June 24, 2010
Final annual report on strategic plan progress shows improvement
by Anne Krapfl
Earlier this month, executive vice president and provost Elizabeth Hoffman presented the university's last annual report on its 2005-10 strategic plan to the state Board of Regents. By the 2009-10 academic year, Iowa State met or exceeded its goals in numerous areas, including total student enrollment, enrollment of U.S. students of color, employment of faculty of color, sponsored funding income, income from royalties and licensing fees, Iowans served by ISU Extension, number of doctoral degrees awarded, and both articles published and citations of articles published by ISU faculty.
Iowa State fell short of its goals in other areas, including percentage of women among tenured and tenure-track faculty, and one-year retention and six-year graduation rates for students. In some cases, shrinking budgets clearly were one variable in Iowa State's inability to achieve a goal -- for example, the number of tenured and tenure-track faculty, percentages of class sections with 20 or fewer and 50 or fewer students in them, student-to-faculty ratio and the competitiveness of ISU faculty salaries among peer schools.
In September, the regent institutions will present their new five-year strategic plans to the board for approval.
Common indicators
As part of the annual reporting process, the board asked the three regent universities to track nine common academic indicators in their respective plans. Each university set its own goal for each indicator. The common indicators and Iowa State's achievement level for the 2005-10 strategic plan were:
One-year retention rate of direct-from-high school, entering freshmen
| ISU goal | Fall 2008 | Fall 2007 | Fall 2006 | Fall 2005 |
| 90% | 84.0% | 83.5% | 84.9% | 83.4% |
Six-year graduation rate of direct-from-high school, entering freshmen
| ISU goal | Fall 2003 | Fall 2002 | Fall 2001 | Fall 2000 |
| 72% | 69.3% | 67.7% | 65.6% | 65.8% |
Racial/ethnic minority U.S. student enrollment as a percentage of total enrollment
| ISU goal | Fall 2009 | Fall 2008 | Fall 2007 | Fall 2006 |
| 10% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 9.3% | 9.2% |
Meeting student financial need (percent of all students' need, as defined in federal application form, funded by ISU scholarships and grants)
| ISU goal | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
| 100% | 84.0% | 84.0% | 86.0% | 83.8% |
Racial/ethnic minority tenured and tenure-track faculty as a percentage of total tenured and tenure-track faculty
| ISU goal | Fall 2009 | Fall 2008 | Fall 2007 | Fall 2006 |
| 18% | 18.4% | 18.6% | 17.5% | 17.5% |
Women tenured and tenure-track faculty as a percentage of total tenured and tenure-track faculty
| ISU goal | Fall 2009 | Fall 2008 | Fall 2007 | Fall 2006 |
| 33% | 28.7% | 27.7% | 27.9% | 27.9% |
Faculty salaries as compared to peer institutions (percentage of peer mean)
| ISU goal | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
| 102% | 97% | 95% | 94% | 95% |
Total sponsored funding (by fiscal year, in millions)
| ISU goal | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
| $300 | $305.2 | $274.1 | $272.0 | $279.7 |
Income from royalties/licensing fees (rolling 3-year average, in millions)
| ISU goal | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
| $10 | $12.3 | $11.9 | $10.3 | $5.2 |
All 24 of Iowa State's annual performance indicators, including a six- to 12-year history of achievement in each, are illustrated in Hoffman's presentation to the board (PDF) and in the regents' June agenda item No. 18 (PDF).
