The upcoming white papers are the first step in the first phase of the Transformation Plan process, which will continue through the spring and into next year. After we have reviewed how academic and business units are structured, we will shift to focus on assessing operations within those units. Our assessment will guide how we will streamline academic programs, consolidate business operations, and strengthen research support.

I recognize that much attention has been focused right now on structural reorganization. We all should keep in mind that departmental reorganizations are only part of our Transformation Plan. We have also assigned task forces to explore how can create a system in which tuition will flow to the units who teach the students and how we can strategically invest dollars from our research development fund. In addition to these lines of discussion, we are also working with administrative and business representatives across campus to explore how we can reduce our costs while improving our effectiveness. I will update you on those developments in the coming weeks.

Very useful suggestions from department heads, business managers, faculty, students, staff and appointed professionals from various areas of the University have been pouring in. These will become increasingly important as we move through the process of brainstorming on our options and deliberating upon how we can restructure units. I encourage you to keep submitting your ideas and comments to uatransf@email.arizona.edu.

As we look forward to the white paper proposals that are coming in next week, it is important to reiterate that reducing the numbers of units has always been subsidiary to our central goal of strengthening the University's standing. Our goal is not to reach some artificial target of cutting the number of departments. Our goal is to improve the effectiveness of our academic, academic support, and University support units so that we strengthen our core research, teaching and service missions. The white paper proposals are only the first step in the process of achieving this goal. The white papers will serve the purpose of getting some proposals on the table so that we can continue our wide-ranging deliberations upon how we can achieve the deeper and more creative transformations that will enable us to achieve our shared goal of building on what we do best.