolved its accrued deficit issues and would be more advanced in its fiscal stabilization
growth plan, as is fully explained in the chapter on Focus Area D. The Vice Chancellor for Administration
and Finance and his staff have developed important new structure and controls for campus budgetary
processes, and there are strong links between campus planning goals and resource allocation
decision making.
In sum, UMass Dartmouth is continuing to experience change. The challenge is to manage change
systematically and proactively. Each chapter of the present document reports, from its different
perspective, how we are meeting this challenge.
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