Self Study - Maharishi University of Management

S E L F - S T U D Y R E P O R T 2 0 0 9 201
CFI rating in the 4-5 range would typically permit MUM to “Focus resources to compete in
the future.”
• Total debt is only 32% of total assets, leaving substantial net assets to uphold the activities of
the University.
• During the past ten years, we have demolished 42 old buildings inherited from the bankrupt
Parsons College in 1974. In their place, we have constructed 11 buildings including the
magnificent 48,000-square-foot Argiro Student Center in 2008, with another building, the
Sustainable Living Center, under construction.
• Annual Fund giving has increased over the past five years, and a quiet capital campaign to
attract donations for new buildings has brought in $6.7 million over the past ten years, with an
additional $520,000 in donations for demolition of old buildings. In the past year, we invested
$2 million in the renovation of four residence halls containing 212 rooms.
• The Technology Planning Committee has kept the campus IT infrastructure up to date and
budgeted $90,000 for IT initiatives suggested by the faculty.
• The Library’s physical and electronic collections are adequate to the purposes of the degree
programs. The University was a net lender to the Iowa interlibrary system in which it
participates during two of the past three years.
• The Human Resouces department has begun offering training programs for all staff and
faculty who desire them. For example, a training course in using Microsoft Excel was offered
in the spring of 2009 and was attended by about 70 people. The course will be offered on a
regular basis, along with courses for those with more advanced skill levels. A schedule of
training courses has been planned for this coming year that includes courses in personnel
evaluation, safety and worker’s compensation, Microsoft Excel (Basic and Advanced),
Microsoft Word (basic and advanced), Microsoft Powerpoint, customer service, basic
computer skills, and telephone and email etiquette. Other courses being considered: front desk
management, interviewing and hiring, supervisory skills, time management, teamwork, goal
setting, productivity/quality, meeting skills, continuous performance appraisal, and
communication skills.
Core Component 2c – The organization’s ongoing evaluation and assessment processes
provide reliable evidence of institutional effectiveness that clearly informs strategies for
continuous improvement.
• In its planning, the Executive Committee uses a broad range of financial data along with
enrollment and admissions data and other information as a basis for administrative decisions.
(Please see the “Summary of key indicators of institutional effectiveness” on page 152.)