The Provost will facilitate a follow up conversation with faculty on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 2:30 pm in SC157-158.

On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Assistant Provost Vanessa Arriola presented the Comprehensive Academic Plan (CAP) to members of the Cabinet of Agents. Representatives from the Ramapo Staff Association (RSA) were also in attendance. The presentation was followed by a brief question and answer session.

On October 24, 2025, Vanessa Arriola, Assistant Provost for Administration, Budget, and Planning hosted a meeting with staff from the Provost’s office, school staff with scheduling responsibilities, and the Registrar. She provided a condensed version of the CAP presentation and led a discussion primarily around the scheduling process for Fall 2026.

On October 23, 2025, Provost Middleton presented the highlights of the CAP presentation to the Foundation Board of Governors. 

Provost’s Presentation to Faculty – On Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at 2:00 pm in Pavilion 1 and 2, Provost Middleton shared his vision for academics at Ramapo, shaped by the recommendations of the three Task Force reports and the Comprehensive Academic Plan (CAP). His presentation outlined the academic direction for the College and highlighted key initiatives that will influence our shared work across the campus community. 

The Liberal Arts Curriculum Task Force submitted its final report to the Provost. The Task Force addressed broader objectives of the CAP including:

• 1.A. Advance a defined, shared academic experience for Ramapo students that is intentionally sequenced to move learning from exploration to integration and broad mastery of knowledge.
• 1.B: Affirm our liberal arts mission by embedding experiences and knowledge that enact core values of interdisciplinary, intercultural, global, and experiential learning.
• 2.A.: Actively create curricular and co-curricular programs that develop and nurture inclusivity and an appreciation for the diversity of lived experiences, identities, and voices in our community.
• 2.D.: Adapt the daily academic schedule to serve the needs and well-being of our diverse community

The Task Force also explored specific topics such as capstone experiences, the current school core structures, and the rules for “double-counting” courses to satisfy General Education, School Core, Major and Minor requirements. 

Deans disseminated Faculty Search and Hiring Guidelines from the Provost which emphasize the recruitment, hiring and retention of faculty from diverse communities, lived experiences, and perspectives.

The guide supports our mission to provide a transformative education rooted in the liberal arts, responsive to the needs of a changing society, and aligns with CAP objective 2.C.: Cultivate a faculty and staff that reflect the diversity of our student body, the communities we serve, and the evolving demographics of New Jersey.

Following the joint charge from the Provost and FA President to revise the General Education (Gen Ed) program, the Provost provided funding for GECCo Committee retreat and follow up meeting. The discussions focused on the alignment of the RCNJ mission and pillars with the current and future Gen Ed program. Committee members also developed model programs for review and feedback. 

The GECCo Committee addressed the following CAP objectives:

• 1.A. Advance a defined, shared academic experience for Ramapo students that is intentionally sequenced to move learning from exploration to integration and broad mastery of knowledge.
• 1.C.: Update General Education program, including courses, category outcomes and course alignment within each category to align with the vision of the CAP.

The Liberal Arts Curriculum Task Force met over the summer to refine recommendations and develop a plan for collecting feedback from stakeholders on the preliminary recommendations. 

The College launched the first integrated, digital curriculum/catalog tool for the 2025-2026 Academic Year (CourseDog). This tool creates digital curricular workflows and allows for timely review of curricular changes addressing CAP Objectives 3.A.: Revise academic programs, structures and processes to be in service of students’ Ramapo Experience – supporting teaching and learning, faculty research, scholarship and creative activity, curricular innovation — and to maintain the sustainability of the college through efficiency, transparency, entrepreneurship, and nimbleness and  3.B.: Create organizational structures that are nimble and responsive to the shifts in our disciplines, to our knowledge of teaching and learning, to the challenges facing society and to our need to work effectively together. 

Two feedback sessions about the Task Force on Conveners and Convening Groups were held.

• Wednesday, March 5, 12:00 pm in Pavilion 1 & 2
• Wednesday, March 26, 12:00 pm in H-Wing Auditorium

Faculty also had the opportunity to submit anonymous feedback via Qualtrics form. 

These Task Forces focused on CAP Objective 3.B.: Create organizational structures that are nimble and responsive to the shifts in our disciplines, to our knowledge of teaching and learning, to the challenges facing society and to our need to work effectively together.

On February 5 at 2:00 pm in the Student Center, Provost Middleton presented a CAP update to faculty which included key takeaways from the Conveners and Convening Groups Task Force Report and the Structures Task Force Report. Slides from the presentation can be found here.

The Liberal Arts Curriculum Task Force was charged by Provost Middleton.

CAP Implementation Team provided an update to FA at the final meeting of the Fall 2024 semester. 

FA and Provost charged GECCo with a comprehensive review and revision of our General Education Program, with a target date of full implementation of the revised program in Fall 2027. This work is aligned with the the following CAP objectives:

• 1.B: Affirm our liberal arts mission by embedding experiences and knowledge that enact core values of interdisciplinary, intercultural, global, and experiential learning.
• 1.C.: Update General Education program, including courses, category outcomes and course alignment within each category to align with the vision of the CAP.

The Faculty Scholarship Symposium Series (formerly Provost’s Bite Size Research Presentations) is reestablished by Provost Middleton and FA President, Ken McMurdy. The Symposium Series is aligned with CAP Objective 4.A.: Support faculty professional development, including instruction, curriculum development, research, scholarship and creative activity, and service.

International Education is moved from the leadership of the Dean of Anisfield School of Business to the purview of Vice Provost, Joyce Shim. Searches for Director of Study Abroad and International Education Faculty Fellow were announced. The move will help recenter International education and will help advance the following CAP objectives:

• 1.B: Affirm our liberal arts mission by embedding experiences and knowledge that enact core values of interdisciplinary, intercultural, global, and experiential learning.
• 2.A.: Actively create curricular and co-curricular programs that develop and nurture inclusivity and an appreciation for the diversity of lived experiences, identities, and voices in our community.

The Provost and the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs announces the inaugural Research and Engagement Academy (REA). The Research Academy will advance the following CAP objectives: 

• 4.A.: Support faculty professional development, including instruction, curriculum development, research, scholarship and creative activity, and service.
• 4.B.: Ensure professional development is advancing the goals of Boldly Ascending and CAP.

Updated Provost’s office webpages and PDF tables were launched. The revamped pages improve communication and clarity about professional development funds available for faculty. Eligibility, timeline, procedures and previous awardees are clearly noted for each type of award. This work was done to support the following CAP objectives: 

• 4.A.: Support faculty professional development, including instruction, curriculum development, research, scholarship and creative activity, and service.
• 4.B.: Ensure professional development is advancing the goals of Boldly Ascending and CAP.

The Task Force on Roles of Conveners and Convening Groups and the Taskforce Examining Academic Structures are charged addressing several CAP objectives including:

•  1.A. Advance a defined, shared academic experience for Ramapo students that is intentionally sequenced to move learning from exploration to integration and broad mastery of knowledge.
• 1.B: Affirm our liberal arts mission by embedding experiences and knowledge that enact core values of interdisciplinary, intercultural, global, and experiential learning.
• 3.A.: Revise academic programs, structures and processes to be in service of students’ Ramapo Experience – supporting teaching and learning, faculty research, scholarship and creative activity, curricular innovation — and to maintain the sustainability of the college through efficiency, transparency, entrepreneurship, and nimbleness.
• 3.B.: Create organizational structures that are nimble and responsive to the shifts in our disciplines, to our knowledge of teaching and learning, to the challenges facing society and to our need to work effectively together.

The Faculty Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Committee was charged to address CAP goals including:

• 3.A.: Revise academic programs, structures and processes to be in service of students’ Ramapo Experience – supporting teaching and learning, faculty research, scholarship and creative activity, curricular innovation — and to maintain the sustainability of the college through efficiency, transparency, entrepreneurship, and nimbleness.
• 4.A.: Support faculty professional development, including instruction, curriculum development, research, scholarship and creative activity, and service.
• 4.B.: Ensure professional development is advancing the goals of Boldly Ascending and CAP.

The Provost provided the first Comprehensive Academic Plan update at Faculty Assembly and introduced members of the CAP Implementation team.