Improving Undergraduate Education Is Top Priority In Proposed 
Five-Year Strategic Plan


by Diana Pounds

Iowa State's highest priority over the next five years is to 
improve the quality of education for undergraduate students.

That priority gets top billing in the university's proposed 
strategic plan that President Martin Jischke will submit to 
the State Board of Regents for approval April 19.

The plan calls for Iowa State to back its goal of 
strengthening undergraduate programs with an investment of 
$10 million--half from reallocated funds and the rest from 
state, federal and private sources. 

Other goals of the proposed plan are to strengthen graduate 
education, research, and outreach programs; promote an 
intellectually stimulating environment and supportive 
university community; and strengthen efforts to stimulate 
economic development.

The proposed plan derives from the one drafted by the 
University Strategic Planning Committee and distributed for 
review last November.  The revised plan reiterates Iowa 
State's aspiration to be the nation's premier land-grant 
university, and major goals remain intact, with some 
modifications.

For example, the goal of strengthening undergraduate programs 
was modified to give more emphasis to teaching. The goal to 
strengthen graduate, professional and research programs now 
includes references to social science, increased 
interdisciplinary collaboration in research and graduate 
programs and enhanced programs to prepare teaching 
assistants, community college teachers and university 
educators.

The proposed plan also includes a new section, "Measuring 
Progress," which identifies key indicators of progress. For 
example, one measure of ISU's success in improving 
undergraduate education will be student retention, graduation 
and placement rates.

The new strategic plan, which goes in effect July 1 and will 
guide Iowa State through the year 2000, has been 18 months in 
the making.

"We wanted to allow plenty of time to draw ideas from many 
people, both on campus and off," Jischke said. "The response 
has been quite substantial. Hundreds of faculty, staff, 
students and others who care about this university have 
contributed to this plan. They have served on committees, 
analyzed issues, attended forums and taken the time to send 
in their ideas. They have helped produce an excellent plan."

Jischke said the strategic plan will provide the backdrop for 
budget allocations, evaluation of programs and all major 
university decisions in the next five years.

Strategic plans for colleges and other units should be 
completed in the fall.

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contact:  Diana Pounds, (515) 294-4845
updated:  4-6-95