Roadmap activity: Health sciences mission statement

January 21, 2019 Health Science Mission Statement, Initiative 4, Roadmap to Excellence Update

To:  Academic Unit Chairs and Directors

From:  Fred Servello

Subject:  Road Map Initiatives: Life Sciences Building.  Request for steering committee nominations

I am writing to request nominations (faculty) and your expression of interest (chairs/directors) for serving on the steering committee that will lead the planning for the Life Sciences building.  I am seeking two faculty members each from the School of Biology and Ecology, School of Marine Sciences, and Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, who will comprise the core members of the committee. Your nominees should have substantial faculty experience and the time to commit to this effort.  If you have questions about preferred qualifications of nominees, please contact me by telephone.

I also am requesting that the chair/directors (or their designees) of the units listed below serve as additional unit representatives to the committee.  Designees must hold a regular faculty rank.  Please indicate your interest in participating or designate someone to represent you.

  • School of Food and Agriculture
  • School of Forest Resources
  • Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology

Core members of the steering committee will have the primary role in completing the objectives listed below.  Core members will be expected to be active participants and attend all meetings.  All meetings will be open to unit representatives; however, these members will be specifically asked to attend meetings for topics where broader input would be helpful.  Units invited to name representatives to the steering committee have significant laboratory needs and may be indirectly influenced by the creation of new laboratory capacity in the college, may benefit from development of research core services, or may benefit from additional teaching infrastructure capacity.

Please know that the Executive Committee in its role as the college’s management team will provide oversight and broader college input to the steering committee. And design teams comprised of additional faculty and under the direction of the steering committee will likely be created as the planning process unfolds.  The steering committee also will be asked to incorporate processes for general faculty and staff input into its planning strategy.

Chairs and directors of the academic units named above are asked to provide the names of faculty nominees or express their interest (or name of designee) to serve as unit representatives by January 30.  I will formally appoint committee members by letter.  Terms will be two years and are renewable.

I will chair the steering committee and Ryan Ward, the college’s operations coordinator, will provide support.  Other staff from the Office of the Dean will provide support on an as-needed basis.

Role of the Steering Committee

  • Develops and guides the planning strategy and overall work.
  • Engages with other UMaine administrative offices for planning and assessment as needed.
  • Directs assessments and design activities of additional working groups as needed.
  • Participates in communication planning and activities.

Role of the Office of the Dean

  • Develops an initial briefing book for committee members.
  • Conducts infrastructure data collection and analysis.
  • Provides support or the lead for development of reports, communication materials, and planning materials.
  • Coordinates committee activities.

Action Plan Objectives for 2018-19

  1. Develops an overall strategy and planning process for meeting the road map objective (appended at end of memo).
  2. Compiles and reviews available input and information on the life science building project.
  3. Completes a preliminary assessment of infrastructure needs in the college as potentially related to capacity and design considerations for a new life sciences building.
  4. Outlines an internal communication strategy for the design and future advocacy of a new building and begin communication activities within the university.
  5. Reports progress for 2018-2019 and proposes a work plan for 2019-2020 to the college’s Executive Committee at its August 2019 retreat.