The collection documents several initiatives of the Provost’s Office when Richard Davenport was the Provost, under President Leonard Plachta in the 1990s and under President Mike Rao in 2001. The strategic initiatives include Academic Reorganization of CMU, 1994-1997, and the development and implementation of Core Values under the Steering Committee in 2001. The Strategic Planning Committee, 2001, is also documented. The collection consists of committee agendas, meeting minutes, attachments and related materials, some reports, news releases, emails, and correspondence. The 2009 website for the office was printed off and added to the collection. Also included is a list of provosts. The collection is in excellent physical condition. Materials are filed in chronological and then alphabetical order. This is the first collection from the Provost’s office to be transferred to the Clarke documenting the history of the department.
Organizational History:
The Provost’s Office did not exist at Central Michigan University (CMU) until President Boyd appointed Charles Ping to the position in 1969. Before that the deans of the academic departments reported directly to the president. Currently (in 2009), the Provost’s Office is in charge of the Academic Division at CMU. Seven academic departments and ten academic units report to the Provost. The Provost’s Office is in charge of academic initiatives such as the automated degree audit, general education program, implementation of prerequisites, international education, 2010, and Beyond 2010 strategic initiatives. Faculty awards, various information resources, and reports of strategic plans and initiatives also emanate from the Provost’s Office. Julia E. Wallace is the first permanent female Provost at CMU (2007-present). (This information is from CMU yearbooks and the CMU Provost’s Office webpage, viewed in March 2009.)
