Iowa State’s role as a land-grant university was just one challenge to the school brought up at a Strategic Planning forum Friday.

The forum, which attracted about 50 people, was the first of several that will be held this year to gather input from students, faculty and staff on the 2005-10 Strategic Plan, which outlines the university’s mission and serves as a reference for all university decisions. Visions, opportunities, challenges and key issues for the university were outlined at the forum.

Neil Harl, a retired distinguished professor of economics and agriculture who is working part-time as liaison in economics and agriculture, said land-grant universities have been suffering in recent years.

“Land-grant universities are coming to resemble private universities in many ways,” Harl said.

Harl said there tends to be a focus on the research leg of land-grant universities, but stressed the importance of other tenants, particularly extension.

Lowell Greimann, professor and chairman of civil, construction and environmental engineering, said it was possible Iowa State is outgrowing its role as a land-grant university.

“I’m not convinced the people of Iowa want us to be a land-grant university,” he said.

James Cable, associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, said changes in the fields of engineering and agriculture were reasons to consider a more specialized approach to education.

“We need a new model,” he said. “It’s time to look at a professional school.”

Cable suggested Iowa State educate only upper-level students, move freshman and sophomore classes to the community college level, reduce administrative staff and move to privatize athletics.

The changing needs of students were also addressed as part of a vision for Iowa State.

Todd Herriott, program coordinator for the Dean of Students Office, said he was surprised the forum was not focusing more on the role of students.

“I’m hearing more and more a focus away from student-oriented learning,” he said. “[We need to] work with students to increase research in a way that involves them.”

Suzanne Hendrich, associate dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, said rather than focusing exclusively on development as a land-grant university, the Strategic Plan should place a focus on educating students to be better citizens.

Marc Harding, director of admissions, said the way Iowa State serves student needs should change to match the desires of students.

“Today, students want to be an engineer, but they also want to be in art,” he said.

Challenges to the university, including declining enrollment and a lack of state funding, were also discussed.

Harding said the university is facing dropping enrollment as the number of high school graduates in Iowa declines and tuition continues to rise. “We need to take a look at what the size of this university should be,” he said.

Some forum participants expressed concern with developing a Strategic Plan when state funding was so unsure.

“I want to comment on the three major challenges facing Iowa State: money, money and money,” Harl said. He suggested appealing directly to “thinking, caring” Iowans for higher education funding.

Dennis Peterson, director of international educational services, recalled the university’s first Strategic Plan. “I remember all of the great things that were laid out there,” he said. “But the assumption [was that state funding] would be flat or increase.”

Students, faculty and staff will be invited to participate in another Strategic Planning forum in April.