To provide Trustees with a report of activities and efforts of note, I continue to base the Report of the President on the Leadership Profile Components used by the Trustees to evaluate the President’s performance: (1) Institutional Planning (and Executing); (2) Financial/Business Model; (3) Innovations in Teaching and Learning and in STEM Talent Development; (4) Institutional Research and Scholarship on Program Effectiveness and RoI; (5) Thought Leadership in STEM Education Policy; and (6) Stakeholder’s Positive Action(s) on Behalf of IMSA. For additional information and updates on IMSA, please see my Personal Reflections progress being made on our overall budget goal

Torres, José M.

English

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy: DigitalCommons@IMSA

       Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy®  igniting and nurturing creative, ethical, scientific minds that advance the human condition  REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT José M. Torres, Ph.D. July 20, 2016  LEADERSHIP MATTERS The following provides an update on my leadership of the Academy.  This year at each meeting of the Board of Trustees we have focused on one of IMSA’s Priority Outcomes. This began in September 2015 with social entrepreneurship. At our July Board meeting, we will present “Increase Financial Stainability.”  IMSA Leadership Profile To provide Trustees with a report of activities and efforts of note, I continue to base the Report of the President on the Leadership Profile Components used by the Trustees to evaluate the President’s performance: (1) Institutional Planning (and Executing); (2) Financial/Business Model; (3) Innovations in Teaching and Learning and in STEM Talent Development; (4) Institutional Research and Scholarship on Program Effectiveness and RoI; (5) Thought Leadership in STEM Education Policy; and (6) Stakeholder’s Positive Action(s) on Behalf of IMSA. For additional information and updates on IMSA, please see my Personal Reflections progress being made on our overall budget goal.  Institutional Planning (and Executing) On Saturday, June 4, 2016, IMSA graduated its 206 seniors, which represents its 28th class.  Of these graduates, 86 are matriculated at a college or university in Illinois, 119 are enrolled in out-of-state institutions of higher education, and one graduate is enlisted in the Army. We wish the Class of 2016 well and look forward to hearing about their future great accomplishments. Our Community Learning Day was held on June 6th where we closed out the year with updates and a celebration of staff’s hard work during a rather trying year. IMSA faculty and staff spent the rest of the day cleaning IMSA vans and grills, preparing food for the local community, and filling seed packets to help fight hunger on a global level. The IMSA campus is filled with learners of all ages this summer—from third graders through preservice teachers. Through our Summer@IMSA, Fusion, SEAMS, SIR and Golden Apple programs we will are providing educational experiences to over 1,100 students from across Illinois, with registration still open for several camps.  We look forward to welcoming the IMSA Class of 2018 who will be arriving on campus August 13. Approximately 130 of the students participated in an orientation session held on June 25th, and another 150 students and 225 parents attended our second orientation on July 8th.   Financial/Business Model  In April 2016, SB 2059, known as the stopgap higher education spending bill, provided $6 million to IMSA to cover our expenses until September 1, 2016. This amount represents approximately 35% of the anticipated FY16 appropriation. Of the $6 million received, approximately $3.5 million was used to pay outstanding bills and interest—all unpaid FY16 invoices have been processed by both the business office and the Illinois Comptroller. There is no longer a backlog of past due invoices and we    Board of Trustees Meeting, 7/20/2016 Report of President Page 2 of 3       have resumed normal processing for all newly received vendor invoices. The remaining $2.5 million is for ongoing operations of the Academy.  On June 30, we received some good budget news. The Legislature approved SB2047 and Governor Rauner signed into law Public Act 009-0524, which provided just over $5 million as our FY17 appropriation effective for 12 months. We also received spending authority appropriation for just above $3 million for our IMSA Income Fund.    The Information and Discussion Item 14A for our July meeting, reflects the work over the past 9 months to identify how to best move toward developing more sustainable funding for IMSA.  Innovations in Teaching and Learning and in STEM Talent Development Over the past 18 months, I have been nurturing IMSA’s relationships with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) through their new State Superintendent, Dr. Tony Smith. These efforts have helped to garner additional confidence from ISBE to ask IMSA to lead state work in providing training to educators across the state on the New Generation of Science Standards (NGSS). IMSA provided training to 22 educators in June. These teachers, from 11 regional areas across the state, will replicate the training with other educators, influencing 462 educators.  Additionally, IMSA was asked by ISBE to submit a proposal to develop and deliver programs that would extend STEM educational opportunities to both students and teachers throughout the state. After visiting a Fusion training session, ISBE asked IMSA to modify the proposal to include a K-3 Fusion program. IMSA submitted a proposal to expand the Fusion, SIR and TALENT programs.    Institutional Research and Scholarship on Program Effectiveness and RoI As the Board knows, we have struggled to staff our Office of Institutional Research (OIR) since December 2015 when Chris Kolar resigned to take a position in Palo Alto Unified School District.  Carissa Rosine single-handedly supported OIR until the middle of June when she was promoted into a position in Professional Field Services. We are fortunate that Dr. Jerald (Jay) Thomas who is an educational psychologist, and currently Associate Professor of Education/Faculty Assessment Coordinator at Aurora University, has accepted to work as part time interim Executive Director of OIR for IMSA over the summer and into the fall 2016. His top three priorities include (1) preparing IMSA for a successful accreditation through AdvancEd; (2) establishing a research agenda that will demonstrate that IMSA is fulfilling its mission; and (3) ensuring that institutional data are gathered, managed, and shared in a meaningful and timely manner.  Thought Leadership in STEM Education Policy  We continue to be an active participant in efforts being conducted by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), the Joint Leadership Committee on the Illinois P-20 Council, and the Governor’s Cabinet on Children and Youth led by Secretary Beth Purvis; and the Governor’s Technology Advisory Group in which both, Dr. Jeffery Margolis and I serve on different sub-committees.  For the eighth consecutive year IMSA students participated the International Student Science Fair (ISSF) in Singapore. IMSA was represented by senior Tavis Reed and juniors Nikitha Garapty and Rohit Mittapalli. Nikitha was awarded “Best Oral Presentation in Chemistry.” At the same time seniors Paul Nebres, Noor Michael, Jason Chen and Kushagra Gupta participated in the Singapore International Mathematics Challenge. Those students received a Commendation Award for Math.  Dr. Marie Dahleh. Dr. Sanza Kazadi and I presented IMSA’s proposal to host the 2018 ISSF to the executive team of the International Student Science Network (ISSN). We were unanimously chosen to host the event during the first week of July 2018. This will be the first time that the ISSF will be held in    Board of Trustees Meeting, 7/20/2016 Report of President Page 3 of 3       the United States. The theme for ISSF 2018 is based on our founding principle, which is to “significantly influence life on our planet” and it was expanded to include the need for global cooperation: to significantly influence life on our planet through cooperation and collaboration. A pledge of financial support from Siemens Corporation was made and we will identify other possible supporters and contributors.  Stakeholders’ Positive Actions on Behalf of IMSA Jacob Plummer, IMSA Alumni 1996 has agreed to be Chair of the Governance Committee of the IMSA Fund. He met with his committee the last week of June to identify the six and 12 month priorities in terms of raising money, recruiting people to the Fund Board, and generally preparing the Fund Board for overall success. We are very happy to have Jacob lead this effort.  Ms. Barbara Graham is our new Executive Director of the IMSA Fund for Advancement of Education.  Her experience includes raising philanthropic support within the education, technology, healthcare, government and social services sectors. We’re excited to fill this key position. Thanks and kudos to Dr. Jeffrey Margolis for ably filling the void left by multiple staff changes.  The Annual Alumni weekend will be held July 15-16. The IMSA Alumni Association (IAA) annual meeting and elections will be held on Saturday, July 16th. The classes of 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011 held their class reunions the evening of July 16th. We estimate that between 250-300 alumni will be in attendance at the annual meeting and various festivities.  I represented IMSA at the 2016 Public Humanities Award Benefit Luncheon honoring Dr. Walter E. Massey, recipient of the 2007 IMSA Trustees Award and past President of Morehouse College. During the Luncheon I began discussions with Mr. David R. Mosena, President and CEO of the Museum of Science and Industry, regarding support for the International Student Science Fair in 2018 and stronger partnerships with IMSA.  On June 23rd Illinois State Comptroller Leslie Munger visited the IMSA campus. During her visit she met with my Cabinet, visited the SEAMS, BioSleuths, Vital Signs and Golden Apple classrooms as well as toured the new science lab and the IN2 space.   ACTION ITEMS 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, 13E, 13F, 13G, 13H. Consent Agenda I recommend approval of the items on the Consent Agenda as presented.   INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION ITEMS 14.A. Vice President of External Engagement Dr. Jeffrey Margolis and Founding Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus Mr. James Pearson will present the conclusions from the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Sustainability. The Board of Trustees will be updated on what actions IMSA plans to move forward with under current legislation and weigh in on proposed feasibility studies for two concepts that would require legislative changes.   14B. Presentation- Transitioning to IMSA with Executive Director of Human Resources Ms. Traci Ellis.   

Report of the President / July 20, 2016

https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&amp;context=pres_report

Report of the President / July 20, 2016

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