Dear members of the University of Iowa community,
Thank you for visiting Plan in Progress, our regular update highlighting how our campus is advancing the goals of the 2022–2027 Strategic Plan.
The University of Iowa continues to advance strategic priorities through collaborative, high-impact initiatives across campus. This update showcases our progress in educational innovation and employee well-being, areas central to supporting student success, workforce excellence, and our overall institutional strength. We'll also provide you with the latest updates from reSPARC, our strategic plan initiative focused on new approaches to increase revenue and improve operational efficiency on campus.
As always, we encourage you to share this webpage with colleagues who would like to know more about how our strategic plan is moving the university forward.
Kevin C. Kregel |
Innovative, high-impact educational experiences
Collaborations across campus are expanding opportunities for students to engage in transformative, high-impact learning experiences that connect academic study with real-world application.
Building infrastructure for high-impact learning
The ArtInfuse Teaching Program supports instructors in integrating arts-based and experiential learning into their courses. By providing funding, resources, and cross-campus connections, the program expands access to high-impact practices that increase student engagement and strengthen learning outcomes across disciplines.
Connecting learning to societal impact
By incorporating coursework with the INTO LIGHT Project exhibit, students were able to consider the intersection of complex social issues with their potential careers. Collaborations between Pentacrest Museums and campus partners created opportunities for students to contribute to public-facing work that builds empathy, critical thinking, and professional skills.
Preparing students for careers in the arts
The Office of Writing and Communication and Performing Arts at Iowa are collaborating to expand professional development opportunities for students. The inaugural Stop/Time conference brought together students, faculty, and industry professionals to explore pathways to success in the arts and build skills aligned with evolving career opportunities.
Expanding support for high-impact practices
The Excellence in Teaching and Learning/Student Success SPARC has convened a new High-Impact Practices (HIP) Council to further align priorities, strengthen collaboration, integrate HIPs into learning, analyze participation data, and provide assessment and professional development support.
Career Pathways resources
More than 1,200 employees engaged with Career Pathways resources this year, generating over 2,000 interactions and increased use of career mapping tools. These resources help employees and supervisors explore growth opportunities and support long-term career development at Iowa.
Short-term disability insurance
A new voluntary short-term disability insurance option provides employees with added financial protection during temporary illness or injury. This benefit expands Iowa’s total rewards offerings and supports greater flexibility and peace of mind.
Wellness Ambassador program
Efforts to grow the Wellness Ambassador program led to a 40% increase in volunteers, expanding the network to 191 ambassadors across campus (including 122 in UI Health Care). These ambassadors play a key role in connecting colleagues to well-being resources and fostering a culture of health in the workplace.
$ 5.3 M
For Retirement Plan Participants
National recognition for retirement plan enhancements
The University of Iowa recently earned national recognition for enhancements to its TIAA retirement plan, supporting more than 44,000 employees and retirees and making it easier for them to save for retirement. As part of staff success efforts within the strategic plan, the university streamlined its investment lineup, replacing a menu of more than 50 fund options with a smaller set of lower-cost funds.
Featured updates from reSPARC
Planning for Iowa's financial future
Through the Revenue and Efficiencies Strategic Plan Action and Resource Committee (reSPARC), the university is aligning resources with strategic priorities, strengthening operations, and investing in initiatives that support long-term financial sustainability and student success.
You can find more examples of what reSPARC teams are working on and find updates from each team on our reSPARC Updates webpage.
Advancing student success through research
A new Student Success Research Collaborative is being established to strengthen how the university evaluates policies, programs, and resource allocation as it relates to student outcomes. Supported by a $196,156 P3 investment, the initiative will establish a campuswide infrastructure for student success-focused research projects that drive strategic decision-making.
Expanding non-academic programming opportunities
Aiming to build upon Iowa’s existing strengths, reSPARC teams are conducting market research to identify new opportunities for non-academic programming that can generate revenue and expand the university’s reach. A P3-funded study is analyzing demand among working professionals and retirees to inform strategies for future program development.
Building a culture of continuous improvement
reSPARC is embedding processes that support ongoing efficiency and revenue growth across the university. This work is advancing a proactive, data-informed culture focused on continuous assessment, scalable practices, and improvements that enhance both student, faculty, and staff success while increasing organizational effectiveness.
Additional Highlights
The university's strategic plan is ingrained in work happening across campus every day. Below are just a few recent examples of the progress happening at Iowa.