*This article was edited on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025 to correct the scope of The Special Action Team
Academic Affairs is seeking to restructure the division through three distinct models. Provost Leslie Cornick charged a Special Action Team in August of 2024 with developing two to three comprehensive recommendations models, which will affect curriculum, class scheduling, allocation of funds and department organization. The provost also hired an outside consulting firm called the Education Advisory Board.
After the SAT convened for two hours once a week from September to December, they issued its proposals to the provost in a 102-page document. The EAB seems to have done the same. The provost decided to continue with the EAB’s recommendations, according to SAT member and Associated Students President Chris Sullivan.
The SAT’s authors can be found on its website and report. However there is no information about who the authors of the EAB were or how they came to their conclusions. Along with this, the provost and her advisory council selected the EAB’s models and offered justification. The members of the Provost Advisory Council are also unknown, according to Sullivan.
The Orion was unable to find any accessible documentation from the EAB in regards to the Academic Affairs changes. The three models from the EAB were put onto the website, next to information gathered by the SAT, despite no connection between the two.
Several authors of the 19-member SAT team sent an email to department heads sharing concerns that the recommendations received from the campus engagement initiatives were not used in the models and Phase Two procedures. The emails, which have been circulated around faculty, have sparked frustration from many.
The models that the university is asking for feedback on do not come with cost/benefit analysis, references to data points or anything to help understand how these conclusions were drawn.
The SAT submitted their own documentation, evidence and graphics to justify their choices, which have been riddled into the EAB’s models.
The university has held two listening sessions this semester with the last one taking place on Monday at 2-3:30 p.m. at Selvester’s Cafe. With the current information that is available, the campus community is not able to make an informed choice or ask informed questions.
This is part of The Orion’s ongoing coverage of the reshaping of Chico State’s academic structure.
Chris Hutton and Nadia Hill can be reached at orionmanagingeditor@gmail.com
