A perceived lack of recognition of the role of liberal arts in the first draft of the 2005-10 University Strategic Plan became the focus of attention at an open forum Friday.

“We are not a well-rounded university right now,” said Robert Baum, associate professor of religious studies. “This strategic plan will make it worse.”

He said the plan seemed to be designed to transform the university into one of science, technology and business and leave out the “vital role” of liberal arts.

“It seems this is saying that for land-grant colleges, we should just be practical; we should just be involved in business and patents and things like that,” Baum said.

Zora Zimmerman, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, added that the university should be geared toward agriculture and science “without excluding classical studies.”

Patrick Barr, assistant professor of history, recalled the importance that was placed on being the best land-grant university when he was hired in 2001.

Barr said he believes a land-grant university should not be concerned with “creating a better farm, but a better farmer; not a better machine, but a better machinist.”

Strategic Planning Committee member Kristen Constant, associate professor of materials science and engineering, tried to clarify the intentions of the planning committee.

“We do recognize the comprehensive nature of our university,” Constant said.

She said the omission of certain words shouldn’t imply an omission of ideas, but Baum was not satisfied with this explanation. “It sounds as though you’re going to put more emphasis on science and technology,” Baum said. “And [with] the rest, we’re just going to maintain the status quo.”

Pam White, interim dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, raised concern about the wording of the mission statement of the strategic plan, saying it excluded ISU Extension programs.

“There is a sad lack of the word extension,” White said. “It would be a mistake not to include it.”

Penny Rice, women’s center coordinator, said making ISU an attractive place for women to work should also be a priority.

“We have a hard time retaining women faculty,” Rice said.

Goals set by the committee to help undergraduates succeed at Iowa State and in their post-collegiate lives were also criticized by some for being ambiguous.

“What is experiential learning?” said Suzanne Hendrich, associate dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. “That could be almost anything.”

Feedback from the forum will be used by committee members to create a second draft of the plan, which will receive an all-university review starting Oct. 11.