Iowa State University

Strategic Plan Goals and Characteristics

Iowa State's three strategic plan goals devolve from the plan concept illustrated by Iowa's Engaged Land-Grant University, and set the parameters of our quest to transform Iowa State into the nation's premier land-grant university:

Enhance learning through exceptional learner-centered teaching, services, and enrichment opportunities

Promote discovery and innovation characterized by preeminent scholarship, including increasingly interdisciplinary and collaborative activities

Engage with key constituents through synergistic sharing and partnership of knowledge and expertise to address needs of communities and society

These overriding goals intersect with each other to fully reflect the characteristics of our Engaged land-grant university. Thus, it is important to illustrate both the individual characteristics of each goal, and their intersecting and integrative relationships.

Common to all three goals, we will particularly attend to:

Promoting scholarship - with its emphasis on originality, critical analysis, and peer review - emanating from our quest for excellence
Preserving and enhancing human and intellectual diversity consistent with our core values and culture
Establishing international leadership in information science; integrating and effectively using information technology and computation services; and enhancing learning and quality of student life through coordinated administrative and academic information services
Communicating and collaborating with our constituent stakeholders
Encouraging and supporting interdisciplinary collaboration
Enhancing and sustaining an intellectually stimulating and a supportive University community that encourages best ideas and best practices, and nurtures extracurricular activities
Encouraging globalization initiatives for a better understanding of the multicultural and international world in which our future graduates will live and work
Promoting life-long learning

At the intersection of Goal 1 and Goal 2, we will particularly attend to:

Preparing the scholars for tomorrow by facilitating student learning experience through discovery and innovation at both undergraduate and graduate levels
Improving student learning through curriculum development and instructional innovation to keep pace with the changing world marketplace

At the intersection of Goal 1 and Goal 3, we will particularly attend to:

Enhancing service learning experiences for undergraduate as well as graduate students through hands-on community service opportunities, and internship opportunities that complement career objectives
Expanding distance education opportunities to serve the needs of place-bound citizens

At the intersection of Goal 2 and Goal 3, we will particularly attend to:

Strengthening initiatives to stimulate economic development, with a special emphasis on environmental stewardship and enhancing human resources
Increasing Iowa's quality of life and thus place-competitiveness as the place of choice to live and work

These University-wide goals and characteristics provide the overall framework for the strategic plans for each of the units within the University-Provost (including each academic college), Business and Finance, Student Affairs, and External Affairs-working in concert to realize Iowa State's aspiration. Thus, reflecting their respective missions and goals, the various units will develop their own strategic plans consistent with the overall framework of the University plan.

Within this overall concept, Iowa State University describes its strategic plan goals along with characteristics that follow.

Goal 1: Enhance learning through exceptional learner-centered teaching, services, and enrichment opportunities

Iowa State believes that learning is at the heart of our University. It occurs in many contexts, and by all members of the University community. As a land-grant institution, Iowa State University is among world leaders in providing post-secondary access. However, access to success through Iowa State University will mark our commitment to enhancing learning, and it will be accomplished by providing exceptional learner-centered teaching, services, and enrichment opportunities; and by paying attention to lifelong learning needs of a learning society.

The predominant characteristics of this goal will be:

A broad range of intellectually challenging curricula that prepares graduates for successful and rewarding lives in a rapidly changing world - with emphasis on developing skills in critical thinking, information management, team-based learning, problem-solving, and the skills needed for life-long learning
Enhanced liberal education - to ensure that all undergraduate students develop literacy in science and technology; environmental awareness; communication skills; information research and analytical skills; humane and ethical values; knowledge of the intellectual, historic, and artistic foundations of our culture; understanding of individual and social behavior; and multicultural and international awareness and appreciation
A community of motivated students and faculty committed to their respective responsibilities toward learning
Critical understanding by all students of the ethical, social, historical, environmental, and economic implications of science and technology
Demonstrated strength in all graduate programs, with distinctive targeted professional masters programs, and selected doctoral programs of national and international reputation (mostly in or related to science and technology)
Innovations in effective teaching and learning programs supported by faculty and staff development opportunities; widespread emphasis on student-centered learning environments; increased interdisciplinary and collaborative teaching and learning; and student and faculty involvement in collaborative scholarship, peer review, and open discourse
Effective use of assessment data to improve teaching and learning based upon clearly formulated intended learning outcomes
Increased student, faculty, and staff diversity, with due regard to breadth of academic and supportive programs
National competitiveness in attracting high achieving students
Ubiquitous use of information technology, and its integration into curricula; and prominent programs of international leadership in information science and technology
Library resources, including electronically accessible resources, and services necessary to support the depth and breadth of Iowa State's educational programs
Collaborative connections between academic affairs and student affairs that collectively enhance the learning experience
A multitude of experiential learning opportunities-especially through real-life settings, cooperative study, internship, and study-abroad program opportunities
Increased level of support and funding for improving learning opportunities and initiatives that involve innovative, exploratory, and developmental approaches
Easily accessible student support services that effectively attend to the needs of a diverse student body including services and programs for nontraditional students, and special populations
Campus safety as an asset, and supportive campus infrastructure and services, classrooms, and laboratory facilities, that enhance learning experiences
Continuous improvement in student retention and graduation rates, and in career placement competitiveness

Goal 2: Promote discovery and innovation characterized by preeminent scholarship, including increasingly interdisciplinary and collaborative activities

As a Carnegie I university with the tradition of Science with Practice, Iowa State believes that discovery and innovation characterized by preeminent scholarship-encompassing research, creative activities, teaching/learning, and extension/professional practice-will mark our commitment to discovery, thereby enhancing our national and international distinction. Institutional agility and interdisciplinary collaboration will allow Iowa State to undertake bold visionary initiatives with special attention to ethics and social, economic, and environmental responsibility.

The predominant characteristics of this goal will be:

Preeminent scholarship-encompassing research, creative activities, teaching, and extension/professional practice-that will sustain and enhance Iowa State's national and international distinction; and information/library resources and services that sustain and enhance preeminent scholarship
Excellence in basic and applied research by building on Iowa State's strengths and where Iowa State University has a significant competitive advantage; national and international recognition in scholarship, creation of new knowledge, and opening of new frontiers
National recognition through focused emphasis on research programs related to agriculture, veterinary medicine, natural and social sciences, engineering, technology, environmental stewardship, and economic development
Nationally recognized innovations to enhance effective teaching and learning, including distributed learning technologies
Bold visionary initiatives in basic and applied research that feature the unique strengths of Iowa State and mark its contribution in addressing the needs of the state and contemporary world society
International recognition of leadership in information science, and technology innovation; and pervasive use of this technology in various dimensions of scholarship
Increasing numbers of faculty and staff with national and international recognition-such as members of national academies, fellows of professional societies and institutions, and recipients of awards of excellence
Interdisciplinary collaboration in both basic and applied research involving diverse faculty, staff, and students across the University, and with other institutions in the nation and abroad
Effective programs for success of students in their involvement in discovery and innovation, and preparation of tomorrow's scholars
Increased level and partnership among sources of funding for research - to provide funding stability and flexibility for undertaking new initiatives
Continued recognition as a Carnegie I university-a national measure of research performance

Goal 3: Engage with key constituents through synergistic sharing and partnership of knowledge and expertise to address needs of communities and society

As Iowa's Engaged land-grant university, Iowa State will synergistically devote its knowledge and expertise toward increased responsive and productive involvement in improving Iowa's communities and the larger society, at home and abroad. This will be marked by our commitment to sharing-to enrich and to learn, two-way partnerships with internal and external constituencies to achieve shared goals, and demonstrate the public purposes of Iowa State University.

The predominant characteristics of this goal will be:

National leadership in demonstrating sharing and partnership characteristics by engaging the citizens of Iowa as joint stakeholders in Iowa's future
Demonstrated understanding of the needs of Iowa communities, addressing those needs, and taking a leadership role in Iowa's economic development
Demonstration of successful two-way partnerships and collaboration in responding to the needs of contemporary society in the state, the nation, and in other nations seeking such partnerships
Expanded outreach and extension by increased integration with discovery and innovation initiatives; and with student learning experiences, such as through service learning programs
Nationally competitive record of technology transfer consistent with Iowa State's orientation toward science and technology
Positive impact in the state's stewardship of the environment, and in the improvement of quality of life to attract graduates to remain in or return to Iowa to live and work
Systematic expansion of degree program offerings through distance education to meet the needs of place-bound citizens, including specialized programs meeting the needs of a growing workforce
A balanced mix of knowledge-based and skill-based continuing education (non-credit) opportunities to serve the ongoing needs of workforce development
A rich variety of life-long learning opportunities for alumni and other citizens of a learning society
Significant support of alumni and other partners in strategic initiatives
Widespread use of information technology and resources, and application of advanced technology capabilities in expanded extension and outreach programs, in distance education, and in programs involving collaboration and partnership