The
      only
      newspaper
     
    

    
     
      produced
      at
      UPESI
     
     
      by
      students,
      for
     
    

    
     
      shitclonts
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Amy
      Gallan
     
    

    
     
      UPEI’s
      Organizational
      Review
      ’
     
     
      Committee
      (ORC),
      a
      body
      of
      nine
     
     
      individuals,
      held
      a
      press
      conference
      on
      its
     
     
      review
      of
      the
      structures
      and
      administra-
     
     
      tive
      processes
      ofthe
      university
      on
     
     
      Tuesday,
      March
      19.
      At
      the
      conference
     
     
      the
      ORC
      presented
      a
      report
      yielding
      80
     
     
      recommendations
      that
      will
      maintain
      or
     
     
      improve
      the
      university’
      s
      quality,
      work,
     
     
      and
      service.
     
    

    
     
      The
      ORC
      says
      that
      "The
      Report
      of
     
     
      the
      Organization
      Review
      Committee
      is
     
     
      part
      of
      the
      natural
      progression
      of
      a
     
     
      process
      of
      evaluation
      which
      has
      its
      roots
     
     
      in
      the
      Coles-Weir
      Report
      of
      1994
      and
      the
     
     
      Strategic
      Plan
      "Charting
      Our
      Future"
     
     
      presented
      in
      February,
      1995."
      Coles
      and
     
     
      Weir
      described
      the
      need
      for
      an
      adminis-
     
     
      trative
      structure
      which
      allows
      for
      more
     
     
      effective
      planning
      and
      follow-up.
      The
     
     
      Strategic
      Plan
      states
      quite
      clearly
      that
     
     
      "the
      University
      must...
      move
      quickly
      to
     
     
      develop
      a
      highly
      efficient
      and
      effective
     
     
      administrative
      structure
      to
      ensure
      that
      the
     
     
      University's
      mission
      is
      attained
      both
      now
     
     
      and
      in
      the
      future."
      ‘
     
    

    
     
      As
      a
      first
      step
      toward
      implement-
     
     
      ing
      the
      recommendations
      of
      "Charting
     
     
      our
      Future,"
      Senate
      made
      sure
      that
      the
     
     
      ORC
      was
      comprised
      of
      a
      broad
      represen-
     
     
      tation
      of
      the
      university
      community.
     
     
      Committee
      members
      recognized
      the
      need
     
     
      for
      raising
      morale,
      streamlining
      re-
     
     
      sources,
      providing
      mechanisms
      for
     
     
      change
      in
      programs
      and
      policies,
      focus-
     
     
      ing
      on
      and
      rewarding
      quality
      work
      and
     
     
      service.
      They
      researched
      specific
      topics
     
     
      and
      invited
      the
      university
      community
      to
     
     
      submit
      their
      comments
      and
      suggestions
     
     
      and
      to
      attend
      two
      town
      hall
      meetings
     
     
      dedicated
      to
      the
      review
      process.
     
    

    
     
      A
      variety
      of
      issues
      were
      covered
      in
     
     
      the
      committee's
      80
      recommendations.
     
     
      The
      ORC
      said
      that
      "At
      the
      top
      of
      the
     
     
      Committee's
      priorities
      is
      the
      enhancement
     
     
      of
      our
      student-centred
      culture
      and
      envi-
     
     
      ronment."
      Recommendations
      include
     
     
      streamlining
      the
      processes
      of
      recruitment,
     
     
      admissions,
      first-year
      advising,
      new
     
     
      student
      orientation,
      measures
      for
      reten-
     
     
      tion,
      and
      other
      related
      activities.
      This
     
     
      focus
      on
      service
      for
      the
      students
      would
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Times,
      They
      Are
      Changin'
     
    
   
   
    
     
      include
      single-counter
      service
      for
      such
     
     
      activities
      as
      course
      registration
      and
      fee
     
     
      payment.
      The
      committee
      believes
      that
     
     
      "Students
      play
      important
      roles
      in
      the
     
     
      governance
      of
      the
      University
      through
     
     
      Student
      Union,
      Senate,
      Presidential,
     
     
      Faculty
      and
      other
      committees."
      To
     
     
      ensure
      that
      such
      participation
      is
      as
     
     
      effective
      as
      possible,
      the
      university
      will
     
     
      provide
      leadership
      training
      for
      students
     
     
      who
      serve
      on
      Student
      Union
      and
      univer-
     
     
      sity
      committees.
     
    

    
     
      For
      improving
      the
      management
      of
     
     
      its
      human
      resources,
      the
      report
      recom-
     
     
      mends
      that
      in
      addition
      to
      continuing
      to
     
     
      support
      annual
      awards
      for
      outstanding
     
     
      contributions
      by
      faculty
      and
      staff,
      the
     
     
      President
      create
      a
      fund
      for
      encouraging
     
     
      research
      and
      professional
      development
     
     
      activities,
      that
      the
      university
      explore
     
     
      flexible
      work
      assignments
      as
      incentives,
     
     
      and
      that
      all
      units
      conduct
      regular
      per-
     
     
      formance
      appraisals
      to
      identify
      outstand-
     
     
      ing
      performance
      as
      well
      as
      deficiencies.
     
    

    
     
      The
      ORC
      also
      endorsed
      the
     
     
      principle
      of
      letting
      managers
      manage.
     
     
      Heads
      of
      units,
      including
      academic
     
     
      department
      chairs,
      must
      be
      able
      to
     
     
      exercise
      agreed-upon
      responsibilities
     
     
      with
      a
      high
      degree
      of
      autonomy
      and
      with
     
     
      clear
      lines
      of
      accountability.
      One
      of
      the
     
     
      many
      recommendations
      involves
      giving
     
     
      managers
      more
      control
      over
      their
      own
     
     
      budgets.
      Other
      recommendations
      involve
     
     
      improving
      internal
      communication
      and
     
     
      giving
      appropriate
      administrative
      assist-
     
     
      ance
      to
      Deans
      and
      administrative
      sti-
     
     
      pends
      to
      Chairs.
     
    

    
     
      While
      recognizing
      the
      need
      for
     
     
      committees
      of
      faculty,
      staff,
      and
      students,
     
     
      the
      ORC
      made
      a
      number
      of
      recommenda-
     
     
      tions
      to
      reduce
      committee
      size
      and
     
     
      number.
      Other
      recommendations
      in-
     
     
      volved
      including
      alumni,
      faculty,
      staff,
     
     
      and
      student
      representation
      where
      appro-
     
     
      priate,
      and
      developing
      a
      registry
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘committees
      to
      serve
      as
      a
      central
      deposi-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tory
      for
      the
      information
      they
      produce.
     
     
      The
      ORC,
      following
      suggestions
     
    

    
     
      made
      in
      the
      Coles-Weir
      Report,
      recom-
     
    

    
     
      mends
      the
      “strengthening
      of
      the
      Univer-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sity's
      senior
      administration.”
      The
      recom-
     
     
      mended
      organizational
      structure
      is
      to
      be
     
     
      anchored
      by
      the
      President,
      a
      Vice-
     
     
      President
      of
      Academic
      Support
      and
      a
     
     
      Vice-President
      of
      Facilities
      and
      Finance.
     
     
      The
      Committee
      also
      recommends
      the
     
     
      development
      of
      an
      Office
      of
      Institutional
     
     
      Research
      and
      Planning
      (recommend
      by
     
     
      both
      the
      Coles-Weir
      and
      “Charting
      our
     
     
      Future”).
      A
      Management
      Group,
      con-
     
     
      sisting
      of
      the
      President,
      the
      two
      VPs,
      and
     
     
      six
      academic
      Deans,
      will
      meet
      regularly
     
     
      concerning
      day-to-day
      operations
      and
     
     
      administration.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Committee
      recommends
      that
     
     
      faculties
      determine
      minimum
      size
      for
     
     
      departments
      and
      oversee
      that
      curriculum
     
     
      planning
      and
      administration
      be
      left
      with
     
     
      Departments
      but
      that
      larger
      units
      be
     
     
      created
      for
      handling
      resources
      and
     
     
      budgets.
      It
      also
      recommended
      reducing
     
     
      the
      size
      of
      Senate
      and
      improving
      it
     
     
      efficiency
      and
      effectiveness
      by
      creating
     
     
      steering
      and
      executive
      committees.
      Also,
     
     
      the
      enhancing
      of
      the
      Board
      of
      Governors’
     
     
      visibility
      on
      and
      off
      campus
      as
      a
      policy-
     
     
      making
      body
      was
      recommended.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Committee
      believes
      that
     
     
      structural
      changes
      recommended
      in
      the
     
     
      report
      can
      be
      in
      place
      by
      July
      1,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      and
      that
      the
      cost
      will
      be
      minimal.
      Only
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      Office
      of
      Institutional
      Research
      and
     
     
      Planning,
      which
      would
      support
      the
     
     
      management
      and
      planning
      functions
      of
     
     
      senior
      administrators
      the
      Senate,
      and
      the
     
     
      Board
      of
      Governors,
      will
      require
      new
     
     
      expenditures,
      as
      yet
      undetermined.
      The
     
     
      ORC
      says
      that
      the
      benefits
      reaped
     
     
      through
      improved
      planning,
      decision-
     
     
      making
      and
      management
      will
      outweigh
     
     
      the
      relatively
      small
      expenditures
      involved
     
     
      in
      the
      process.
     
    

    
     
      At
      the
      conference
      the
      ORC
      said
     
     
      that
      the
      changes
      were
      being
      made
      now
      ~
     
     
      because
      after
      twenty-five
      years
      of
      exist-
     
     
      ence
      the
      University
      and
      people
      are
      ready
     
     
      for
      new
      ideas.
      It
      also
      said
      that
      the
     
     
      changes
      will
      greatly
      enhance
      university
     
     
      ability
      to
      foresee
      the
      future
      programs
      and
     
     
      respond
      to
      opportunities.