Provost George Davis is asking faculty to weigh in on a focus group that could change the structure of UA programs.

The Earth Science and Environmental Programs focus group has invited the faculty of all related fields to a meeting next week to discuss how programs related to earth science and the environment are organized.

The ESEP group is one of four groups formed last year as a part of Focused Excellence.

The other focus groups are Cognitive Science and Neuroscience; Life Sciences; and Cultural, Ethnic, Gender and Area Studies.

"The task is to get some of the people who are most involved in these areas to take a look at some problems out there on the horizon," said Nancy Huber, associate professor in the college of agriculture and life sciences.

Huber has been asked by the administration to sit in on all of the groups' meetings and report back to Davis and President Peter Likins on what each group is proposing for its future.

The group will have meetings on Oct. 22, Oct. 23 and Nov. 4.

"We're going to throw out some initial ideas about our strengths," said Brenda Ekwurzel, assistant professor of hydrology and water resources who is serving on the ESEP focus group. "We want to make sure all of our ideas work for the university. We're hoping people can come and give feedback on our ideas."

The focus groups are looking at the number of classes available for each program and they are exploring potential partnerships with other programs on campus.

"One of the most important things would be the opportunity to have coordination and consolidation of efforts among ESEP," said Jeff Silvertooth, professor and head of the soil, water and environmental sciences department.

The groups' specific ideas are not public until they have their meetings, Ekwurzel said.

The focus groups will be spending a lot of time considering how to make the programs better in the future.

"For us to move forward, we're going to have to be able to work on a national level," Silvertooth said. "Every department involved is engaged. We're trying to get the faculty engaged."

In the past, consolidation was a term that caused some to worry that programs would be cut.

"People are concerned about program cuts, but I don't think that's going to happen," Silvertooth said.

He thinks the programs that were pulled into these focus groups are already viewed as excellent. The university just wants to make the programs better, he said.

The focus groups are supposed to turn in their proposals, which specify how their recommendations contribute to Focused Excellence, by Dec. 1.