Following a contentious series of debates surrounding increases in spending, ACTA wrote a letter to the University of Wyoming’s Board of Trustees to offer guidance in their discussions on budgeting and prioritizing academic programs. Proper program prioritization can help both to increase the quality of education and decrease unnecessary spending. ACTA shared two of our signature resources for trustees, Setting Academic Priorities and Bold Leadership, Real Reform 2.0, and the full text of our letter can be found below.
Dear University of Wyoming Trustee:
I am reaching out to you in light of the spirited discussion that has been taking place concerning proposed changes to the University of Wyoming’s regulations regarding budgetary decisions and the prioritization of academic programs. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) recognizes that a board’s fiduciary duties often include making painful decisions in difficult economic times.
However, the board’s actions offer opportunities for trustees, administrators, and faculty to make strategic choices that will serve students. When undertaken judiciously, program prioritization has the ability to increase academic quality while decreasing administrative costs to a university, allowing institutions to maintain a strong core curriculum without resorting to across-the-board cuts that are more harmful in the long run.
It is in this spirit that I am taking the opportunity to send you two of our publications. Setting Academic Priorities—authored by former president of the University of Northern Colorado Robert C. Dickeson—deals specifically with best practices for program prioritization, and Bold Leadership, Real Reform 2.0 looks at innovative ways several institutions have responded successfully to financial challenges.
I encourage you to discuss these guides with your board colleagues and president and contact us when we may be of assistance. For over 20 years, ACTA has provided trustees with resources to prepare them for the challenges they face in their most important of responsibilities.
Thank you for your service to higher education.
Warm Regards,
Armand Alacbay
Vice President, Trustee and Government Affairs
Launched in 1995, we are the only organization that works with alumni, donors, trustees, and education leaders across the United States to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure that the next generation receives an intellectually rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.
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