Using a Data Framework to Inform Academic Portfolio Decisions
West Virginia University (WVU) recently underwent a painful but necessary process to support the health and sustainability of the institution. That process included the evaluation of the academic portfolio (programs and departments) with the goals of preserving offerings that meet student needs, achieving instructional efficiencies, delivering on student success, and supporting the long-term health of WVU.
In this session, Paula Congelio, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Mark Gavin, Senior Associate Provost for Academic, Budget, Facilities and Strategic Initiatives at West Virginia University, will share the process, metrics, and lessons learned at WVU. Paula and Mark will be joined by Katie Hagan, a Principal at rpk GROUP, who will help contextualize the WVU experience in the broader landscape of higher education’s challenges and opportunities.
At rpk, Katie leads the firm’s Academic Portfolio and Resource Review projects, enabling institutions and systems to reallocate resources to meet the needs of students and employers. Katie also serves on rpk’s leadership team. Prior to joining rpk GROUP, Katie Hagan was a research associate and faculty fellow at the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, as well as a policy fellow for a state education advocacy organization in North Carolina.
As senior associate provost, Dr. Mark Gavin oversees academic budgets, facilities, and strategic initiatives for the Office of the Provost. Gavin was previously the associate dean for graduate programs, research, and executive education in the WVU College of Business and Economics. An award-winning and widely published scholar in management, he has led several professional organizations in the field and serves on the editorial board of numerous relevant journals. Prior to joining the WVU faculty in 2011, Gavin spent 16 years in the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University.
Paula Congelio joined West Virginia University in 2012 as the Senior Director of Finance and Reporting for the Health Sciences Center of WVU. In 2014, she was promoted to the Associate Vice President of Finance for the Health Sciences Center and in 2017 was promoted to the position that she now holds, Vice President of Finance/Chief Financial Officer for the West Virginia University. In this capacity, she is responsible for finance, budgeting, reporting and shared services for the University. Congelio also oversees Auxiliary and Business Services, Dining Services, Erickson Alumni Center and WVU Bookstores.
Note: Session time listed in ET