Academic Affairs Colleagues,

I write to provide an update on the Academic Portfolio Review and Prioritization process. From the beginning, the Academic Portfolio Review (APR) was not intended to be a retrospective exercise. It was designed to help programs look forward, clarify priorities, and make intentional choices about where to invest time and resources, where to adapt, and where to let go. 

In January, programs submitted responses to their APR results in the form of proposed action plans. What was most striking as I reviewed these plans was the level of thoughtfulness that went into them. Across colleges, programs are clearly engaging seriously with the intent of the review and thinking carefully about how to position themselves and UIS for future success. For the 154 programs that were reviewed, 380 response actions were proposed, from which several themes emerged.

1. One of the strongest themes among the response plans is the intentional strengthening of student pathways and transfer pipelines. Programs are proposing plans to develop degree maps, improve course sequencing and scheduling, and provide more transparent advising resources to support student progression and reduce time‑to‑degree.
2. Response plans also point to significant efforts in curriculum modernization and clearer workforce alignments, as programs focus on sharpening identity and purpose.
3. Several response plans also identified interdisciplinary opportunities where cross‑unit collaboration can support growth while using existing faculty expertise.
4. Another commonality across response plans is the strengthening of high-impact practices and experiential learning. 
5. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the response plans demonstrate a growing commitment to portfolio discipline and responsible stewardship.

This is what we hoped the Academic Portfolio Review would produce: not a defense of the status quo, but a roadmap for thoughtful, evidence-informed action that will continue to evolve our programs forward. It does mean we will stop doing some things so that we can better focus our energy and resources. The work ahead now shifts to executing proposed changes, deciding on the best mechanisms for enhancing and reforming programs, working through governance on curricular changes, and developing teach-out plans for programs that are sunsetting. It is important to note that students in programs that will be sunsetting will be able to complete their credential within appropriate time limits.

In the next few days, I will share feedback and my decisions regarding the response plans. Deans will receive the reports for their colleges, followed by program-specific information being shared with the corresponding units. From there, it will take time to work through the details of the next steps.  

There is continuous improvement work ahead for us and changes will take time. Change, even positive change, is challenging. I appreciate the work that has gone into this extensive review and that will go into implementation. I believe the collective efforts are putting UIS on a sustainable and intentional path. We will continue to monitor progress, and the lessons learned along the way will inform adjustments for the next APR cycle that will take place sometime after our HLC reaffirmation in 2027.

Brandon

Brandon E. Schwab

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost

University of Illinois Springfield

bschw@uis.edu