Interim President Richard Seagrave said Iowa State is making progress in the goals laid out by its strategic plan.

The plans for Iowa State, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa were discussed by presidents of the three regent universities and members of the Iowa Board of Regents during its meeting Wednesday in Iowa City.

During the meeting, Seagrave presented the progress of the university toward the six goals in the strategic plan for 1995 through 2000.

“We are not yet the best land-grant university in the nation, but we are working consistently to become the best,” he said.

Seagrave said one of the most important goals from the plan was strengthening undergraduate teaching, programs and services.

“Retention, graduation and placement rates show our performance in servicing undergraduate students,” he said, adding that undergraduate retention, enrollment and graduation rates, particularly in the four-year program, are all increasing at Iowa State.

Seagrave said the Multicultural Visions Program, learning communities and the new buildings on campus such as Howe Hall and the Palmer Building are also examples of success in the strategic plan’s goals after the completion of the first strategic plan and the Campaign Destiny fund-raising effort last June.

“It was our most successful private fund-raising campaign ever,” he said.

Seagrave said private-donation money from the funding effort is being used in the construction of new buildings, as well as scholarships for students.

Another goal of the previous strategic plan was to strengthen graduation and professional research programs at the university. Seagrave said the accomplishment of this is evident through projects such as the Plant Sciences Institute.

Seagrave also said the university has done well with its goal of strengthening extension and outreach in the state.

“[Iowa State has] an increased emphasis placed on extension to the people in Iowa,” he said.

While programs such as distance learning have improved, Seagrave said Iowa State is still working toward its goal of improving diversity on campus since the number of minority students on campus has not yet met the regents’ goal of 8.5 percent.

“We’ve had some good success in increasing our minority faculty and staff,” Seagrave said. “I think the increase [of minority students] can get to 8.5 percent, given some time.”

Seagrave said the new strategic plan for 2000 through 2005 also includes the goals of learning, discovery and engagement that were a focus of the previous strategic plan.

Regent David Fisher said the strategic plans are an important part of the universities’ future planning.

“It provides a tool to measure the success or lack of success,” he said. “We need to raise the bar and improve on these key areas.”

Regent David Neil also said the universities are making good progress on their strategic plans, especially considering the state-budget reallocations they have undergone during the past year.

“I think they are making great progress under a somewhat difficult situation,” he said.