As many CBMR friends and constituents know, the CBMR’s existence has been in doubt since February 2012. The history and current status of the college’s Blueprint Prioritization initiative are outlined below, but be assured that even though programming and personnel have been curtailed, the CBMR is still open as usual and is available to provide its normal services, including full access to the CBMR Library and Archives and its holdings. All materials and collections remain in place and will continue to be fully protected and supported by the CBMR’s professional staff.

Columbia College Chicago Blueprint Prioritization

The multi-stage Blueprint Prioritization process began in fall 2011 and was completed on June 29 when the Columbia College Board of Trustees issued its decisions.

In February, after deans’ level recommendations had been made, the interim Provost recommended that the Center for Black Music Research be eliminated. The next stage of the prioritization initiative was completed in March by the prioritization Academic Team, which was very supportive of the CBMR. The results of these stages were then presented to college president Dr. Warrick Carter, whose own recommendations were made public on May 23. While the president’s recommendations would allow for the CBMR’s continued existence at Columbia, they contain several mandates related to staffing, programmatic focus, reporting and operating structures, and fiscal planning that if taken together do not create a sustainable model.

The final stage of the process was concluded when the Columbia College board of trustees announced its decisions. The trustees’ prioritization overview statement is displayed in its entirety below, and while the president’s recommendations were not altered, the board did affirm that the CBMR and other centers will remain at the college. However, because the board did not respond in any detail or address any of the contingencies in the president’s recommendations, the CBMR continues to have significant questions about the nature of its future. The college’s new senior vice president has begun first steps in what will probably be a multi-year implementation process. It may yet be several months or more before we have a detailed understanding of the nature of the administration’s plans for the CBMR, but we can affirm that the president, senior vice president, and board of trustees all recognize (on some level) the Center’s unique importance and agree that it should continue to exist at and be supported by Columbia.

The Center has been heartened by the hundreds of letters, emails, and calls that have been received in response to the recommendations that were made during this protracted process. Thank you for your continuing interest and support. Please feel free to call 312.369.7559 or write cbmr.contact@colum.edu with questions about the CBMR. Your inquiries will be forwarded as appropriate.

Columbia College Board of Trustees Recommendations, June 29

Columbia College Chicago Realigns for the Future

Over the past year, the Columbia College Chicago community has engaged in a process of self-evaluation. The Board of Trustees recognizes and thanks all of those—and particularly the Academic and Support and Operations Teams—who dedicated extraordinary time and passion to this wide-ranging evaluation.

During this process, faculty and staff reimagined the College as “One Columbia” with a stronger, integrated curriculum, centers of excellence and a collaborative culture. We have reviewed the President’s revised recommendations along with those of the Teams, as well as the comments of the faculty, staff and students. It is time to expand upon this work to enrich the academic and professional life of this college.

Together with faculty, staff and students, the Board will focus on the following strategic goals:

• Create more interdisciplinary working relationships between administrators, faculty and staff that support an enhanced, student-centered learning environment at the college.
• Strengthen enrollment by improving recruitment, retention and graduation rates.
• Design an economic model that expands scholarships and financial support for students while maintaining financial stability for the college.

Dr. Warren K. Chapman, Senior Vice President, will be responsible for organizing a college-wide effort to carry out the ambitious multi-year program outlined in the recommendations. Working with representatives of the faculty senate, along with department chairs, deans, administrators and staff, Dr. Chapman will begin by drafting a preliminary work plan that will propose criteria and processes to guide implementation. The work plan will be respectful of the complexity and types of proposed changes that have been recommended and the variety of stakeholders who will need to be involved in the realignment process. The proposed work plan will be presented to the Board and the College community in the fall.

Finally, the College remains committed to the mission of its varied centers for applied research, civic engagement and service learning. The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Center for Black Music Research, Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media, Anchor Graphics, and the Book and Paper Center will be attached to academic programs where they will be given support and the opportunity to continue to contribute to the vitality of the College.

Board of Trustees
Columbia College Chicago
June 29, 2012