In a letter to faculty earlier this month, University President Troy Paino announced the formation of faculty Blueprint Teams which will have until the end of the semester to propose changes to the University’s curriculum.
In his letter, Paino says the three Blueprint Teams have been tasked with consolidating reports published this summer from the six action teams. The action teams included faculty and Student Government members, who researched possible changes for how the University handles its curriculum, finances and other operations. The results then were discussed during the University’s August Strategic Planning Workshop, and the Blueprint Teams will attempt to put together a cohesive plan “that maps to the desired characteristics of a Truman graduate,” according to the letter.
Three Blueprint Teams have been formed, according to the letter — Team One, which plans to “advance student learning and institutional distinctiveness,” Team Two, which will develop “lifetime learning opportunities” at Truman and Team Three, which will look at how the Truman Portfolio is used. The three groups have until Dec. 11 to file their final reports, according to the letter.
Paino says the December deadline is fair because the Blueprint Teams are only combining recommendations into a sensible plan instead of starting from scratch. He says the University needs to prepare itself quickly to survive in a changing world.
“I am of the opinion that Truman needs to move. If we don’t prepare the University for the next financial crisis, it’s going to occur … my biggest concern is that if we hit another crisis, we won’t be prepared to absorb that crisis.”
– Troy Paino, University President
Paino says Team One’s mission to create institutional distinctiveness partly focuses on student retention. He said while many students transfer to Truman or leave for various reasons outside of the University’s control, Truman can do a better job.
For more information on Truman’s future plans continue reading on Issuu.