The University is seeking new ways to incorporate innovative ideas throughout the University community through the development of the Programmatic Initiatives Committee, or "Big Ideas" Committee.
Organized through the Commission on the Future of the University, the committee seeks to establish a standardized process for reviewing and implementing new ideas submitted by members of the University community, said Darden Prof. Elizabeth Powell, chair of the Faculty Senate Planning and Development Committee.
Powell noted that such ideas include ones "that have the potential for making the University very distinctive and that could be fundraising opportunities."
The committee met frequently last spring to compile a detailed report of its future initiatives, Powell said, adding that the report is now at the heart of discussions about the University's future taking place across Grounds.
Members from the offices of the provost, development and human resources all worked closely on the committee to develop the report, which has since become available to the public, Powell said.
Justin Thompson, assistant provost for academic planning and development, noted that more than 1,000 readers have offered feedback on the report.
More recently, a collaborative group has formed to participate in further discussion of the technical organization of the committee based on the findings of the report, Thompson said.
"This process recognizes that we've got to move those promising ideas from the source to the people who are charged to implement them," Thompson said.
The report also is currently under discussion in the Senate, Chair Ricardo Padron said, also noting the possible benefits of this committee's future work.
"It could speed the transmission of potentially transformative ideas to the people who can develop and potentially implement them," Padron said.
The committee also seeks to provide a way for University community members to share their innovative ideas, Powell said, noting "it would allow faculty to propose ideas for major initiatives for the University."
AccessUVa and the restoration of historic buildings are two examples of such ideas, she said, adding that it would be the committee's job both to process previously submitted ideas as well as to encourage new proposals.
The ideas submitted thus far lack standardization, which makes them difficult to process, Powell said. As a result, the committee will address the two-part task of "coming up with some standardized way to meet these proposals," Powell said, and finding a way to "more fairly compare them."
To do so, she noted that the committee will need to generate criteria for deciding which ideas to review and pursue and also determine how to institutionally make them a reality.
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