CMU 2010

Progress Report - March 2009

Final Round of Vision Fund Projects Endorsed by President Rao

The 2009-10 Vision Fund projects that were recommended by the ISPC have recently been endorsed by President Rao. Congratulations to the following project leaders that will be receiving funding July 1, 2009 to allow CMU 2010 to reach its goals!

Project Title

Project Leader(s)

Copyright – Education and Electronic Reserve               

Anne Casey                                 

Latin American – Latino Initiative                               

Mark Poindexter & Roger Coles

Remote Support Automation in the Online Learning Environment

Jeff McDowell           

Leaping ahead by Laser                                                    

David Matty 

Intergroup Dialog Program                                                   

Denise Green

The CMU Research Infrastructure Tool                             

Renee Babcock  

Beyond 2010

Campus Feedback

In February, the ISPC went out to the campus to introduce the emerging strategic directions, areas that had been identified by the university community last fall and further developed by the ISPC, to offer a context and rationale for why these are appropriate for CMU.  Linked below is the feedback we've collected from all of our meetings this spring, as well as a summary of the online feedback we've received throughout the planning process:

Even if you missed these opportunities, there are other alternatives.  At Special Focus Meetings, members of the ISPC bring the Beyond 2010 conversation to a group of folks already planning to meet.  We can also schedule additional Special Focus Meetings if you have 10 or more individuals would would like to learn about Beyond 2010.  Please schedule this with the Academic Affairs office (x3631) by emailing CMU2010@cmich.edu.  Finally, we continue to take input from our online form if you cannot attend any session listed.

Also, we have recently begun posting second drafts of the strategic direction position papers, given the feedback we have received thus far.  The papers will continue to evolve as the conversation continues this spring, and most likely over the next year once a new president is appointed.

Position Papers on Emerging Strategic Directions

The ISPC presenters at the upcoming open meetings have been working with individuals on campus over the last few weeks to further develop these emerging strategic directions, linking them to ongoing initiatives on campus and meeting with various campus "experts" in each area.  The idea behind the position paper is to lay the foundation and provide a context for these strategic directions and why they are important at CMU.  They will assist people who are not familiar with the strategic plan to see the connections that have been made through the open meetings in the fall, the external environment, and other situational factors CMU will likely face over the next five years.  The first drafts have been posted on the Emerging Strategic Directions webpage.  The reflections provided by the university community over the last month have been shared with the writers, and are being addressed in the next iteration of the papers.  They are being published as they become available.

Spotlight on the Driving Evaluation, Education, and Research (D.E.E.R.) Center

The CMU Center for Driving Evaluation, Education, and Research (D.E.E.R.) Center, which was awarded Vision Funds during the second call of 2007, is located in the Health Professions Building. It represents a collaborative effort between the College of Humanities, Social, and Behavioral Sciences and the Herbert H. and Grace A Dow College of Health Professions  as a component of the CHP Bridges Center for Healthy Life Transitions in collaboration with the Carls Center for Clinical Care and Education.

The mission of the D.E.E.R. Center is three-fold:  to provide clinical services to evaluate cognitive fitness to drive (Evaluation), to provide education to improve older driver safety (Education), and to conduct research on older drivers and drivers with attention disorders (Research). The center has a driving simulator for use in research and in evaluation and education. The D.E.E.R. Center will become a place where older adults or persons who have a neurodegenerative disease, had a stroke, or sustained a brain injury can come to have their driving ability evaluated to determine if they are safe to continue, or are ready to resume, driving.  Lastly, the center is a place where multidisciplinary research on older drivers or drivers with attention disorders can be conducted.

The best way to provide an update on the various ways in which the D.E.E.R. Center has developed over time is to breakdown the accomplishments by the three areas of their mission.

Evaluation:

  • A testing protocol is being piloted with a local senior citizens.  This testing will reach completion soon.
  • The Center will be able to take paying clients within the next month.
  • They are also working on finalizing the system for scheduling appointments, record keeping, and billing.

Education:

  • The D.E.E.R. Center will be hosting a AARP Driver’s Safety course in affiliation with the Isabella County Commission on Aging.
  • The Center intends to offer a range of cognitive training programs to help seniors practice the specific skills necessary for successful driving.  These programs will help seniors improve and maintain cognitive functions relevant to driving.

Research:

  • A $215,000 grant was awarded on behalf of the Michigan Department of Transportation for the continued research on senior drivers.  This grant money is part of a two-year contract and will allow the D.E.E.R. Center to survey senior drivers and their family members or care-givers on their awareness and decision making about transportation.  The second year of the contract will produce mixed-media to promote state resources about senior transportation.
  • The D.E.E.R. Center has received a $30,000 REF award to develop a computer-based senior driver remediation program.

Thanks to Dr. Richard Backs, director of the D.E.E.R. Center, for volunteering his time to provide an update to the university community.  To learn more about the D.E.E.R. Center or to follow their progress, please visit deercenter.org.  Their annual report is also available on the CMU 2010 site.  If you have specific questions or comments about the center that you would like to ask directly, feel free to contact Dr. Backs at backs1rw@cmich.edu.

Progress Report - A Change in Publishing Frequency

Given the limited amount of information surrounding the CMU 2010 Vision plan at the present time, the need for monthly updates may no longer exist.  Information relevant to the strategic plan will be published as it is available, may it be every month or every other month.  Much effort has been put into ensuring Beyond 2010 is as transparent as possible, so we ask that you visit the website for updates moving forward.