President Hodge introduced Dr. Franca Barricelli and Dr. Jannette McMenamy, who are currently serving as Acting Provost and Acting Associate Vice Provost, respectively, while Dr. Patricia Marshall is on leave. The core focus of the Academic Affairs report was on curricular reform as a strategy to address recruitment and retention issues.

New Major: Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance

• Nature: New interdisciplinary major developed as a collaboration between the Economics program (School of Arts and Sciences) and the Business Administration program (School of Business and Technology).
• Goal: To prepare students for careers in the financial sector and meet a workforce need, leveraging existing institutional strengths.
• Curriculum Highlights:  It is designed to be highly interdisciplinary and require fewer credits than some comparable degrees at other state institutions.
• Workforce Data: A feasibility study conducted in Spring 2024 with EAB showed a "healthy monthly job posting average" for finance degree holders in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
• Timeline: The degree will come before the Board for consideration and approval at the April meeting. Following Board approval, it will go to the state (BHE) for final approval. The ideal goal is to have the program available for enrollment in the Fall semester, contingent on fast-track approval from the BHE.

Middle School Mathematics Education Major

• Nature: A major curricular revision to create a focused Middle School Mathematics Education major.
• Current Structure: Students currently complete a general mathematics degree with a middle school concentration, which is a protracted and circuitous route requiring 13 upper-level courses.
• Proposed Revision: The new major will focus exclusively on the Subject Matter Knowledge (SMKs) required by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESIE) following their revised licensure requirements. It requires no new courses but is a creative restructuring of existing ones.
• Key Goal: To significantly increase student retention. The current graduation rate for this group is low (approx. 20%), with upper-level math courses identified as a major barrier.
• Workforce Need: The revision also addresses a substantial and urgent workforce need for middle school math teachers, which is a difficult position to fill across the state.
• Status: The faculty intend to send their AUC proposals through campus governance this spring.

General Education (GenEd) Program Discussion

• Context: The current GenEd curriculum, launched in 2021, is up to a 51-credit program with a multi-year assessment protocol.
• Issue: There is an emerging sense among faculty that the curriculum is large, confusing for students, and can be difficult for advisors to navigate.
• Priority: Academic Affairs has identified reducing the complexity of the General Education program as a curricular priority for the current academic year.
• Goal: To maintain the breadth of a liberal arts education while providing an "academic roadmap" that eliminates barriers, increases clarity for students, and aids in retention efforts.

Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs (AVPAA) Role

• Introduction: Dr. Jannette McMenamy, who is serving as the Acting AVPA, introduced herself, noting her 20+ years at Fitchburg State and her current role as Dean of Health and Natural Sciences.
• Role Scope: The AVPA role supports faculty and university-wide initiatives, implements the strategic vision, and has recently expanded to include student support (contributing to the CARE team). The role is also included on the President’s Cabinet to provide an additional voice for Academic Affairs.

All addressed in the previous discussions.