Academic Portfolio and Workload Reviews

The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) and rpk GROUP (rpk) are collaborating on a project to ensure the six KBOR bachelors-granting institutions are offering academic programs that align with Kansas’ goals for the State’s higher education enterprise, meet student expectations for programs centered on student success and increasing their employability, and efficiently deliver faculty and staff resources across each institution, division, and department. KBOR and rpk will work with system and campus stakeholders to ensure transparency and collaboration to create recommendations to optimize the system to achieve increased student outcomes and institutional efficiencies. rpk will provide KBOR with Academic Portfolio and Workload reviews. Both deliverables will include actionable recommendations and frameworks for future analyses to allow KBOR to continuously improve the system and elevate further the work institutions are doing to serve the citizens of Kansas.

To this end, KBOR and rpk formed a Steering Team to inform the project’s development, review analyses as they are completed, provide feedback, and raise opportunities for additional communication and stakeholder engagement. The Steering Team met on the dates below. 

Academic Portfolio and Workload Reviews FAQ

Academic Portfolio and Workload Review Feedback Form

Steering Team Meetings:

The members of the Steering Team are the following:

Project Leaders
Daniel Archer – Vice President for Academic Affairs, KBOR
Sam Christy-Dangermond – Director of Academic Affairs, KBOR
Cindy Farrier – Director of Data, Research and Planning, KBOR

Kansas Board of Regents
Blake Benson
John B. Dicus
Cheryl Harrison-Lee (Chair)
Carl Ice
Shelly Kiblinger, Ed.D.
Cynthia Lane, Ed.D.
Diana Mendoza
Jon Rolph (Vice-Chair)
Wint Winter, J.D. 

Emporia State University
Diana Kuhlman - Vice President for Administration & Finance
JoLanna Kord, Ph.D. – Assistant Provost
Ray Lauber – Executive Director of Human Resources

Fort Hays State University
Jill Arensdorf, Ph.D. – Provost
Angela Pool-Funai, Ph.D. - Assistant Provost/Dean of the Graduate School
Joe Bain, J.D. - University General Counsel

Kansas State University
Chuck Taber, Ph.D. – Provost
Tanya Gonzalez, Ph.D. – Interim Associate Provost
Debbie Mercer, Ph.D. – Dean, College of Education

Pittsburg State University
Howard Smith, Ph.D. – Provost
Paul Grimes, Ph.D. – Dean of Kelce College of Business
Jamie Brooksher, J.D. – University General Counsel

University of Kansas
Barb Bichelmeyer, Ph.D. – Provost
Chris Brown, Ph.D. – Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Jen Roberts, Ph.D. – Vice Provost of Academic Affairs

Wichita State University
Shirley Lefever, Ph.D. – Provost
Linnea GlenMaye, Ph.D. - Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ashlie R. Jack, Ph.D. - Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness 

KBOR and rpk GROUP established a Data Team to align data definitions, guide data collection, provide qualitative information, and ensure the framework captures institutional differentiation. The Data Team met on a bi-weekly basis. Data Team meetings occurred on:

April 7, 2022
June 1, 2022
June 22, 2022
July 13, 2022
July 28, 2022
August 10, 2022
August 24, 2022
October 19, 2022

The members of the Data Team are the following:

Project Leaders
Daniel Archer – Vice President for Academic Affairs, KBOR
Sam Christy-Dangermond – Director of Academic Affairs, KBOR
Cindy Farrier – Director of Data, Research and Planning, KBOR 

Kansas Board of Regents
Marti Leisinger, J.D.  – Associate Director
Nathan Snyder – Project Developer

Emporia State University|
JoLanna Kord, Ph.D. – Assistant Provost of Institutional Effectiveness
Christy Schreck – Assistant Director, Institutional Research

Fort Hays State University
Kristi Mills – Institutional Research Manager, Institutional Research
Min Sangki, Ph.D. – Assistant Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness
Darren Stieben – Coordinator, Institutional Research

Kansas State University
Bin Ning, Ph.D. – Associate Provost, Institutional Research and Assessment
David Warren – Senior Data Analyst – Institutional Research

Pittsburg State University
Tammy Higgins – Director of Institutional Research
Melinda Roelfs – Registrar

University of Kansas
Corinne Bannon – Director for Institutional Effectiveness
Gwen Bohling – Assistant Director for Official Reporting
Mason Jackson – Principal Analyst
Barbara Russell – Research Analyst
Matt Schuette, Ph.D. – Associate Director of Institutional Research, Medical Center
Nick Stevens – Chief Data Officer|
JoAnn Williams – Principal Analyst 

Wichita State University
Tiffany Franks – Assistant Director, Office of Planning & Analysis
David Smith – Senior Research Analyst, Office of Planning & Analysis
David Wright, Ph.D. – Chief Data Officer and Associate Vice President

KBOR and rpk established a Faculty Advisory Group Comprised of faculty representatives from the six state universities. The Faculty Advisory Group is charged to remain informed of the project, ask questions and ensure institutional stakeholders know how to ask questions, and raise opportunities for additional communication and stakeholder engagement. The Faculty Advisory Group met on May 19, 2022. The group will reconvene at regular intervals to receive project updates.

Emporia State University
Brenda Koerner, Ph.D.- Associate Professor, Faculty Senate President, 2021-2022

Fort Hays State University
Janet Stramel, Ph.D. – Professor, Faculty Senate President, 2021-2022

Kansas State University
Laura Littrell, Ph.D. – Director, Faculty Senate President, 2021-2022

Pittsburg State University
Amy Hite, DNP – Professor, Faculty Senate Executive Committee, 2022-2023

University of Kansas
Nate Brunsell, Ph.D. – Professor, Faculty Senate President-Elect, 2022-2023 

Wichita State University
Jeff Pulaski, M.F.A. – Director, Professor of Graphic Design

University of Kansas Medical Center
Holly Hull, Ph.D., Associate Professor - Faculty Assembly Committee Chair, 2021-2022