Strategic Plan Development  

Development Process 

The University of Iowa’s strategic planning process originally began in spring 2020 and was placed on hiatus due to the global COVID-19 pandemic that critically affected university operations. The development process was relaunched in January 2021, substantially redesigned to ensure it fully addressed pandemic impacts. A Strategy Team was appointed to lead the effort. The Strategy Team in turn appointed four Strategic Planning Development Teams and a Data and Assessment Team.

Strategy Team 

The Strategy Team, co-led by the executive vice president and provost and vice president for research, was charged by the university president to develop a new five-year strategic plan to be implemented on July 1, 2022. Strategy Team members were selected based on their areas of expertise and/or oversight of key units. Faculty, staff, and collegiate dean representatives were nominated by the Faculty Senate, Staff Council, and Council of Deans, respectively. Ex officio members of the team included the presidents of student, faculty,  and staff shared governance bodies, as well as liaisons from the Data and Assessment Team and the writing and administrative support group. 

Development Teams 

Development Teams were created in four core areas, with each team co-chaired by campus experts in the topic area and comprised of broad representation of students, faculty, and staff from across campus and from a variety of disciplines, as well as a representative from the UI Center for Advancement. Membership was decided with input from shared governance leaders. The Strategy Team co-chairs charged the Development  Teams to identify themes and priorities from collegiate and central administrative unit strategic plans, hold campuswide listening sessions and key informant meetings, and identify areas of university distinction, and to use that input to generate preliminary plans for their core areas. The Development Teams met during spring, summer, and fall 2021, and  submitted their preliminary plans in December 2021.

Data and Assessment Team 

A Data and Assessment Team was created to support the Strategy Team and Development Teams throughout the development process. Team members served as liaisons on each team, providing input about existing and potential data sources and helping to define metrics and assessment strategies.

Writing and Administrative Support 

A writing liaison was embedded to support each team. Administrative support also was identified to facilitate the teams’ efforts. This was especially important in the coordination of internal and external engagement sessions, and in the work to discern themes from the collegiate and central administrative unit strategic plans and from the input gathered during feedback sessions.

Internal and External Engagement 

TThe Strategy and Development Teams engaged in campuswide iterative feedback processes, as well as meetings with external stakeholders, to collect input and promote transparency during plan development.

In January and February 2022, the strategic plan was drafted based on the plans submitted by the four development teams, the collegiate and central administrative unit strategic plans, and input from the internal and external feedback sessions. The plan was refined throughout spring 2022 based on input from focus groups and individual consultations with campus experts in the strategic priority areas, as well as feedback from alumni, and other key external stakeholders. In addition to the Strategy Team, drafts were shared with the Council of Deans and President’s Cabinet.  

The UI Strategic Plan for 2022–2027 was submitted to the Board of Regents for approval in May 2022.

Strategic Plan Implementation and Evaluation  

Implementation 

The Strategic Plan Action and Resource Committee (SPARC) was formed in summer 2022 to carry out implementation of the strategic plan. 

SPARC's key responsibilities include: 

• Developing, prioritizing, and carrying out key tactics to achieve strategic objectives.
• Engaging with subject-matter experts and convening working groups to collaborate on initiatives.
• Ensure resource alignment and allocating funds to support strategic initiatives.
• Regularly reviewing and adjusting the implementation plan to address new challenges and opportunities.
• Managing the P3 Program, soliciting and vetting proposals for funding strategic initiatives.

SPARC work groups consisting of UI leaders, administrators, faculty, and staff have planned, launched, or executed hundreds of different tactics aimed at impacting high-level metrics for success. 

Evaluation 

Although the strategic plan’s overarching goals will remain constant, the implementation plan will be reviewed periodically over the life of the plan and will be revised to adjust to new challenges and opportunities, to make more effective use of available resources, and/or in response to assessment of success. 

SPARC work groups meet regularly to review and discuss progress and make any needed adjustments. SPARC will continue to discuss and review the impact of the implementation plan on progress toward strategic plan goals, and to promote transparency in the process through updates on the strategic plan website and annual progress reports. 

Definitions 

Access, Opportunity, and Diversity

The UI defines access, opportunity, and diversity as follows: 

• Access: Equipping all Hawkeyes with the necessary skills to lead in a global society.
• Opportunity: Ensuring every Hawkeye has the best chance for advancement and success. 
• Diversity: Enriching our community with a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and viewpoints. 

Experiential Learning

The practice of learning through applied experience—curricular or co-curricular—and guided reflection on those experiences (Kolb, 1984).

First Generation

A student is considered to be of first-generation status if neither parent or guardian holds a four-year degree.  This is self-reported information collected on the undergraduate admissions application.  

High Impact Practices

High impact practices (HIP) refer to a variety of educationally purposeful and structured activities that span curricular and co-curricular contexts and incorporate, but are not limited to, the following aspects: mentored relationships with faculty, staff, and/or peers; timely feedback and collaborative problem- solving; and reflection on learning experiences (Kuh, 2008). HIPs include a range of activities such as internships, undergraduate research, study abroad, and community-based service learning. 

Infrastructure

In the context of this plan, the term infrastructure is used broadly and may refer to people, processes, policies, facilities, and/or technology.

Scholarship, Research, and Creativity

Scholarship on the UI campus takes many forms, including traditional research in the lab, artistic creation, applied forms of discovery through experiential learning, and more. Creativity in this context encompasses all forms of looking at the world in new ways to discover and create new knowledge.

Translational Research

Research that focuses on translating scientific and scholarly discovery into applications and practices that directly benefit people and society.

Well-Being

Well-being at the UI is a process focused on life-long learning that promotes and sustains optimal health, personal connectedness, meaningful experiences, and a purposeful life.