Use, Monitoring, & Revision

Implementation planning began with the development of a responsibility chart for the each of the priorities and goals in the strategic plan. The five priority areas contain a total of 32 goals; the number of goals in each area varies from three to nine. Responsibility for each goal was assigned to President Geoffroy or one of the three vice presidents: Provost Benjamin Allen, Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Hill, or Vice President of Business Warren Madden.

In addition, the president developed a process for the vice presidents to review reporting unit plans to ensure alignment with the university strategic plan. This process was designed to be undertaken and completed by the end of the fall semester.

The Vice President for Academic Affairs established a sub−committee of the Provost Academic Cabinet to draft a new Academic Plan to reflect the university strategic plan. The new Academic Plan was approved in the 2005 fall semester. The Provost Leadership Team reviewed the revised strategic plans for the colleges, Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Office of the Vice Provost for Extension, and information technology area and provided suggested changes to better align plans with the new strategic plan. The provost will be meeting with the unit heads during the spring semester to update the progress on suggested changes.

The academic plan document provides a series of pathways for achieving the goals stated the 2005−2010 University Strategic Plan. The document calls for Iowa State to stretch imaginations, and envisions a university that rewards creativity and that is forward thinking. The plan considers each of the five priorities outlined in the University Strategic Plan and provides specific actions to achieve these priorities. Below are examples of actions outlined in the academic plan.

Priority 1, Education:
Strengthen undergraduate, graduate, and professional education to enhance student success at Iowa State University and beyond.

Examples:
• Reward faculty for developing innovative curricula and/or teaching strategies. Measures of innovation include improvements in student learning, and adoption of instructional materials at peer universities.
• Increase the number of articulation agreements with community colleges.

Priority 2, Programs:
Increase the number of graduate, professional, and research programs that are among the very best—especially in areas that build on university strengths and address local and global critical needs.

Examples:
• Compete for the best new faculty, who will bring a rich diversity of training, ideas and experience from the top schools in their field.
• Support those already strong graduate programs in the social sciences and humanities and encourage the development of interdisciplinary programs in areas that would address institutional strengths in science and technology.

Priority 3, Economic Impact:
Translate discoveries into viable technologies, products, and services to strengthen the economies of Iowa and the world.

Example:
• Put in place reward structures to encourage transfer of technology and entrepreneurial activities.

Priority 4, Iowa Life:
Elevate the state’s appeal as a place to live, learn, work and play.

Example:
• ISU Extension will lead efforts to improve the state’s quality of life.

Priority 5, University Life:
Ensure that the university is a great place to learn and work. The vitality of university life depends on leadership from the academic units in the university, and the following goals should guide decision-making and community building.

Example:
• The Provost area will work with other units to implement the plan for Diversity, Equity and Community, 2006-2011. The plan includes measures of improvement.

The Vice President for Business and Finance adopted a Strategic Plan for 2005-2010 consistent with the University’s Strategic Plan. Business and Finance assumes responsibility for several of the major strategic goals of the university, particularly dealing with facilities, economic development and university life. Addressing deferred maintenance and needed new facilities is a priority of the university and the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. As is the case with most universities there is a substantial backlog of deferred maintenance. The university has prioritized its major projects which is the highest capital request of the Board of Regents, State of Iowa to the Governor and legislature. The Regents’ five year capital plan includes $15 million per year to address these needs as well as a number of new building projects. The university will address fire and life safety, building envelop and roof needs as well as modernizing a number of obsolete facilities. During the past two years funding was provided to begin to address the needs of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Computer and Electrical Engineering, and modernizing and replacing a number of classrooms. A renovation and expansion of the Memorial Union is underway as well as continued improvements in student housing. In cooperation with private fundraising a new Student Success Center and Alumni Center are under development. Consistent with the university’s strategic objectives modernization and expansion of Chemistry, Statistics and Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering are in the planning stages. As part of the university’s capital campaign a combination of private and public support is planned to address these needs. As part of our planning process energy conservation and developing environmentally sensitive facilities are renewed initiatives. This includes a number of recycling efforts.

Business and Finance is also undertaking initiatives to improve the quality of university life. A study is underway to improve our training and development programs, potentially in cooperation with the other Regents’ universities. In addition to internally offered programs, technology now makes available a variety of programs through interactive and web programs. Major units such as Facilities Planning and Management are expanding their development programs and have established a goal of applying for a Baldridge award in 2008. This year they will be recognized by the Governor of Iowa for a silver award for the Iowa program, the only public entity to be recognized. We are also focusing on improving the cultural arts. In addition to being responsible for the Iowa State Center with its cultural, athletic and meeting facilities, University Museums is focusing on the opening of the renovated Morrill Hall with a Christian Peterson exhibit. Reiman Gardens located along Elwood Drive is now a unit reporting to Business and Finance that will be better integrated into our planning process.

The economic resources of the State are improving. The Regents have adopted a strategic initiative to improve programs through increased state resources, tuition increases that will approximate HEPI, reallocations and increased sponsored funding and private fundraising. Business and Finance should make progress on implementing its strategic plan over the next five years.

The Vice President for Student Affairs submitted a comprehensive Strategic Plan for the division, based on the university’s new Strategic Plan. The Vice President reviewed the individual plans for each unit within the division and identified priorities for the upcoming year. Many initiatives \currently underway are being continued since they support the new university Strategic Plan. New initiatives have been included to address additional areas of the plan. The Vice President met with the cabinet in a retreat in January, during which time the directors reviewed the division’s plan and provided progress reports in their areas.

The two priorities of the Strategic Plan that are most impacted by efforts in the Division of Student Affairs are the “Education” and “University Life” priorities. A few of the initiatives leading to the realization of these priorities are provided here. The University Studies 160X Gender Justice course, coordinated through the Dean of Students Office, increases students’ awareness about gender issues, resulting in reduced conflict and miscommunication and strengthening students’ critical thinking, creative abilities, and communication skills. To enhance students’ understanding of global, cultural, ethical and diversity issues, the Office of Judicial Affairs is in the process of implementing a program through which students participating in the hearing process will self-identify learning objectives in order to better understand their situation and the results of the hearing process. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) has been given the charge to provide support and guidance for “open option” students, which includes the provision of career services. Since LAS provides career placement support for students, but not help with career exploration, the college and the Student Counseling Service (SCS) formed a partnership where the SCS will provide career exploration services to all open option students who request such help. This new service assists in creating an environment that welcomes open option students to explore a variety of disciplines and career paths. It is hoped that this will have a positive impact on the recruitment, academic success and retention of these students.

The “University Life” priority encompasses many services and initiatives in the Division of Student Affairs. A small-scale Transfer Center has been created by Enrollment Services and is housed in the Memorial Union, with plans in the future to create a larger-scale center. This will aid in the goal of recruiting and retaining students who are dedicated to individual and organizational excellence and achievement. Over 650 student organizations are recognized through the Student Activities Center, and a centralized leadership development model, “The Leadership Journey,” currently is being created. This will serve as a foundation for campus leadership programs.

Monitoring of the Strategic Plan is accomplished through a set of 20 performance indicators through data collected largely by Institutional Research. These indicators are mapped to the 32 goals associated with the five priorities to ensure that progress in each priority can be measured. While many additional measures are monitored to assess and improve the university, this set of twenty includes the key university-wide indicators of performance. The accompanying document includes ten years of data for each indicator (when available) and, where appropriate, targets to be achieved over the next five years. The performance indicator for the goals for the priority−“University Life” is being developed by a Task Force. This indicator will be based upon annual or biennial surveys of faculty and staff about their satisfaction as employees of Iowa State University. A subset of these institutional performance indicators are used in a set of performance indicators common to all three universities under the control of the Board of Regents. These common indicators are still to be finalized in consultation with the staff of the Board of Regents.

Upon review of yearly progress, revisions will be made as needed as indicated by internal or external factors.