Chapter 8: Conclusion

The purpose of this University-wide strategic plan is to identify policy issues, establish a tone, and foster favorable conditions for intellectual endeavor across campus. As a written and public document, the plan will expand knowledge of the broader context within which the University shapes its future. The plan recognizes that many of the most important decisions of the University are made in departments and colleges rather than centrally; it is intended as a framework that encourages departments, colleges, and administrative units to work within an integrated whole. The plan should reduce the degree that decisions are made on an ad hoc basis, thereby making budgetary decisions more consistent across time. Above all, the strategic plan should be viewed as a "living document" which will not succeed unless it evolves with time.

This strategic plan contends that The University of Iowa should strive to become one of the best public universities in the nation and develop more areas of national leadership. Such an aspiration implies a strong and vigorous emphasis on quality; the focusing of effort, time, and funds; an attitude of receptivity to change; and an aggressive effort to obtain new private and public funds. The pathway to distinction charted by this plan emphasizes the importance of building on the strengths of The University of Iowa as a major research university which is dedicated to educational and service programs of exceptional quality. Successful progress toward achieving the University's aspiration depends on the support of the University community, external constituencies, and the citizens of Iowa.