Sunday, November 13, 2016

What IPFW changes do - and don't - mean - Carl N. Drummond, Journal Gazette

On Oct. 17, IPFW’s Office of Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management presented to our faculty senate and college deans plans to restructure several academic units. While this announcement was intended to start an internal conversation aboutIPFW’s future, the information was shared with the media and social media, which led to significant misinformation gaining traction beyond the university’s control. As the IPFW executive primarily responsible for the implementation of these changes, I would like to set the record straight. First and foremost, it’s critical to understand what led to these recommendations. IPFW’s enrollment has declined more than 30 percent since 2011. In an attempt to offset this, budget cuts have been made, and continue to be made, to non-academic units. Nevertheless, IPFW’s revenue is insufficient to cover its expenditures, despite our reserves having been reduced significantly to cover revenue shortfalls. http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columns/What-IPFW-changes-do---and-don-t---mean-16119244