Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

April 2, 2004

Forum participants offer ideas on university's future

by Linda Charles
The 65 people who attended the March 26 open forum on the university's next strategic plan had a variety of suggestions, ranging from restructuring the way the university is organized to dropping its land-grant mission.

The Strategic Planning Committee is soliciting opinions from a wide range of campus and community constituencies through meetings with individual groups, focus groups and open forums.

The first open forum dealt with what the university should look like in five to 10 years, as well as what challenges and opportunities it will face. A second open forum will be scheduled in April.

Distinguished professor emeritus of economics Neil Harl said land-grant universities have had a "tough time the last few years." He warned that unless the university pays attention to its land-grant tradition, it will start to resemble a private university.

But Lowell Greimann, chair of the department of civil and construction engineering, said, "I'm not sure the people of Iowa want us to be land-grant anymore."

James Cable, associate professor of civil and construction engineering, suggested limiting enrollment to junior and senior students, and letting community colleges educate freshmen and sophomores. He also suggested pulling extension back to a central location, reducing the administrative staff and privatizing athletics.

Ardith Maney, professor of political science, said an opportunity for the university could be a "virtual Iowa," which would enable the university to reach out not only to those who live in the state, but Iowans who have moved to other states and even those who come temporarily to campus through international programs.

She, and several others, said the university needs to be "more flexible" and not be hindered by college boundaries. Marc Harding, director of admissions, echoed that idea, saying he hoped the university would become an environment where students would be free to explore different areas.

Zora Zimmerman, associate dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, suggested redefining departments around specific themes, such as globalization.

She also suggested the planning committee create "concrete proposals" for the challenges the university will face in the next five to 10 years.

Johnny Pickett, controller, said perhaps rather than a five-year strategic plan, the university needs to devise a list of 10 challenges and a plan to address those challenges. At the end of each year, the list could be reviewed and updated to change with the times.

Watch your weekly e-mail Update for the time and place of the next open forum.