Iowa State University released the draft of its strategic plan for 2017 to 2022 on Wednesday, highlighting some of the goals the university has for the next five years.

 

“This plan will position the University for excellence in academics, research, service, economic development, and the overall Iowa State experience,” President Steven Leath wrote in a release.

 

Work on the plan began in October 2014, when Leath appointed a six-member steering committee to begin drafting the document.

 

In addition to the steering committee, six subcommittees have worked on components of the draft, and the committees have asked for and encouraged input from the ISU community throughout the drafting process.

 

“We don’t want the plan to become stagnant,” said Steve Freeman, head of the steering committee. “If we need to make changes, we can make changes.” 

 

The committee is seeking further community input, hosting the first of two open forums last Thursday, with the next one scheduled for noon Tuesday in the  Oak Room of the Memorial Union.

 

“This document is very goal dense,” Rob Wallace, Faculty Senate president said during an open forum. “[The draft] is laid out very logically and with clearly defined metrics.”

 

The draft of the plan includes a preamble followed by four main goals, with sub-goals and related metrics and actions beneath each goal.

 

The four main goals are to ensure access to the ISU experience, enhance the university’s research profile, improve the quality of life for all Iowans and continue to enhance and cultivate the ISU experience.

 

The committee plans to have the final draft completed by June and have it subsequently approved by the Board of Regents at its June board meeting. That way the university can start implementing the strategic plan right away, Freeman said.

 

Once that is complete, an implementation plan will be drafted to spell out how goals in the plan might be accomplished.

 

“We’re not going to dictate how things move forward,” Freeman said. “It is our responsibility to figure out how we are going to assign accountability and responsibility for everything that ends up in the plan.”

 

The draft of the new plan can be viewed on the Strategic Plan website, and an online form to suggest ideas for the plan is available until May 10.