AMHERST - In response to faculty pressure, University of Massachusetts Chancellor Robert C. Holub announced Tuesday the creation of a faculty task force to review the proposed reorganization of the university's colleges.
Holub has proposed consolidating colleges by eliminating four of the nine colleges and creating two new colleges as a cost-cutting measure. UMass is grappling with state budget reductions this year and an anticipated $45 million shortfall for the next academic year.
The colleges Holub is proposing to eliminate are the Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Resources and the Environment, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. In their place, a college of humanities, arts and social sciences, as well as a college of natural sciences, would be created.
Holub said the change, which is intended to reduce administration and increase collaborations, could save UMass at least $1.2 million to $1.5 million a year.
Should UMass decide to reorganize its colleges, the move would be implemented by the start of the 2009-2010 academic year.
More input Last week, faculty held a general meeting to discuss the proposal with Holub. A number of professors said they want Holub to consider more input from the faculty regarding the reorganization.
"I am explicitly recognizing the faculty desire to have additional deliberative input into the process," Holub wrote in a Tuesday letter to the campus community.
"There will be some members of the faculty who will be disappointed by the reorganization I am proposing and even by reorganization in general," Holub wrote.
"I hope, however, that the majority will understand both the necessity for reorganization and the advantages that accrue from the proposed structure."
The task force, dubbed the Task Force on Reorganization, will consist of faculty and department chairpeople from the potentially affected colleges. The group will be led by Jane E. Fountain, a political science professor with expertise in system organization, said Edward F. Blaguszewski, director of news and information.
Holub has charged the group with delivering input by March 6.
