Chris McCord
The Division of Administration and Finance is tapping former Acting Executive Vice President and Provost Chris McCord to assist in preparation for comprehensive review of facilities on NIU’s main campus. The effort will inform NIU’s administration on how to move forward with developing a Campus Facilities Master Plan in support of the university’s mission, vision, values and strategic planning goals.
It’s part of a professional development leave for McCord, who will spend this year conducting research and meeting with key stakeholders to understand best practices in campus master planning and how those practices can be adapted to NIU’s goals and circumstances.
“This effort isn’t just about successful master planning, valuable as that is. It is part of President Freeman’s goal for NIU to establish a culture of mission-driven, data-informed decision-making.”
McCord’s work will begin immediately. As part of his efforts, he will consult with national organizations such as the Society for College and University Planning
McCord will also engage academic and administrative staff at other universities to determine how key investments in their campuses have contributed to successful campus planning. McCord will document the interactions and provide thoughts on what approaches may support NIU’s goal of enhancing its use of data as the foundation for strategic planning and decision-making.
Sarah McGill, Vice President of the Division of Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer, says McCord’s experience in other capacities at NIU makes him uniquely qualified to lead this effort.
“Chris brings a much-needed academic perspective to this project. He has a breadth of knowledge about faculty work, the campus community, and budgeting – a lens that will prove invaluable in making critical decisions on how to build out for the future,” McGill said. “I am confident he will deliver guiding principles that support NIU’s strategic planning efforts and provide insight that will move the university into the next levels of success.”
McCord is expected to complete this phase of the project and present the final outline to NIU leadership and shared governance groups by the summer of 2020. He will continue with the Division of Administration & Finance through fiscal year 2021, supporting the master planning activities.
