2020Forward: Guiding principles created to drive college reorganization

By Robert H. Jones, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost

Clemson’s proposed college reorganization will create an optimal path for academic programs to achieve national prominence by establishing colleges that are more focused and aligning departments with compatible structures and missions. The goal is to position the university for excellence in 2020, 2025 and beyond.

Clemson’s executive leadership will present the proposed realignment of academic colleges to the board of trustees for consideration at its October 2015 meeting. To ensure that the reorganization will be as successful as possible, the leadership team will use the following guiding principles.

1. ALL of Clemson’s dean-led colleges and schools are being recreated.
2. There will be no resource winners or losers as the result of reorganization. Resources will be assigned so that they match current levels as closely as possible.
3. Academic departments will retain the level of resources they had before reorganization. Entrepreneurial revenues will follow the departments that earned them.
4. The methods used to create the colleges, especially the distribution of resources, will be as transparent and systematic as possible.
5. Every effort will be made to resolve disagreements over resources or other questions at the academic department and college level. If senior leadership is called to resolve any dispute, the involved parties will have the opportunity to make their case before any final decision.
6. We will sustain current levels of support for student services, academic services and research. In some cases, resources will be shared across colleges or other units to ensure continuity and meet all obligations.
7. University and reorganization leadership will communicate as openly and honestly as possible.
8. All members of the university community are responsible for making their questions and concerns known.
9. Decisions mark a point when we are all in; once decisions are rendered, it is incumbent upon everyone to do what it takes to make the reorganization a success.

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