Committee formed to focus on UNC's globalization

 After the first few steps of formulation, UNC’s new academic plan looks likely to focus on globalization and public engagement.

Those are the directions members of the plan’s steering committee said they are looking in. They just don’t know how to get there yet.

The academic plan steering committee — a group of students, professors and administrators — met for the first time Feb. 10 to take the initial steps toward improving UNC’s public involvement, diversity, global focus and recruitment of faculty members.

The plan — which should be completed by the fall — could have an impact on everything from the majors offered at UNC to how departments are funded.

“We have to be bold and look to the future,” said Bill Andrews, senior associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and co-chairman of the committee.

At their first meeting, the committee’s 18 members divided into six groups, which will specifically address different themes, such as advancing UNC’s diversity and increasing its global prominence.

Committee members have been told to read background reports that focus on engagement, globalization and diversity. They include UNC’s Strategic Road Map for Globalization — a step-by-step guide for making UNC more global — and the UNC Tomorrow report, which focused on how to make UNC-system initiatives more relevant to the state.

The real work for the committee will be determining steps to achieve these goals.

Members said they would take steps to ensure more of the new plan’s suggestions are enacted — a problem the last plan, written in 2003, ran into.

“One thing we really want this report to have is specific recommendations,” said student body vice president David Bevevino, a member of the committee.

To make UNC’s approach to academics more interdisciplinary, members said they decided to focus on overlapping initiatives.

For example, the initiative to bring more diversity to UNC will attract more competitive professors and students.

“To see problems globally, it requires departments to work together,” said Keith Lee, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Federation and one of two graduate students on the committee.

Andrews said other priorities could include a plan to deal with growing enrollment, development of the honors program and an increased focus on technology.

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu