Thursday, October 3, 2013

PP: Ratings and Ranking

I'm hearing quite a bit of concern about the use of numbers (ratings, 1-5) in the prioritization process.  A common question is "how do I want to answer to get the highest rating?"  The answer is, "answer the questions as honestly as possible."  Unlike PP initiatives at other universities, we will not be targeting cuts across the board for programs with certain ratings.  We are using the numbers as a guide to see where the issues may be.  For instance, a program with great quality and starved for resources (or equipment, etc) may have a medium overall rating.  Another program may have a medium overall rating and be average in the categories across the board.  These two programs would have the same rating, but would require very different actions.  It's what's behind the numbers that is key.  The PP is not only about trying to address a budget issue, but will also reallocate some resources to help programs.