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The Pathway to Success
INCREASE ENROLLMENT AND STUDENT SUCCESS
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIRS:
Chair: Jennifer Boothby, associate vice president for student success,
jboothby@indstate.edu
Co-Chair: John E. Beacon, vice president for enrollment management, marketing and
communications, john.beacon@indstate.edu
Co-Chair: D. Thomas Ramey, vice president for student affairs, thomas.ramey@indstate.edu
GOAL ONE: Increase the number of students taking advantage of the educational
opportunities at Indiana State University, and assist all those attending to
realize their educational goals.
OBJECTIVES:
1. By 2014, increase headcount enrollment to 12,000 students.
2. By 2014, increase first-year retention to 74%, with the long-range goal being 80%.
3. By 2014, increase four-year graduation rate to 26%, with the long-range goal being 30%.
4. By 2014, increase six-year graduation rate to 46%, with the long-range goal being 55%.
5. By 2014, increase transfer student headcount enrollment by 48%.
6. By 2014, double transfer student headcount enrollment from Ivy Tech campuses.
7. By 2014, increase transfer student six-year graduation rate to 51%
8. By 2014, increase first-year retention rate for transfer students to 74%.
9. By 2014, narrow the difference between the retention and graduation rates of all students
and Pell-eligible, African-American and 21st Century Scholar students by a minimum of
50%, with the long-range goal being to equalize these rates.
Baseline enrollment and student success data compared to targets for 2014:
Fall 2008 BY FALL 2014 CHANGE
Headcount enrollment 10,457 12,000 +1,543 (+14.75%)
First-year retention 64%a 74% +10%
4-year graduation rate 23%b 26% +3%
6-year graduation rate 43%c 46% +3%
Pell Eligible
First-year retention 63% 73% +10%
4-year graduation 12% 20% +8%
6-year graduation 35% 42% +7%
African American
First-year retention 54% 69% +15%
4-year graduation 15% 22% + 7%
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6-year graduation 38% 44% +6%
21st Century Scholars
First-year retention 68% 74% +6%
4-year graduation 13% 21% +8%
6-year graduation 38% 44% +6%
Fall 2008 BY FALL 2014 CHANGE
Transfer Students
Transfer Student Headcount 539d 800 +261 (+48%)
Transfer Student Headcount 207d 414 +207 (100%)
from all Ivy Tech campuses
6-year transfer graduate rate 46% 51% +5%
First-year transfer retention rate 64%e 74% +10%
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
a
IPEDS report, Fall 2007 cohort returning for Fall 2008
b
IPEDS report, Fall 2002 cohort, first-time, full-time bachelor's degree seekers
c
IPEDS report, Fall 2002 cohort, first-time, full-time bachelor’s degree seekers
d
Transfer headcount numbers exclude Corrections Education Program and International
enrollments
e
IPEDS report, Fall 2007 cohort returning for Fall 2008
Note: Goals for both first-time freshmen and transfer students were based upon the
assumptions that the academic profile of incoming students will remain constant and that
FTE to headcount ratio will remain the same.
INITIATIVES
There are nine initiatives for achieving the objectives and, collectively, realizing Goal One:
1. Develop a first-year student residential village
2. Further develop cooperative programs with Ivy Tech to provide multiple points of entry to
Indiana State University
3. Create a unified undergraduate student success program
4. Create “Sycamore Express” one-stop centers
5. Develop programs for parents and families of students
6. Increase early outreach to students in region
7. Achieve greater impact on student success through residential life
8. Enhance graduate education at ISU
9. Enhance the gathering and use of information to advance ISU’s strategic priorities
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DEVELOP A FIRST-YEAR STUDENT RESIDENTIAL VILLAGE
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIRS: Rex Kendall, Greg Bierly
Introduction and Background
While Indiana State University has made considerable progress in improving residence life by
updating some of its older residence halls and introducing some successful programming,
enhancing housing continues to be a priority for the University. The issue of developing quality,
modern housing that meets students’ needs comes up again and again in conversations and
written documentation. Providing students with an updated, well-programmed place to call
home, especially in the first year, can have a great impact on retention and persistence.
Creating a unique, distinct environment for first-year students at ISU would serve to transform
the university experience and subsequent personal and intellectual development of one of ISU’s
most vulnerable groups. The First-Year Village concept has the potential to impact ISU’s student
success bottom line – persistence to graduation. The Village would provide opportunities for first-
year students to engage with academic content and concepts in the residence halls, build
community and personal relationships with their fellow students, and feel immediately like a part
of the ISU experience.
Specifically, outcomes associated with the First-Year Village model include:
Improved persistence and retention rates of first-year students serving to raise persistence
and graduation rates
Bridging of learning from the classroom setting to the living environment providing
meaningful opportunities for continued, deep engagement with academic courses and
concepts
Leadership opportunities for students
Additionally, development of first-year student housing would allow outmoded residence halls to
be upgraded or, in the event of new construction, demolished and the land used for other needs.
Note that this initiative does not specifically state where The Village should be located; rather, it
talks in broad terms about the characteristics of a first-year housing development. Specifically
where the housing would be located would be determined in the Campus Master Plan (currently in
development). Locating The Village in downtown Terre Haute could prove advantageous to
creating a new, engaging community for students. Alternatively, locating it on campus could
prove a more developmentally appropriate and convenient locale for new students.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Enhance Community Engagement
Expand and Diversify Revenues
Basic Elements and Brief Description
The ISU First-Year Village would be the premiere residential opportunity for college students in
the region. The Village would provide the outstanding facilities and cutting-edge programming
needed to address the developmental challenges faced by new students. Currently, ISU offers
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the majority of first-year students the opportunity to live in specialized housing, e.g. Burford,
Blumberg and Cromwell Halls, and participate in a specially-designed programming, e.g.
academic discipline-based learning communities. Should this initiative be carried to fruition, all
first-year students would enroll in activities such as those already being done at the institution.
First-Year Village Programming and Facilities
Creating a holistic, purposefully-planned program designed to address the specific needs of ISU
first-year students is paramount to retaining those students. Programming in The Village should
support students throughout the year in their academic and personal growth and development.
Component parts of this program could include:
Students clustered into learning teams around specific topics such as majors, areas of
interest, etc. Individuals on each team would be the members of one another’s activity
groups during welcome week, serve as participants in discussion groups for a common
read and as classmates in one another’s linked courses.
Academic support services targeted directly at students’ needs.
Activities aimed at socially integrating students early in their college careers and providing
them an opportunity to get to know themselves better.
Interaction around diversity and multiculturalism.
Other appropriate activities and programs.
To help students make connections and best transition to life at ISU, the individual residence halls
in The Village should be physically configured in a way that creates small communities. While not
an exhaustive list, specific elements to be considered for the individual residence halls in these
communities are:
Residence Hall Rooms housing two students with a private bathroom, arranged in suites
around a shared living room.
Multipurpose Rooms to be used for living/learning community-specific programming
including guest speakers, workshops, hall government meetings and activities, academic
discussions, and community building.
Small Group Meeting Rooms to be used for small group studying, tutoring, supplemental
instruction, collaborative work, residence life staff meetings and planning, hall government
meetings and planning, student group meetings and planning, and community-building
activities. These rooms should contain adequate electrical outlets to encourage students
to work together using their required laptops and, thereby supporting that University
policy. The small group meeting rooms may contain a printer/copier, as well.
Self-contained Apartments to house Residence Life professional staff members, faculty-in-
residence participants, or visiting scholars. These units could be used to house on campus
applicants interviewing for faculty or staff positions or simply visiting the campus.
Other Amenities including laundry facilities, convenience stores, computer and technology
repair shops, dining halls or cafés, and satellite bookstore locations should be scattered
throughout The Village.
Steps and Timeline
Two key items, the Indiana State University Campus Master Plan and the timing of the
development of the First-Year Village, must be considered in this planning effort. In the following
steps, assumptions have been made regarding the inclusion of The Village in the Campus Master
Plan as well as when development for first-year housing will begin. If development varies from
the dates given, the timelines would have to be adjusted accordingly. Additionally, some elements
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in the steps listed below exist currently at ISU. They are included in the steps so as to describe a
complete program.
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Year One
1. Begin creating the programmatic framework for a first-year residential experience based
on best practice and including the following aspects:
a. Students clustered into learning teams around specific topics such as majors, areas
of interest, etc. Individuals on each team would be the members of one another’s
activity groups during welcome week, serve as participants in discussion groups for
a common read and as classmates in one another’s linked courses.
b. Academic support services targeted directly at students’ needs.
c. Activities aimed at socially integrating students early in their college careers and
providing them an opportunity to get to know themselves better.
d. Interaction around diversity and multiculturalism.
e. Other appropriate activities and programs.
2. Engage in a campus-wide conversation to clarify the definitions and applications of theme
housing and learning communities at ISU.
3. Begin planning for development of new or newly renovated residential facilities to house
first-year students. The new Campus Master Plan will assist in determining the placement
and capacity for said facilities.
4. While not explicitly related to the first-year village per se, plan for the unveiling of a new
first-year seminar course (or series of courses from which students would choose one to
complete) that will be required of all first-year students. (This course and an expanded
undergraduate student success program are described in detail in the “Create a Unified
Undergraduate Student Success Program” initiative.)
Year Two
5. Begin to implement specific aspects of the first-year programmatic framework described
above.
a. Cluster students into housing assignments that create the learning teams described
above. All first-year students should be clustered into teams by floor/wing and
enrolled in linked courses, where possible.
6. Begin to develop additional specialized programs, services, and spaces for first-year
students.
b. Continue planning for new first-year seminar course/framework.
c. A common space necessary in the first-year residential community is a team’s
“family room”, a space that students could decorate as they see fit. The family
room would be used for floor activities and programming, small group study,
tutoring, supplemental instruction, collaborative work, floor government meetings
and planning, student group meetings and planning, and community-building
activities. In any existing residence hall facility at ISU, this space could be created
in a standard room located in the center of the floor
7. Continue planning for development of new or newly renovated residential facilities to
house first-year students.
Year Three
8. Continue to implement specific aspects of the first-year programmatic framework
described above.
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a. Add on-site hours of different academic support services targeted directly at
students’ needs in the first-year residential facilities.
b. Hold activities aimed at socially integrating students early in their college careers
and providing them an opportunity to get to know themselves better.
9. Continue to develop and implement additional specialized programs, services, and spaces
for first-year students.
c. Roll out the new first-year seminar course/framework and require that all first-year
students enroll in a seminar course.
d. Add a printing kiosk and copy machine to the on-site services in each residential
building. Students should be able to transmit documents from anywhere in the
building including their rooms to this printing kiosk. As space permits, install an
expanded media center with printing, copying, and laptop services could serve to
meet the needs of students throughout a specific region of the campus.
10. Continue planning for development of new or newly renovated residential facilities to
house first-year students.
Year Four
11. Offer a full complement of services, programs and spaces for first-year students as
outlined above.
12. Begin development of the new or newly renovated First Year Village residential facilities.
Year Five
13. Offer a full complement of services, programs and spaces for first-year students as
outlined above.
14. Continue, by the end of 2014, complete development of the First-Year Village residential
facilities.
Additional Information and Potential Models
Freshman Connections, Ball State University
http://www.bsu.edu/freshmanconnections/
The Freshman Connections Program provides a modified learning community experience for first-
year students during their fall semester at Ball State. All first-year students, about 3500 each
year, form ten small communities ("Learning Teams") that include new students, faculty,
residence hall directors, academic advisors, and upper class student mentors. The Ball State
University Freshman Connections program has been heralded as one of the best in the nation,
especially for its involved research efforts.
First-Year Housing, Saint Louis University
http://www.slu.edu/x5075.xml
Nearly 90% of first-year students at SLU live on campus and enjoy the many benefits of doing so.
These include opportunities for socialization, proximity to classes and campus resources,
professional and student staff support, leadership opportunities, and a chance to participate in
learning communities.
Freshman Housing, Evergreen State College
http://www.evergreen.edu/rad/options/freshman.htm#freshmen
“First Year Halls provide a dynamic living learning environment with enhanced staff to resident
ratios and resources to support students in their transition to college life at Evergreen.” Single
and double occupancy rooms are offered, and a meal plan is required. The College offers
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Freshman Quiet residential options, also. Residents in these facilities agree to low noise levels
throughout each day, including weekends.
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FURTHER DEVELOP COOPERATIVE PROGRAMS WITH IVY TECH
TO PROVIDE MULTIPLE POINTS OF ENTRY TO INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Bob English
Introduction and Background
The Rural Health Innovation Collaborative (RHIC); the growth and development of Ivy Tech into a
comprehensive community college; and their shared roles and visions, provide an excellent
opportunity for ISU to strengthen ties with Ivy Tech - Wabash County for the benefit of students,
the institutions, and the community.
Connections to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Strengthen and Leverage Programs of Strength and Promise
Enhance Community Engagement
Recruit and Retain Great Faculty and Staff
Advance Experiential Learning
Expand and Diversify Revenues
Basic Elements and Brief Description
A closer academic partnership between ISU and Ivy Tech could include:
Increasing the processing, efficiency, reporting, and tracking of dually-admitted students
Capitalizing upon the many and varied ISU-Ivy Tech articulation agreements and seamless
2+2 programs that currently exist including better marketing and communication of these
programs
Building and operating an Ivy Tech facility near the ISU campus, as part of RHIC, that
offers programs that meet the needs of students
There are a number of ways these elements would help provide greater access to ISU:
A strong Ivy Tech presence in that area, offering general education and remedial as well as
health-related programs, will enable students not admissible to ISU to have access to
special programs and support services before entering ISU.
The availability of courses close to ISU will enable Ivy Tech students to become
comfortable in the University environment, a factor cited as a deterrent to students
completing their four-year degree.
Strengthened dual enrollment and seamless articulation and 2+2 programs would make
entry into ISU by Ivy Tech students a logical, step-by-step progression rather than an
intimidating leap.
Steps and Timeline
Year One
1. Establish a working group — committee; sub-committee; or task force — to assume
leadership for this initiative; and identify key individuals at Ivy Tech with whom to link,
either as members of the working group or resources to it.
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2. The Presidents/CEOs of the two institutions shall meet to discuss their initiative and its
potential components and agree and publically announce that it is a priority for their
administration and their schools. The dialogue should include the inclusion of a major
Ivy Tech facility near the ISU campus, perhaps on property owned by ISU, on Seventh
Street as a part of RHIC, or downtown as part of the downtown redevelopment project.
Dialog should also include potential funding sources for constructing and operating the
facility, including program faculty and staff.
3. Examine the current admissions and academic linkages with Ivy Tech and assess their
viability and strength.
1. Market and communicate the existing partnerships and linkages that are
showing strong outcomes.
4. Examine the admissions linkages between other Universities and Ivy Tech that exists
among the models cited for this initiative.
Year Two
5. Coordinate and communicate any transfer initiatives between the two institutions by
showcasing ISU and Ivy Tech at a statewide chancellors meeting where:
1. Strategic initiatives at both schools are discussed and linked , if possible
2. Existing transfer opportunities are highlighted, with development of further
transfer opportunities outlined and developed at needed
3. Student services or other opportunities are discussed
4. Student needs are identified and addressed
5. Other joint programming opportunities are explored
6. Identify the programs, methodology, and costs for either enhancing existing ISU-Ivy
Tech linkages or creating new ones.
a. Strengthen the academic ties between the two institutions
i. Establish Ivy Tech faculty as educational affiliates
ii. Provide more graduate opportunities for Ivy Tech faculty
iii. Regularly conduct discipline-based meetings
iv. Provide additional opportunities for Ivy Tech faculty, many whom are
ISU alumni, to feel connected to ISU
b. Provide more opportunities for Ivy Tech students to feel connected to ISU
i. Identify earlier those students who intend to transfer to ISU and
build student services, student life, and academic opportunities
around that group
ii. Regularize the communication between ISU’s Admissions Office and
students who intend to transfer
7. Develop a phase-in plan for the selected admissions and academic linkages between
ISU and Ivy Tech.
1. Elements
2. Timelines
3. Costs
8. Implement new admissions linkages in time to impact the Fall 2011 academic year.
9. Examine the efficacy of the Bridge Back program allowing student to remediate at Ivy
Tech if not admissible to ISU at a particular point in time.
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10. Establish scholarship opportunities for Ivy Tech students who complete an associate’s
degree with the intent to transfer to ISU
1. Partner with the ISU Foundation to fund this opportunity
11. Continuing the Presidents/CEOs discussion from Year One above, fully explore the idea
of an Ivy Tech presence either on or nearby the ISU campus
1. Consider locating the joint programs and services in an existing ISU facility
until the ISU-Ivy Tech joint facility is constructed.
2. Address potential challenges in this partnership including:
i. “ownership” of the program
ii. Staffing, including faculty, student services, and administration
iii. Accounting of FTES or headcount numbers
iv. Funding, including a phase-in plan if needed
v. Student housing, if needed
12. Develop a space programs for the ISU-Ivy Tech joint facility.
13. Establish funding strategies for constructing and operating the facility, including
traditional and non-traditional sources, e.g., redevelopment funds; developer
financing, grants.
Year Three
14. Pursue funding until a sufficient amount is identified for constructing and operating the
initial phases of the facility, including faculty and staff.
15. Continue to explore other points of entry into ISU for Ivy Tech students.
Year Four
16. Construct the ISU–Ivy Tech joint facility.
Year Five
17. Open and operate the ISU–Ivy Tech joint facility.
Additional Information and Potential Models
Ball State University
http://bob.ivytech.edu/~studentservices/bsu.htm
In 1998, Ball State University and Ivy Tech developed a transitional program named CONNECT
designed for high school graduates who have applied for admission to BSU but have been advised
by the admissions office to first attend their local Ivy Tech State College for better academic
preparation to ensure success at Ball State.
As a CONNECT participant, a student who is denied admission to BSU is required to earn a
minimum of 24 college-level, CONNECT-approved (non-remedial) credits with a grade no lower
than “C” and a minimum grade point average of 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale). The successful CONNECT
student will be admitted to BSU upon re-application for admission.
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
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http://www.iupui.edu/~ivy/
IUPUI and Ivy Tech have a long standing history of partnering to increase access to higher
education in Indiana. In 1990, IUPUI and Ivy Tech developed the Passport program:
Passport is a coordinated program between Ivy Tech Community College-Central Indiana
and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Passport strives to increase
course and degree articulations between institutions, maintains advising offices at both
campuses, offers cooperative student services, facilitates shared access to student
records, offers IUPUI Passport scholarships and promotes student life programs. The goal
of the Passport office is to make the transfer of credit and/or degrees between the two
institutions as seamless as possible.
Additionally, the institutions also have a Partners program:
Partners is a cooperative program between Ivy Tech Community College and IUPUI that
gives students the opportunity to strengthen their academic preparation before attending
IUPUI. Students in the Partners Program will have their admission to IUPUI deferred until
they complete studies at Ivy Tech. When a student applies to IUPUI, the admissions
committee identifies those who have deficiencies in their previous academic work and
recommends they begin coursework at IvyTech.
Indiana University, Bloomington
http://orientation.indiana.edu/hoosierlink/
The Hoosier Link program is a guaranteed admission program implemented through a cooperative
agreement between Indiana University Bloomington and Ivy Tech Community College
Bloomington. Hoosier Link affords a select group of Indiana resident students the opportunity to
gain admission to the IU Bloomington campus upon reaching specific academic benchmarks.
Admission to the Hoosier Link program is competitive. Students are identified by the enrollment
specialists at Indiana University and Ivy Tech and are encouraged to apply for admission to the
program. Generally, students identified as candidates for the Hoosier Link program show potential
to succeed at Indiana University, but their academic records indicate that they could benefit from
additional structured programming.
Hoosier Link students can take advantage of various student support services at both institutions
and are encouraged to become immersed in the lives of both campuses. All Hoosier Link students
live together in the Hoosier Link Learning Community during their first year in the program. As
members of this community, Hoosier Link students have the opportunity to gain leadership
experience through various programs, including the Residence Hall Association.
In addition, Indiana University and Ivy Tech have transfer agreements that allow Ivy Tech
students to transfer credits towards an IU degree in six liberal arts programs as well as nursing,
criminal justice, and elementary education.
Indiana University — East
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/7673.html
Indiana University-East has developed a partnership with Ivy Tech whereby they have facilities in
close proximity to one another, essentially sharing campuses. Reid Hospital and a division of
Purdue University also share the IU-East site.
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Moreover, in 2008, Indiana University and Ivy Tech Community College announced a new
partnership to enhance learning opportunities for residents of east central Indiana and west
central Ohio. IU East and Ivy Tech Community College Richmond agreed to engage in several new
initiatives. They include working together to increase the number of students receiving associate
degrees from Ivy Tech who transfer to IU East to complete a bachelor's degree; developing a
"Passport" type program that provides information on dual admissions, financial aid, mutual
support services, course scheduling and student life; sharing strategic institutional data such as
student enrollment by program and student performance information; reducing the overall costs
of education; and supporting regional efforts to enhance the college preparedness of K-12
students.
According to the agreement, Ivy Tech will be primarily responsible for the delivery of college
preparatory, workforce certification, associate degree and transfer programming. IU East will
concentrate its efforts on providing students with four-year bachelor's and master's degree
programming.
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CREATE A UNIFIED UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SUCCESS PROGRAM
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Student Success Council
Introduction and Background
In recent years, Indiana State University has experienced fluctuations in its undergraduate and
graduate enrollments. From spring 2005 to spring 2009, the number of full-time undergraduate
students enrolled at ISU dropped from 7,178 to 6,359. In that same period, the numbers of part-
time undergraduate and part-time graduate students rose slightly. The number of full-time
graduate students peaked at 703 in spring 2007, dropped to 638 in spring 2008, and dropped
again to 621 in spring 2009. As the enrollment target for ISU is 12,000 students, there is some
significant work to be done.
Often, institutions focus a good deal of energy and resources – staff time, travel, other expenses
– on recruiting students and less such effort on retaining them. According to a report detailing
findings gathered during the December 2008 Noel Levitz visit, this challenge currently exists at
ISU and may lie in the fact that “no one is responsible for student success and retention.”a As
such, the consolidation of student success services under one leader may well serve the ISU
student community.
One way to get a sense of a university’s success is by comparing its data to that of comparable
institutions. The table below details the first-year retention rates, 6-year graduation rates, and
first-year acceptance rates of 15 top-ranked public, regional universities in the Midwest and a few
of ISU’s regional competitors:
INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Comparison Group Performance Statistics
First-Year 6-year First-Year
Retention Graduation Acceptance
Institution City State Rate Rate Rate
Indiana State University Terre Haute IN 67.2% 41.0% 70.3%
Truman State University Kirksville MO 86.2% 67.5% 81.0%
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse WI 87.2% 63.6% 65.1%
University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls IA 81.5% 65.3% 79.6%
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire WI 81.2% 58.8% 69.1%
University of Illinois-Springfield Springfield IL 78.5% 56.0% 61.3%
University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn MI 80.8% 50.3% 66.1%
Washburn University Topeka KS 66.2% 57.8% 98.3%
Grand Valley State University Allendale MI 82.8% 51.3% 69.5%
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville IL 74.5% 44.8% 84.0%
University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth MN 75.5% 48.8% 71.1%
Missouri State University Springfield MO 73.5% 51.8% 75.0%
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Stevens Point WI 77.2% 58.5% 73.8%
University of Southern Indiana Evansville IN 63.0% 33.5% 90.3%
Ball State University Muncie IN 76.8% 58.0% 72.0%
Indiana University-Purdue Univeristy Indianapolis IN 65.2% 32.0% 70.6%
Comparison Group Average Percentage 76.7% 53.2% 75.1%
Data from: US News & World Report, 2009
a
Baird, Rob (2009). Increase enrollment through the use of state-of-the art recruitment tools and the
development of a campuswide retention program. Indiana State University: Implementation Plan, Noel-
Levitz.
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Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Recruit and Retain Great Faculty and Staff
Advance Experiential Learning
Enhance Community Engagement
Basic Elements and Brief Description
The ISU Student Success program would offer assistance and guidance to students from the
moment they decide to enroll at ISU. It would consolidate support for special populations
including first-year students, sophomores, commuter students, and transfer students. This
support would include both curricular and co-curricular components. The elements of each of
these programs are presented below.
1. First-Year Experience (FYE): ISU currently offers many of the component parts of a
comprehensive, effective first-year experience program. However, the services and supports
are disjointed, being spread across a number of campus departments and overseen by a
number of leaders. It should be noted that Indiana State University previously had a
significant level of success in improving retention rates as part of the Lilly Project to
Transform the First-Year Experience, a five-year project that begin in 1997 with the support of
a $2 million grant from the Lilly Endowment. A good deal of effort and collaboration, along
with analysis of the effectiveness of specific programming and housing arrangements was
completed as part of that project. However, in more recent times, the services associated with
first-year programs have not been systematically evaluated nor shown to have a positive
impact on retention. Unfortunately, much of the improvement experienced earlier has eroded
in more recent years. To be most effective, these disparate services should be consolidated
into a comprehensive FYE program containing the following new and, in some cases, improved
component parts:
a. Academic Advising
b. New Student Orientation
c. Welcome Week
d. Academic Seminar/First-Year Experience Course
e. Peer Mentoring
f. Learning Communities/Linked Courses
g. Housing
As was done during the Lilly initiative, Indiana State should aim to rejoin the national
conversation on the first-year experience and employ best practices in developing its
comprehensive program. The earlier work should be revisited with the successes experienced
during that period serving as a foundation for revising and improving today’s programs.
2. Sophomore Experience: The Sophomore Experience program would continue the
developmental programming begun in the first year but with focus on different aspects of the
student experience. It would offer an academic seminar/sophomore-year experience course
focusing on topics such as:
a. Career Development and Guidance
b. Study Skills and Engaged Learning
c. Community Engagement
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3. Commuter Student Services: The first step in defining the Commuter Student Services
program at ISU is agreeing on what defines a commuter student. Since only approximately
30% of students live on-campus at ISU, it is fair to say that a majority of ISU students could
be defined as commuters should the University choose the broadest definition of the term.
Once a definition is agreed upon, a comprehensive program for commuter students should be
developed. Commuter students’ needs are very different than residential students, and the
University must engage these students in unique ways to encourage their persistence and
success. Building upon what is already offered at ISU, component parts of Commuter Student
Services could include:
a. Experiential Learning and Community Engagement opportunities targeted specifically
toward the commuter student experience
b. A dedicated online presence directed at this population
c. Student lounges and other such gathering spaces that encourage affinity between
commuters and ISU
d. High quality, affordable housing for “local” commuters
e. Preferential parking for commuting students
4. Transfer Student Services: With the recent transition of the mission of Ivy Tech and an
expected rise in the number of transfer students to ISU, addressing services specifically to
transfer student needs will become increasingly important. ISU currently offers some services
to transfer students including a New Student Orientation, transfer-specific academic advising,
and a junior-level composition course. In addition to improving these services, adding
additional programs such as those listed below would assist in developing a comprehensive
transition program for transfers at ISU.
a. Academic Seminar/Transfer-Year Experience Course including a strong emphasis on
career planning
b. Peer to Peer Mentoring and/or Faculty to Student Mentoring
c. Transfer position in student government, transfer-specific student groups
5. Student Academic Services Center (SACS): To best serve the needs of students in transition
at ISU, the SACS will be renamed and reconfigured to mainstream its successful programs
and make its services more relevant to students across the University. The new center would
manage a variety of student success services including tutoring, supplemental instruction, the
Early Alert system, and others. The center would serve as a leader in academic advising for
students, especially in the first and subsequent transitional years.
A Word about Academic Advising
There is great interest across campus at ISU in providing an outstanding academic advising
experience for all students. Past efforts, including those put forth by the Academic Advising
Improvement Team, have helped to advance the campus-wide conversation about advising.
Because advising has been shown to have such a profound impact on student success, moving
forward with an integrated, inclusive approach to advising will assist the university in meeting its
retention goals. Individuals involved in creating ISU’s undergraduate Student Success program
will address advising as part of their overall effort.
The overall success of this initiative hinges on a closely coordinated and well managed effort
between a number of existing campus departments and professionals.
Steps and Timeline
Year One
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The Pathway to Success
1. Rename the existing Retention Council to the Student Success Council and task the group
with overseeing this initiative including defining the vision and mission for ISU’s Student
Success program and beginning to build partnerships with academic programs and other
units as necessary.
2. Eliminate the SASC and move its relevant services and programs into the Academic
Excellence and Advising Center model proposed above with special emphasis on academic
advising. Appoint a Student Success Council subcommittee (directed by the AVP for
Academic Affairs) to focus on this activity.
3. Begin to coordinate the programs, services, and partnerships listed above.
a. For first-year students
i. Plan for the unveiling of a new first-year seminar course (or series of
courses from which students would choose one to complete) that will be
required of all first-year students.
ii. Begin planning for development of new or newly renovated residential
facilities to house first-year students.
iii. Grow the number of learning communities/linked courses available to first-
year students with the goal of enrolling all first years in a learning
community during the fall term 2011.
b. For commuting students
i. Clearly define what is meant by “commuter student” at ISU and gain
University-wide support for this definition and population.
ii. Begin to construct a comprehensive and interactive website targeted
specifically at the needs of commuting students.
iii. Investigate the possibility of preferential parking for commuter students
based on rank.
c. For transfer students
i. Begin planning for a transfer-year experience course modeled on the first-
year experience course.
ii. Plan for an improved transfer orientation program.
iii. Explore ways to meaningfully add transfer students to the fabric of student
life at ISU including in student government, with student organizations, etc.
iv. Improve the advising of all transfer students and meaningfully connect each
student with a faculty/professional advisor in the first term of enrollment.
4. Begin to construct a unified, comprehensive, and interactive website for Student Success
programs.
Year Two
5. Continue to develop the new Academic Excellence and Advising Center, optimizing services
such as general tutoring, supplemental instruction, the Early Alert system, etc. Continue
the Center’s focus on strong, effective academic advising.
6. Continue to coordinate the programs, services, and partnerships listed above.
a. For first-year students
i. Plan for improved New Student Orientation and Welcome Week programs
based on best practice.
ii. Roll out the new first-year seminar course/framework and require that all
first-year students enroll in and successfully complete a seminar course.
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The Pathway to Success
iii. Begin to develop a framework for an institution-wide peer mentoring
program. Consider building into the first-year seminar course above some
mentorship component.
iv. Continue planning for the development of the new or newly renovated
First-Year Village residential facilities.
b. For commuter students
i. Create meaningful campus involvement opportunities for commuter
students including participation in campus activities and student
government.
ii. Begin to explore the possibility of providing high quality, affordable
housing for “local” commuters, including upper-division students who have
moved from campus into the Terre Haute community.
c. For transfer students
i. Implement the new transfer orientation program. Evaluate and improve
the program for future administrations.
ii. Offer the transfer-year experience course. Evaluate and improve the
course for future administrations.
7. Continue to develop a unified, comprehensive, and interactive website for Student Success
programs.
Year Three
8. Unveil the comprehensive and interactive website for Student Success programs.
9. Continue to coordinate the programs, services, and partnerships listed above.
a. For first-year students
iii. Enroll all first-year students in a learning community and house those
students by community in learning teams.
iv. Implement the New Student Orientation and Welcome Week programs.
Continually evaluate the success of these programs and make
modifications for future years.
v. Continue planning and begin development of the new or newly renovated
First-Year Village residential facilities.
b. For sophomore students
i. Begin to develop a sophomore-year experience course for second-year
students. Make the following key components of this program:
1. Career Development and Guidance
2. Study Skills and Engaged Learning
3. Community Engagement
c. For commuter students
i. Go live with the comprehensive and interactive website targeted specifically
at the needs of commuting students. Continually evaluate the effectiveness
of this site and involve commuter students in maintaining and modifying it.
ii. Improve the common spaces that cater to commuter students and
add/diversify the programmatic offerings of these spaces.
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The Pathway to Success
Year Four
10. Continue to coordinate the programs, services, and partnerships listed above.
a. For first-year students
i. Continue development of the First-Year Village residential facilities.
b. For sophomore students
i. Offer the sophomore-year experience course focused on career development
and guidance, study skills, and engaged learning.
ii. Grow and modify existing programs for sophomore students as necessary.
As second-year students can sometimes experience a “slump”, work hard to
market the services of the Academic Excellence and Advising Center to this
group and meaningfully connect these students to their new services.
11. Continually evaluate and improve the interactive website for Student Success.
Year Five
12. Continually evaluate all of the programs, services, and partnerships under this framework
and make modifications where necessary.
13. Complete development of the First-Year Village residential facilities.
Additional Information and Potential Models
Centralized Student Success Programs
Student Success Center, University of South Carolina
http://www.sa.sc.edu/ssc/
The Student Success Center is designed to aid South Carolina meet its retention goals. Some of
the programs included in this model are: 1) a First-Year Call Center (first-years include freshmen,
transfers, and students returning from long absences) in which undergraduate workers telephone
every first-year student twice a semester to ascertain how they are going, offer to answer
questions, and provide information and support; 2) The Gamecock Connection, an online social
networking site for first-year students, through which students can meets, socialize, and gather
information about the university even before coming to campus; 3) Peer tutoring; 4)
Supplemental Instruction by grad assistants in academic courses.
Centralized Student Success Services, University of Kansas
http://www.vpss.ku.edu/vpss.shtml
Kansas has read “student success” broadly, as reflected in its mission statement and goals and
large office. The departments included range from admissions to financial aid to student
discipline to student housing to academic and career advising to student recreation
(http://www.vpss.ku.edu/nav/departments.shtml).
First Year Programs
Freshman Connections, Ball State University
http://www.bsu.edu/freshmanconnections/
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The Pathway to Success
The Freshman Connections Program provides a modified learning community experience for first-
year students during their fall semester at Ball State. All first-year students, about 3500 each
year, form ten small communities ("Learning Teams") that include new students, faculty,
residence hall directors, academic advisors, and upper class student mentors. The Ball State
University Freshman Connections program has been heralded as one of the best in the nation,
especially for its involved research efforts.
Student Access, Transition and Success, Purdue University
http://www.purdue.edu/sats/
The office of Student Access, Transition and Success programs at Purdue University manages a
number of retention programs, some starting with students and their families as early as the 6th
grade and others supporting students through the completion of their baccalaureate degrees at
Purdue. SATS programs include Summer Transition, Advising and Registration (STAR), Learning
Communities, Orientation Programs (such as Boiler Gold Rush and Welcome Programs), Parent
and Family Programs, the Purdue Opportunity Awards program, the Purdue Promise program,
Support for Twenty-first Century Scholars at Purdue, and the West Central Indiana regional
Twenty-first Century Scholars site. Note that SATS does not rely on a first-year seminar, a
cornerstone component of many first-year programs.
First-Year Experience, Portland State University
http://www.pdx.edu/housing/first-year-experience
Portland State University offers a FYE living/learning community in its residence halls that
requires students to take a Freshman Inquiry course. The courses include “Power and
Imagination”, “Design and Society” and “On Democracy”. They are available to FYE participants
only.
Sophomore Year Experience
Sophomore Year Experience Program, University of Central Arkansas
http://www.uca.edu/uca/parents/sophomoreyearexperience.html
The UCA Sophomore Year Experience Program is designed to achieve a number of outcomes
including:
• Facilitating student-student academic and social interaction
• Creating student-faculty academic and social interaction
• Discussing racial/ethnic issues with other students
• Increasing hours spent on studying
• Encouraging students to socialize with diverse groups
• Completing the general education core
• Determining an academic and career path
• Valuing altruism and social activism
Sophomore/Junior Year Experience, Saint Louis University
http://www.slu.edu/x16798.xml
The Sophomore/Junior Year Experience program at Saint Louis University is designed to assist
students in their developmental transitions throughout the "middle years" in college. It contains
activities that allow a student to gain experiences in his/her chosen career path, draw connections
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The Pathway to Success
between courses and experiences out of the classroom (experiential learning), and refine his/her
leadership skills through active citizenship both on and off campus (community engagement).
Commuter Student Programming
The following are model college and university programs providing support for commuter
students. In each case, commuter students comprise the majority of student enrollments at each
institution. Some common traits and themes run through them—a commuter “space” or lounge
area, active student involvement though Commuter Student Assistant Programs, special events,
and so on. The key is not to treat commuters as special visitors or needy, but to truly integrate
them into the life of the campus. Indiana State University already has a Commuter Student
Program with its own director, and a commuter lounge and laptop lending service; with modest
future changes and augmentations, this program will be a superior model itself.
Commuter Support Program, Miami University (Ohio)
http://www.units.muohio.edu/saf/reslife/commuter/index.php
The notable features of the commuter program are: 1) updated and identified Commuter Support
Staff, headed by a graduate assistant who is a grad student in the College of Student Personnel.
Staff includes two Commuter Assistants, who are trained upperclassmen; 2) clear separation and
specific tools and support offered to first-year commuters, upper-class commuters, relocation
commuters, transfer commuters, and nontraditional students—this acknowledges great
differences in these situations; 3) drawback is the program is tied to the Commuter Center, and
while activities are displayed in a photo album, it seems bulk of support confined to Center on
campus.
Commuter Student Services, Seattle University
http://www.seattleu.edu/commuters/index.asp
Commuter Student Services and Transfer Student Services housed in same office, but offer
distinctive services. Collegia Plan is the prized central feature of program: Separate, distinctive
lounges for commuters according to academic focus—for example, all the engineering, science,
and nursing students share a lounge: http://www.seattleu.edu/commuters/collegiaspaces.asp
The Collegia program is meant to promote sense of belonging and collegiality. Commuters
disheveled from their trip to campus may take showers in locker room provided especially for
them (and only them) at Student Activities Center. Special support for SWAPs (Students who are
Parents): Lottery for thirteen $100/month childcare subsidies; changing tables in student activity
center bathrooms. Beyond these special programs, the commuter program offers traditional
support finding off-campus housing, dealing with parking, and offering a meal plan specifically for
commuters.
Off-Campus Student Involvement, University of Maryland (College Park)
http://www.union.umd.edu/offCampus/index.htm
The University takes its commitment to commuter students seriously; for example, it offers a
special scholarship, The Michelle Y. Angyelof Award for Outstanding Service to Off-Campus
Students, which recognizes an undergraduate or graduate student who has made outstanding
contributions to the quality of life for University of Maryland off-campus students during the
academic year. In the resources page of the Off-Campus Student Involvement program,
http://www.union.umd.edu/offCampus/resources.htm, are listed reference sheets on important
topics for commuter students. These include transportation options, safety tips, a list of nearby
shopping centers, and other tips. The Moving Guide included on the website offers much practical
information as well.
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The Pathway to Success
Office of Commuter Student Services, SUNY Stony Brook
http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/css/cap.shtml
Stony Brook has in place many different devices to capture commuter student engagement. The
central feature is the Commuter Assistant Program, in which a “seasoned” commuter
undergraduate is paired with a new commuter student for their first year in a mentorship.
Standard features such as a newsletter (The Roads Scholar Newsletter); a commuter student
blog, and a commuter lounge are also found on campus. Stony Brook offers a Traveling Star
award once a semester to a commuter student who has rendered outstanding service to a
campus department. Further, once a semester the university hosts a Commuter Appreciation
Day, a festival held on one of the large campus parking lots. Finally, a Commuter Student
Advisory Board advocates for students, and a commuter student survey is distributed once a year
to assess these aforementioned efforts.
Transfer Student Services
New Student Programs, Radford University
http://www.radford.edu/~nsp
Transfer Services, SUNY Oswego
http://www.oswego.edu/administration/transfer_services/
SUNY Oswego’s Transfer Services office is responsible for creating and maintaining program
agreements with community colleges and other four-year schools, working with other offices
(Admissions, Student Advisement, Extended Learning) to aid transfer student in the transition to
the institution, and advising the transfer student honor society.
Transfer, University of California, Santa Barbara
http://www.sa.ucsb.edu/OSL/fye/firstyear_transfer.html
The UCSB program includes a Transfer Student Center, Transfer Resource Team, Transfer
Success Mixers, and a Transfer Success Course.
Center for Academic Excellence
Center for Academic Excellence, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
http://www.uncp.edu/cae/
The UNCP Center for Academic Excellence is an academic support network that includes services
designed to help students transition into college, clarify their career goals, explore majors, and
get the tutoring, supplemental instruction and guidance they need to be successful.
The University Center for Academic Excellence, UNC Charlotte
http://www.ucae.uncc.edu/
The UCAE is housed in the Division of Academic Services and manages the Learning Lab & Study
Smarter Workshops, Supplemental Instruction, Tutoring, and other related services.
Center for Academic Excellence, Buena Vista University
http://www.bvu.edu/learning_at_bvu/academic_affairs/cae/
The CAE offers tutoring, support for writers, study skill training, and academic courses that
prepare students for success.
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The Pathway to Success
CREATE “SYCAMORE EXPRESS” ONE-STOP CENTERS
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIRS: Domenic Nepote, Melissa Hughes
Introduction and Background
Many universities have co-located selected functions to create “One-Stop Centers” – a single
location where currently enrolled students can go for services related to registration, financial
aid, residence life, parking services, cashier’s office other related functions.
(http://www.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=74). These Centers often share a
service window and individuals in these departments cross-train staff to answer student inquiries
about any of these functions.
Indiana State University has studied creating a One-Stop Center, but seeks to take the concept to
the next level as more and more students rely on e-commerce. This plan would take full
advantage of on-line capabilities, making it as convenient as possible for students to access
services, and pay bills on-line.
The purpose of the ISU approach is to define “One-Stop” from the student experience rather than
the physical elements. That is, in the desired ISU model, students need only make one stop to
access fundamental enrollment management services -- from whatever place is most convenient
to them: on-campus, at home, or at the local coffee shop with Internet access.
This is a multifaceted initiative intended to help students take care of 95% of University business
through a user-friendly, convenient method.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Expand and Diversify Revenues
Basic Elements and Brief Description
Indiana State University has an opportunity to consolidate its existing student support services to
create a service called, “Sycamore Express” — a virtual and physical expression of a one-stop
student services centers. Services part of “Sycamore Express” would initially include:
a. Registration/transcripts
b. Cashier/bursar
c. Financial Aid
d. Scholarship search
e. Campus calendar
f. Parking Services
g. Campus Housing
h. Other support resources
A virtual and physical expression of the “Sycamore Express” could include:
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The Pathway to Success
Multiple physical sites located in existing front-service offices overseen by existing staff
who are cross-trained to deal with issues to at least the second level of three levels. These
areas would include the bursar, financial aid, admissions and the registrar’s office.
A robust web-based virtual one-stop where students could conduct 95% of University
business transactions on-line using credit card payments. The system should provide
access to a virtual advisor and include a national scholarship search that also includes
institutionally-specific merit scholarship.
Relocation of the identification card system from Public Safety to the Admissions Welcome
Center with a satellite id production operation at the front desk of the Student Recreation
Center.
Steps and Timeline
Year One
1. Engage in an operations analysis to assess IT capacity and needs for the virtual as well as
physical one-stops
2. Continue to study the best practices models listed below to identify elements that could be
incorporated into the Sycamore Express.
3. Develop an operating model and implementation plan for Sycamore Express including a
phase-in plan, including:
a. Designing a management plan
b. Staff training across services
c. Renovation and equipment needed to accommodate each element of the one-stop
centers
4. Identify funding
5. Develop the Sycamore Express web page.
6. Design any modifications to existing sites
7. Begin marketing of the virtual Sycamore Express
Year Two
8. Implement Sycamore Express
a. Staffed sites
b. Virtual one-stop
c. Relocation of identification card system
Additional Information and Potential Models
One Stop Center, University of Minnesota
http://onestop.umn.edu/
The University of Minnesota’s One Stop Center is considered an excellent model of service
delivery. It maintains both a bricks and mortar physical location as well as a student-friendly
website.
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The Pathway to Success
One Stop Student Services Center, San Francisco State University
http://www.sfsu.edu/~puboff/onestop.htm
The One Stop Student Services Center is a single location where students can take care of a
range of school-related business, all under one roof. Services offered include advising, bursar,
career center, financial aid, registrar, admissions, and the OneCard office.
Highlander One-Stop Shop, University of California, Riverside
http://www.my.ucr.edu/pdf/SSB_Press_Release.pdf
http://newsroom.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=1988.
The Highlander One-Stop Shop is located on ground floor of new UCR Student Services Building.
It contains the Offices of Undergraduate Student Recruitment; Undergraduate Admissions;
Registrar; Financial Aid; and Student Business Services. The larger Student Services Building
also includes Office of Campus Tours, the Transfer Resource Center, the Cashier's Office, and
other university offices and programs.
One Stop Student Service Center, University of Cincinnati (physical structure and online service)
http://www.onestop.uc.edu/
The home page presents tabs for all necessary student transactions (registering for classes,
academic planning, transcript requests, promissory note signing for loans, etc.) on the side; these
include items usually found on separate financial aid, registrar or other websites. At the bottom
of the home page are links to the FAFSA form and materials, and links for new students to the
New Student Handbook and for parents, there are directions to the Parent Guide (both detailed
PDF handbooks). The site has a very clean and friendly interface, and both prospective and
current students can get the information they need without the usual division by administrative
function.
Service EMU – Your One Stop Service Center, Eastern Michigan University (online)
http://www.emich.edu/serviceemu/
The general Service EMU is not as slickly designed as Cincinnati’s or Minnesota’s, but it conveys
the same information and more. For example, the site includes an Ask-the-Expert area, in which
prospective and current EMU students may receive advice on topics such as admissions, housing,
and financial aid. Because EMU is much more like ISU than the other two cases, EMU’s example
may provide ISU with a model that might be easier to implement, and thus a quick win.
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The Pathway to Success
DEVELOP PROGRAM FOR THE PARENTS AND FAMILIES OF STUDENTS
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIRS: Tara Singer, Freda Luers
Introduction and Background
In fall 2007, 99.76% of first-year students at Indiana State University were 25 years old or
younger. Students in this age group – the Millennial generation – often share close relationships
with their parents, and those relationships continue when the students begin their college studies.
As such, parents today are playing a much larger role in their students’ lives than in the recent
past. This role involves greater participation in their students’ schooling, and many colleges and
universities around the county are embracing their new parent partners.
Currently ISU engages its parent partners through a website, parent orientation and ISU Family
Day, among other activities. This initiative is meant to centralize and increase the University’s
interaction with parents and siblings, who can prove to be an invaluable resource in helping to
keep students in college.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Diversify Revenues
Community Engagement
A Note about Collecting Parent Data
To best understand the needs of ISU parents, it is important to collect comprehensive data on
them and their needs as related to their students’ enrollment. While ISU has started to collect
data about parent involvement in the college selection process, the data needs are much wider
than this discreet issue. Conducting a large-scale parent research project will help to inform
service and programs for this important group.
In addition to collecting research information about parents, the university will also need to
establish a concerted effort to collect parent contact information.
Basic Elements and Brief Description: Administrative Structure and Services
The following items should be included in establishing the appropriate administrative structure
and services for the ISU program for students’ parents and families.
a. Giving the program leader sufficient authority to oversee all aspects of the program.
b. Creating an easy, one-stop website for parents to provide access to relevant programs and
services and the information needed to best support their student’s success.
c. Engaging in comprehensive data collection and analysis examining the needs and wants of
ISU students’ parents and families.
Steps and Timeline: Administrative Structure and Services
Year One
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The Pathway to Success
In the early years, steps should be taken to elevate the importance of the existing parent and
family services as well as to lay a foundation for future services. This should include a framework
for communication that addresses the needs of the many and varied campus groups – Enrollment
Management, Financial Aid, ISU Foundation, Alumni Association, Student Affairs, etc. – that want
a direct line to parents.
1. Give sufficient authority to the leader of this effort to develop new and improve existing
aspects of Parent and Family Programs and oversee its long-term growth.
2. Collect data on what parents require from ISU in order to feel more connected to and a
part of the institution. Additionally, collect data on their “wishes” as related to their
students’ enrollment at ISU, e.g. “if the University could give me a tool I need to help my
student, it would be…”
3. Continue design of a new parent website that will allow parents of ISU students to access
relevant programs and services. The website should be designed to meet parents’
preferences, not for both parents and students. Upon completion, it should provide easy
(two or less clicks from the home page) access to online services such as the student
success program, financial aid, student health services, student recreation, and the Parent
Fund/Foundation.
Year Two
4. Support the leader of this effort in developing new and improved programs and services
under the Parent and Family Programs umbrella.
5. Complete the development of and launch the parent website being sure to include all
services listed above as well as additional relevant services. Use the results of the
research above to inform the content development of the site.
6. Develop and prepare for implementation of a more comprehensive and relevant parent
and family orientation program. The orientation should be modeled on the student
orientation and include workshops, networking, and personal growth opportunities for
parents.
7. Continue to collect and analyze data on parents’ needs and wants, and use that data to
inform program development.
Year Three
8. Support the leader of this effort in developing new and improved programs and services
under the Parent and Family Programs umbrella.
9. Continue to improve the parent website based on feedback and research.
Year Four
10. Employ a full Parent and Family Programs staff to manage all of the programs and services
offered by the department.
11. Continue to improve the parent website based on feedback and research.
Basic Elements and Brief Description: For Parents
More and more, colleges and universities are embracing today’s “helicopter parents” by allowing
them to “land” on campus and play an active, appropriate role in higher education.
a. While ISU currently offers a Family Day early in the fall term, expanding the event to a
Parent and Family Weekend including events, workshops, and ”courses” designed
specifically for parents of first-year students, their siblings, and the students themselves
27
The Pathway to Success
could serve as a retention tool. This weekend experience should make ISU an integral
part of a student’s family.
b. Parents and families should be provided with an ISU sticker or window decal that can be
prominently displayed in a workplace or other “public” venue.
c. Establish a Parent Volunteer Program that connects parents with others in their local area
in activities that support the University’s commitment to community engagement. This
would help to extend the reach of ISU throughout the region. This program will be led by
a University-wide Parents Advisory Committee that could engage more parents in their
students’ educations. Discussions could take place with the ISU Foundation about the
feasibility of linking the Parents Advisory Committee to the Parent Fund and having the
group act as ambassadors of that fund.
d. Formalize and grow the Parent Fund that will allow parents to make donations to special
programs or services at the University and help to bring in additional support for ISU.
e. Grow the existing Parents of Prospective Students (POPS) program to include offering
special scholarships or significant tuition-reduction programs for the siblings of
current/former students and other immediate family members. Offer discounted tuition
and fees to legacy students.
f. Develop and maintain the parent website described above. Ideally, the website would
become a one-stop shop for parents’ needs and desires and contain such items as the
parent newsletter, relevant websites, and appropriate resource information.
Steps and Timeline: For Parents
Year One
1. Coordinate the surveying of parents on their needs and desires as related to their
students’ enrollment at ISU. Involve parents in the development of the interactive parent
website described above.
2. Lay the foundation for a Parent Volunteer Program that connects parents with others in
their local area in community service and other efforts that support the University and
connect parents to ISU’s commitment to community engagement. Begin recruiting
parents to serve on the Parents Advisory Committee, the leadership arm of the volunteer
program.
3. Determine how the Parent Fund, managed by the ISU Foundation, and the leader of the
Parent and Family Programs effort will work together. The administration of the
solicitation and stewardship processes of the Parent Fund should continue to be managed
by the ISU Foundation, but a coordinated effort communications strategy is needed.
4. Complete the project already under way and launch the parent website described above.
The site should be conceived as a one-stop shop for parents’ needs and desires and
contain such items as the parent newsletter, relevant websites, and appropriate resource
information. The content and design of the site should be informed by research and
parental involvement.
Year Two
5. Develop and prepare for implementation a comprehensive and relevant Parent and Family
Orientation Program. The orientation should be modeled on the student orientation and
include workshops, networking, and personal growth opportunities for parents.
6. Introduce the Parent Volunteer Program in conjunction with the launch of the parent
website. The Parents Advisory Committee will lead this effort and take charge of
communicating the existence of the new group with parents and families.
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The Pathway to Success
7. Grow the role that the Parent Fund plays in overall development strategy. Involve the
Parents Advisory Committee in this growth, if appropriate.
8. Begin preparations for Parent and Family Weekend, an expanded version of the current
Family Day program, including events, workshop and courses designed specifically for
parents of first-year students, their siblings, and the students themselves. This weekend
experience should make ISU an integral part of the student’s family.
Year Three
9. Implement the new Parent and Family Orientation Program including workshops,
networking and personal growth opportunities for the parents and siblings of entering ISU
students. The program should be modeled on the most effective practices in this area of
service and should parallel the new student orientation program.
10. Begin to explore growing the existing Parents of Prospective Students (POPS) program to
include offering special scholarships or significant tuition-reduction programs for the
siblings of current/former students and other immediate family members. Investigate
offering discounted tuition and fees to legacy students.
11. Grow the Parent Volunteer Program and task the Parents Advisory Committee with hands-
on involvement in the Parent and Family Orientation Program as well as other regular
campus events.
12. Grow the impact and influence of the Parent Fund in ISU’s overall development strategy.
13. Continue to plan the new Parent and Family Weekend following effective practice in the
field.
Year Four
14. Improve and continue the Parent and Family Orientation Program including workshops,
networking, and personal growth opportunities for the parents and siblings of entering ISU
students.
15. Launch the new Parent and Family Weekend in the fall term.
16. Continue to grow the impact and influence of the Parent Fund in ISU’s overall development
strategy.
17. Continue planning for the growth of the existing Parents of Prospective Students (POPS)
program to include offering special scholarships or significant tuition-reduction programs
for the siblings of current/former students and other immediate family members. Develop
plan for providing for discounted tuition and fees to legacy students.
Year Five
18. Continue to expand the Parent Volunteer Program, involving parents and families in all of
the activities managed by the Parent and Family Programs leadership.
19. Offer an improved version of Parent and Family Weekend in the fall term.
20. Continue to grow the impact and influence of the Parent Fund in ISU’s overall development
strategy.
21. Launch the expanded Parents of Prospective Students (POPS) program including
scholarships and/or tuition-reduction for the siblings of current/former students and other
immediate family members. Offer discounted tuition and fees to legacy students.
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Basic Elements and Brief Description: For Siblings
Engaging the younger siblings of current ISU students provides a rich opportunity for recruitment
and affinity building. Two programs in particular – sibling orientation and a “little sibs” weekend
– are good opportunities for ISU to build relationships with this group.
a. A robust sibling orientation program would allow the younger brothers and sisters of
entering ISU students an opportunity to experience the University at a young age and,
if carefully planned, to form an positive opinion of ISU, in essence being recruiting
while “in diapers”. Four in 10 entering ISU students reported in fall 2007 that they had
either a parent or relative who attended ISU, showing that there already exists a
strong legacy connection at the University. The proposed sibling orientation could
serve to capitalize upon that loyalty and to recruit siblings to the institution efficiently
and effectively.
b. A “little sibs” weekend would bring the younger brothers and sisters of enrolled
students to campus for targeted activities and events.
Steps and Timeline: For Siblings
Year One
1. Begin planning for a 2011 implementation of sibling orientation. This program will be
rolled out with the new parent orientation.
Year Two
2. Continue planning for sibling orientation.
3. Begin preparations for a 2012 implementation of a University-wide “little sibs” weekend.
Year Three
4. Debut sibling orientation in conjunction with parent orientation. This interactive and fun
event should be offered to all school-aged siblings of enrolling students.
5. Continue planning for the 2012 implementation of “little sibs” weekend.
Year Four
6. Offer an improved sibling orientation program in conjunction with parent and family
orientation.
7. Debut a University-wide “little sibs” program for the school-aged siblings of enrolled
students.
Year Five
8. Continually evaluate and improve the “little sibs” and sibling orientation programs while
offering them on a yearly basis.
Additional Information and Potential Models
Office of New Student and Parent Programs, University of Alabama
http://www.parents.ua.edu/index.html
The Office of New Students and Parents closely ties support for university students with outreach
to parents. The office’s website provides a variety of services for parents, including a full
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University of Alabama Parent’s Handbook; email notification of important campus events and
academic deadlines; a Parents’ Orientation; Family Weekend; a robust Parents Association (which
also operates a care package business for Alabama parents: www.from-mom.com/ua, and a
newsletter, the UA Family Connection.
During Parents’ Orientation, there is a simultaneous Sibling Orientation, offering high school
students who have brothers and sisters at Alabama the opportunity to learn more about the
university. Finally, there are two dozen Parent Ambassadors, undergraduate students whose job
is to advise and counsel parents on any questions they have about student life or other university
issues.
Parents Office, Miami University (Ohio)
http://www.miami.muohio.edu/parents/
Miami has placed its parent programs high in the organizational chart, indicating the seriousness
with which the university approaches these issues. Special outreach and information is offered to
parents of students participating in fraternities and sororities. A Parents Advisory Committee
meets twice per academic year. The Department of Housing, Dining, and Guest Services is
beginning a summer storage program for students and is promoting the program with parents.
As with other model programs, there is a Parents Weekend in the fall, a parent’s newsletter, and
a listserv for all university parents.
Office of Parent Programs, University of North Texas
http://www.unt.edu/ssp/parents/index.html.
North Texas maintains many of the programs offered in the other models here, including Parents
Orientation (held concurrently with Student and Transfer Orientation); a Parents Association;
newsletter; and a Family Weekend. North Texas also throws Summer Sendoff parties for its
incoming students in 15 cities across Texas, and sponsors a Sunday Fun Day for parents and their
kids moving in before the fall semester.
North Texas’s website offers extensive information on various topics, and goes beyond other
institutions in explaining “extra” topics, such as social networking, Face book, etc., and including
the slideshow presentations of all the orientation programming for parents who were unable to
attend, along with a reading list for parents regarding the modern college student.
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The Pathway to Success
INCREASE EARLY OUTREACH TO STUDENTS IN REGION
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Richard Toomey
Introduction and Background
In fall 2007, 72.09% of the students who enrolled as freshmen at Indiana State University were
between the ages of 17 and 19. It is safe to assume that a majority of these students enrolled at
ISU almost immediately after completing their high school education and that many of them,
especially those who are the first in their family to attend college, relied on school resources –
special programs, teachers, counselors, administrators, etc. – for information about college.
Influencing students early and often in their educational experiences would help to spark their
interest in ISU as their college of choice.
While ISU already communicates with area students who are finishing their high school careers, it
does not make a coordinated effort to reach younger students. Starting to communicate with
students in 8th, 9th, and 10th grades would encourage them to consider ISU as a strong choice in
their college planning.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Enhance Community Engagement
Basic Elements and Brief Description
While friends, parents, and others play a role in a student’s college selection process, two
important sources of information are their teachers and school counselors. Building relationships
with these two groups of individuals as well as with students themselves will help to generate
interest in ISU as a college of choice and assist in recruiting more students from regional high
schools. Activities in this program would include:
a. Revitalizing and expanding the impact of the College Challenge Program. As the program
develops, this would also include encouraging professional relationships between ISU
faculty and secondary school teachers by making ISU faculty available as discipline-related
resources or in terms of discipline-specific pedagogy; and providing meaningful, relevant
professional development opportunities for teachers and guidance counselors.
b. Maximizing relationships with area schools through existing programs such as those in
music and economics, and Project Lead the Way.
c. Assisting teachers and guidance counselors with navigating and most effectively using the
ISU website by including a prominently displayed and up-to-date link specific to their
needs either from the ISU homepage or on the Admissions main page.
d. Encouraging the alumni and university community volunteers to meet regularly with high
school teachers and guidance counselors in their geographic region to share information on
exciting developments at the University, answer questions, and gather data on prospective
students in their local schools.
e. Holding a “view day” for teachers and guidance counselors once a year during which the
groups would visit campus, be engaged with ISU staff and faculty (perhaps through taking
mini seminars or workshops), and have an opportunity to form a positive relationship with
ISU.
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f. Designating a liaison in the Admissions Office who would be responsible for regularly
communicating with teachers and guidance counselors through an email newsletter,
listserv, or other advanced technology.
Steps and Timeline
Year One
1. Identify the high schools that shall be considered primary feeder schools to ISU.
2. Develop a communication campaign to be used to communicate about ISU with 8th, 9th, and
10th grade students at area high schools.
a. Include materials that can be emailed and mailed to students.
b. Create a publication specifically aimed at these individuals.
3. Purchase the names of students at ISU’s primary feeder schools. Make those students the
target of the communication effort outlined above as well as efforts aimed at high school
juniors and seniors.
4. Continue to make progress on revitalizing and expanding the College Challenge Program,
including:
a. Providing opportunities for high school faculty and ISU faculty to interact, share
ideas, and otherwise work together.
b. Providing meaningful and relevant opportunities for area high school teachers and
guidance counselors to engage in professional development, especially as is
required to assist them in staying current with their State licensing requirements.
5. Invite the high school faculty, counselors, and administration at the primary feeder schools to
a series of “Meet the President” receptions at the President’s residence.
a. Include selected ISU faculty and recent graduates of those high schools. The
President and faculty should speak, and students tell their ISU story, their
experiences, and the qualities that motivate them to attend and remain at ISU.
b. Allow the high school faculty, guidance counselors, and administrators to speak
about their needs and what the University can do to assist them in getting the ISU
story to their students.
6. Develop communications plans for special populations. Consider working through community-
based organizations and local school-sponsored programs. For example:
a. Connect with minority students through community centers or local churches.
b. Engage high academic achievers enrolled in Gifted and Talented Programs.
c. Draw students interested in technology through Project Lead the Way.
Year Two
5. Create a portal for high school teachers and guidance counselors on the ISU home page with
prominence similar to that for potential donors to the University, in recognition that students
are the purpose and financial life blood of the institution.
6. When holding ISU alumni events, regardless of location, invite the local high school teachers,
counselors, and administrators so that they can learn about the latest developments and
advantages of ISU; and so that local alumni are able to network with them.
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7. Create a one-day marquee status summer program for high school guidance counselors,
inviting all –whether local, regional, or statewide – to a combined information/professional
development program to bring them up to date on the latest at ISU and hear and discuss
current issues in their profession.
8. Enhance the Summer Honors program for academically-advanced students.
9. Develop a plan for involving parents in targeted recruitment efforts.
a) Offer financial planning/aid workshops at local high schools.
10. Develop and implement a student mentor program, and engage ISU students as mentors.
Additional Information and Potential Models
“Howdy, High School Guidance Counselors!”, Texas A&M
http://admissions.tamu.edu/counselors/default.aspx
Literally shouting “Howdy, High School Guidance Counselors”, Texas A&M warmly welcomes
counselors to their admissions site. Unlike most other universities, on the main admissions page
is a tab for high school counselors. Within the website, there are instructions on using the
Counselor listserv, available to all high school counselors by email, and directions on using the
Counselor Hotline, a 24-hour telephone line through which Admissions Counselors will be
available to speak with guidance counselors (as well as applicants and their families) regarding
admissions/applications questions.
The most important feature is the Counselors’ Summer Institute, hosted by Texas A&M every
June. High school counselors are invited to campus for three days to be advised of the
university’s admissions processes, and to learn of all the services the university provides for
students.
Information for Guidance Counselors, Lake Superior State University
http://www.lssu.edu/admissions/counselor.php
The Office of Admissions includes a webpage exclusively for guidance counselors. Information
provided includes a college planning guide, a detailed Frequently Asked Questions Section, and an
electronic version of the course catalog.
Most importantly, Lake Superior State offers guidance counselors opportunities to either a) make
an individual visit to campus; or b) visit with the admissions staff at one of several programs
hosted jointly by Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, and Northern Michigan University (the
public colleges in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula). The latter events are held at pubs and restaurants
with free food provided. With regard to the former, if a guidance counselor makes an individual
visit to Lake Superior State’s campus, she receives one night free lodging, a personal campus
tour, meetings with faculty, a free meal at the dining hall, and free tickets to a university sporting
event. These efforts—while necessary to market a far-flung northern university to a skeptical
southern Michigan—are both gracious and clever (and they work).
For Guidance Counselors, Ohio University
http://www.ohio.edu/admissions/counselor/
Ohio University has a separate webpage for guidance counselors on its undergraduate admissions
site, with standard information regarding the university in general and specific admissions
requirements included. What is notable is Ohio University’s participation in the Heart of Ohio
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Guidance Counselor Tour. This is a free event sponsored by OU, John Carroll University, Kent
State University, Ohio State University, Otterbein College, Marietta College, and Case Western
Reserve University. The tour begins and ends in Cleveland, with motor coach transportation,
lodging, and meals paid for by the participating institutions. The program, which begins with an
orientation pertaining to all the participating institutions, offers guidance counselors a chance to
see in person the different types of higher education choices from which their students may
select.
Special Outreach, Ball State University
http://www.bsu.edu/outreach/
The mission of the Office of Special Outreach Programs is to continue to build a legacy of diversity
and academic excellence at Ball State University by effectively recruiting students of
color. Special Outreach Programs will provide prospective students life-changing experiences
through a variety of enriching activities that enhance the greater understanding, awareness and
appreciation of higher education.
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The Pathway to Success
Achieving greater impact on student success through residential life
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Rex Kendall
Introduction and Background
The Residential Life Office supports the University mission and provides services through the
coordinated efforts of two specific areas: Residential Programs and Housing Services. Residential
Programs is comprised of two Assistant Directors specifically focused on supervision of residence
hall staff, academic collaboration, programming, community development, conduct, diversity, and
leadership. Housing Services is comprised of two Assistant Directors focused on the custodial,
maintenance, and renovation/new construction of residence halls. The two areas are supported
by a number of dedicated staff ensuring quality services to residential students. The efforts of
the two areas are coordinated and directed by the Direction of the Department.
Specific areas related to Residential Programs:
• Hall Staff
• Academic Collaboration
• Student Engagement and Campus Life
• Environment
• Diversity
• Leadership
In addition, Residential Life and Sodexo Corporation form a unique partnership providing
outstanding food service to residential students and the entire ISU Community.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Advance Experiential Learning
Basic Elements and Descriptions
In order to most effectively address retention issues at Indiana State University, Residential Life
will play a role in three key areas:
Staffing and Administration
Programming
Partnerships
Staffing and Administration
Making strategic changes to the way the Residential Life staff is structured will help to support
new and continuing programmatic efforts in the department. Focusing on training around
retention and partnerships with academic entities will further reinforce Residential Life’s key role
in student success.
Programming
On-campus residents spend a great deal of time in their residence hall. Ideally, they use their
social time “at home” in their hall to form friendships with other students and, as a result, feel
more a part of the campus community. Participating in programs and accessing services that
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The Pathway to Success
assist students in making friends and getting involved is a central component of the residential
experience. The Residential Life office has limitless opportunities to offer academic, social,
community building, and other programs that will have a direct impact on success.
Partnerships
Each ISU faculty and staff member is responsible for student success, and Residential Life has the
advantage of being able to provide a comfortable context in which partnerships between those
individuals can touch an individual student’s experience. Working with faculty members to offer
special events in the halls, partnering with a community agency on a service project, or linking up
with the administrators overseeing the implementation of MapWorks will help to move Residential
Life to the center of the student success effort.
Steps for Achieving Greater Impact on Student Success through Residential Life
Timeline for Implementation
To achieve the goals of phasing-in this plan, activities will begin immediately and be assessed for
effectiveness over the next few years. Programming and staffing/administrative improvements
can occur rather quickly, while the building of partnerships will require sufficient time for full
development. Assessment of student growth, learning, and development as a result of changes
within Residential Life will be measured by use of the University Learning Outcomes Assessment
(UniLOA).
Year One
• Development and delivery of staff training to place an increased emphasis on student
retention
• Train Academic Peer Advocates to engage students and assist with first-year transition
issues.
• Development of a “picture roster” of residents living in the residence halls prior to arrival to
assist staff in learning students’ names
• Establish new expectations for Resident Assistants including participation in campus events
such as athletics, speaker series, concerts, and community service projects.
• Require Resident Assistants, Academic Program Assistants, and Community Assistants to
participate in MyPlan.
• Familiarize staff with the MapWorks retention tool aimed at assisting first-year students with
transition and engagement issues.
• Revise the job description for the Assistant Hall Director responsible for the Academic Peer
Advocates staff.
• Maximize the effectiveness of the new Residential Life Retention Committee and the revised
Diversity Committee.
• Investigate the possibility of creating a resident hall “concierge” program that would assist
students in planning participating in campus events and accessing various other services.
• Offer more incentives to entice faculty to work with first-year students in the residence halls.
• Focus Residence Life programming on community building and participation in larger
community events versus the traditional “floor programs”.
• Explore the possibility of including extended tutoring hours, mentoring, academic advising,
and University 101 in the FYI area.
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• Use MapWorks data on student transitions to develop new groups focused on area such as
mentoring, academic achievement, personal development, leadership, and others as
required.
• Implement study hours in the FYI area.
• Explore the concept of expanding the Academic Theme Housing program.
Partner with colleagues across campus to ensure residential student success:
1. Associate Vice President for Student Success to offer academic supporting services in the
FYI area
2. Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management on successful implementation of MapWorks
retention software.
3. Financial Aid related to material for on-going programming around money-related issues.
4. Student Activities and Organizations on leadership initiatives.
5. Communications and Marketing to include up-to-date information and events on the Parent
Pages website as well as in the Parent Link newsletter.
• Implement the African American Male Mentoring Program under the leadership of the
Diversity Committee.
• Offer on-going programs informing students of opportunities to acquire money including
scholarships, aid, loans, and employment opportunities.
• Collaborate with the Associate Vice President for Student Success on housing related
retention and success strategies for first-year students.
Year Two
• Increase the number of Academic Peer Advocates working in FYI.
• Continue efforts to maximize the effectiveness of the new Residential Life Retention
Committee and the revised Diversity Committee.
• Investigate the possibility of creating a resident hall “concierge” program that would assist
students in planning participating in campus events and accessing various other services.
• Based on assessment results, continue focusing efforts to offer more incentives to entice
faculty to work with first-year students in the residence halls.
• Continue efforts of the first year in the extension of tutoring hours, mentoring, academic
advising, and University 101 in the FYI area.
• Continue to use MapWorks data on student transitions to develop new groups focused on
area such as mentoring, academic achievement, personal development, leadership, and
others as required.
• Implement the ideas developed in the first year to continue efforts to expand the Academic
Theme Housing program.
• Provide expanded program space for the Nursing program in Sandison Hall when that
residence hall building comes “back on line.”
• Introduce FYI Achievement Awards for FYI floor residents recognizing distinguishing
characteristics such as:
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1. Greatest number of students involved in:
2. Student organizations (hall government, SGA, etc.)
3. Homecoming events
4. Intramurals
5. Community service
6. SRC events
7. MyPlan
8. Highest Grade Point Average
• Introduce “Music Fest” incorporating student and faculty groups and diverse populations.
• Continue the development and expansion of partnerships with colleagues across campus to
ensure residential student success.
• Initiate planning process for improved fraternity and sorority facilities.
Year Three
• Begin implementing plans for enhanced fraternity and sorority facilities.
• Continued focus on each staffing, programming, and partnerships initiatives instituted in the
first two years and modify if necessary.
• Continue focus on the building of partnerships and collaboration with units across campus,
including First-Year Programs, academic departments, and faculty.
• Continue assessment efforts to assist in evaluation of programming effectiveness as
measured by student growth, learning, and development.
Year Four
• Complete fraternity and sorority facilities enhancement project.
• Continued focus on each staffing, programming, and partnerships initiatives instituted in the
first two years and modify if necessary.
• Continue focus on the building of partnerships and collaboration with units across campus,
including First-Year Programs, academic departments, and faculty.
• Continue assessment efforts to assist in evaluation of programming effectiveness as
measured by student growth, learning, and development.
Year Five
• Continued focus on each staffing, programming, and partnerships initiatives instituted in the
first two years and modify if necessary.
• Continue focus on the building of partnerships and collaboration with units across campus,
including First-Year Programs, academic departments, and faculty.
• Continue assessment efforts to assist in evaluation of programming effectiveness as
measured by student growth, learning, and development.
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The Pathway to Success
ENHANCE GRADUATE EDUCATION AT INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Jay Gatrell
Introduction and Background
In 2008-2009, graduate education accounted for approximately 20% of Indiana State University’s
headcount enrollment. Graduate headcount enrollments have experienced steady growth in both
overall numbers and as a percentage of overall university enrollments over the last 10 years. In
1998-99 graduate headcount enrollment was 14.8% of the total and in 2003-04 it was 15.4%.
This initiative focuses on four aspects of graduate education at ISU:
Academic Programs
Educational Experience
Impact on Faculty
Graduate Student Services
Connection to Strategic Priorities
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Enhance Community Engagement
Strengthen and Leverage Programs of Strength and Promise
Recruit and Retain Great Faculty and Staff
Basic Elements and Brief Description
Academic Programs
The need for new or enhanced academic programs at the graduate level and, if so, in what areas,
would be a part of this initiative. The initiative would focus need (e.g., enhancing existing
programs, new programs, and expanded services) based on the overarching strategic priorities of
the University, e.g., enhancing community engagement; leveraging programs of strength and
promise.
Educational Experience
The initiative would also focus on what is needed in order for graduate students to have an
optimal intellectual experience. Some typical activities that could be considered are:
Expanded and enhanced culminating experiences including internships and other
professional opportunities;
Participation in extramurally funded research experiences;
Participation in community-based learning and research;
Participation in professional and/or discipline-based conferences and/or workshops; and
Expanded and enhanced participation in the Graduate Student Association and other
student organizations
Impact on Faculty
Strong graduate programs can assist in attracting strong faculty as well as enhancing faculty
research and grants. This initiative would address how to strengthen the link between graduate
students and the faculty, for the benefit of both and, ultimately, the University as a whole.
Graduate Student Services
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The initiative would also focus on what is needed by graduate students to feel a part of the
University, complete their degrees, and receive the kind of support they need to move to the next
phase of their lives, whether it be and advanced degree or progressing in their chosen
professional.
Steps and Timeline
Year One
1. Under the leadership of the ISU Graduate Council, gather relevant information and
facilitate a university-wide conversation about the future of graduate programs at the
University. Background information would include:
• Data on graduate student interests relative to observed enrollment patterns,
graduation rates, and total applications by program, as well as career goals and
expectations
• Regional needs and academic programs needed to meet them
• Programs being offered by ISU competitors and gaps that ISU could fill
• Establish benchmarks—based on peer institutions and/or programs—for extramural
research activity
Topics for university-wide conversation would include:
• The “strategic position” of graduate programs, relative to ISU’s overall mission and
goals, e.g., enhancing community engagement, leveraging distinctive programs,
attracting top faculty
• Guiding principles for the development of graduate programs at ISU
• Appropriate instructional delivery models, including in-person, online and hybrid
approaches
• The role of graduate education in enhancing the intellectual life of the faculty,
undergraduate education and the university as a whole
• Based on the background information, strategic position and guiding principles,
determine areas where opportunities exist to expand, redefine or contract existing
programs; and introduce new programs
• Linkages between graduate education and competitive extramural research
activities
2. Conduct an assessment of the scope and quality of the student services for graduate
students. Determine what services are needed and reasonable. The analysis should
include:
• The role of the Graduate Student Association
• The possible addition of other graduate student organizations
• Role of Career Development and Planning for graduate students (e.g., work with
campus units to expand and target support services to meet the needs of graduate
students)
• Experiential learning opportunities on campus and in the community
Year Two
3. Based on the work outlined in steps 1 and 2, formulate the goals, objectives, and
strategies that will guide all aspects of graduate education at ISU, including academic
offerings, student services, resource allocation, etc.
4. Identify funding requirements for implementing the plan
5. Develop a phased implementation plan that takes into account highest need, greatest
opportunity and cost.
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Year Three and Beyond
6. In accordance with the implementation plan, evaluate initiative progress based on the
plan’s objectives.
Additional Information and Potential Models
To be determined in step one.
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ENHANCE THE GATHERING AND USE OF INFORMATION
TO ADVANCE ISU’S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Ed Kinley
Introduction and Background
ISU has been historically data rich and information poor. Moreover, the University has not
traditionally fully leveraged the power of the data that it collects to gain a better understanding of
operational dynamics (for example student success), to inform decision-making or to monitor
progress toward goal achievement at the institutional level.
This initiative builds on the extensive existing data available in the University’s administrative
systems and various stand alone office level systems by:
1. Capturing additional key pieces of information describing student and employee activities
(often termed co-curricular data)
2. Developing a better understanding of student behavior with particular emphasis on co-
curricular activities, community engagement, experiential learning activities, etc.
3. Selecting and implementing appropriate data warehousing tools that will afford senior
administration direct and immediate access to information housed in the data repositories
4. Developing information based models (factor analysis) predictive of student success to
support the tailoring of services and to support the selection, development and
implementation of early intervention strategies
5. Disseminating useful and needed information to students and employees proactively
through the University Portal and other systems supporting the academic enterprise (for
example student early alerts that inform students of potential problems, text message
services that automatically inform students of course announcement, assignments, grade
postings, etc.)
In addition to improving information provided to students, developing profiles that allow the
university to better understand and predict student success, and driving data-based decision
making, the products of this initiative will allow the University to better monitor progress toward
the achievement of stated goals and initiatives and to better tell the University’s story in the
areas of experiential learning and community engagement by capturing and reporting information
that has not been historically found in traditional academic records.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Recruit and Retain Great Faculty and Staff
Basic Elements and Brief Description
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1. Student co-curricular data – is a term that is generally used to define a broad range of
activities engaged in by students that fall outside of, but usually complement, the regular
academic curriculum that constitutes, in aggregate, the knowledge represented by a given
course, program or degree. Higher education has increasingly understood that the
education derived from college is the totality of the experiences obtained both inside and
outside of the classroom and the knowledge obtained in traditional academic programs.
Capturing co-curricular student activities will allow the University to better understand the
students who attend college, to better tailor services to student interest as well as need,
and to prospectively develop strategies to help ensure student success.
2. Student profiles (particular emphasis on student success, engagement and experiential
learning and factor analysis - predictive modeling can be described as the process by
which observed data is organized into an abstract or logical representations that can
subsequently be used to best predict the probability of outcomes. Predictive models will
allow the University to provide early interventions before the student is aware of issues
and barriers to successful achievement of their goals and completion of their intended
degrees.
3. Data warehouse, executive information reporting tools and data-driven decision making
public calls for accountability and budgetary pressure have placed increasing pressure on
higher education to maximize the use of resources and to ensure that available funds and
efforts are applied effectively to allow institutions to realize strategic goals and improve
operational efficiency. There has been a decided move toward formalized information
based planning and management as well as performance metric tracking. Some of the
more visible areas that can drive key performance indicators designed to help achieve
defined goals and results include: recruiting, service, effectiveness, retention, enrollment
management, student outcomes, financial performance, early Intervention, etc. Goal
achievement in these and other areas requires a structured performance information
management process and efficient and timely access to accurate reliable information.
4. Information dissemination – as critical as data collection and analysis are in the
transformation of data into information, the effective dissemination of the resultant
information to the right individuals in a timely manner is critical to ensuring the value of
that information in solving problems and improving performance. Information must be
presented in appropriate and understandable ways for students, faculty and administrators
so they are able to take effective and informed action. Information must be synthesized,
organized and presented in a manner that allows the consumer of that information to
make informed decisions. Having meaningful information readily available is equally
important for the student as he/she proceeds through their academic career as it is for the
faculty or administrators who are making curricular or managerial decisions that impact
the operation of the institution.
Steps and Timeline
Year One
1. Identify and implement strategies that support the capture and reporting of co-curricular
data activities.
2. Use the information developed from #1 above to tailor services and support that will
improve student outcomes.
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3. Select and implement data warehouse and reporting tools to support data-driven decision
making related to student data contained in the University administrative systems.
4. Implement data warehouse and reporting tools to support data-driven decision making
related to financial data contained in the University administrative systems.
5. Identify and implement a set of performance metrics and reporting tools in support
strategic plan goals and initiatives.
6. Design and implement student information alerts (for example – Blackboard
announcements, assignments, grades, etc. delivered by text message).
7. Utilize the University Portal system to provide information to students that alert them to
the status of elements (billing, holds, etc.) that can affect registration.
8. Develop and implement appropriate factor analysis to allow key decision makers to better
understand and predict student outcomes.
Year Two
9. Further refine and expand the use of co-curricular data captured in #1 above to provide
increased granularity of the student profile.
10. Investigate and tailor the use of co-curricular data in support of co-curricular transcripts
11. Expand the capture of co-curricular data to include activities of employees (for example
those related to public or community service, awards, recognitions, etc.)
12. Select and implement data warehouse and reporting tools to support data-driven decision
making related to human resource and personnel data contained in the University
administrative systems.
13. Expand the delivery of information to students via mobile and portable devices such as cell
phones, PDA’s, netbooks, laptops, etc.
Year Three and Beyond
14. Expand the use of both student and employee co-curricular data to tailor the University
experience and to leverage student and employee interest.
15. Expand the use of both student and employee co-curricular data to promote the University
contributions and involvement in the areas of experiential learning and community
engagement.
Additional Information and Potential Models
~~ To Be Determined ~~
Possible examples: University of North Carolina; St. Johns University; Drexel University; Others?
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ADVANCE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR:
Nancy Rogers, associate vice president for experiential learning and community engagement,
nancy.rogers@indstate.edu
GOAL TWO: Advance experiential learning to where all ISU students have a
significant experiential learning experience within their major.
OBJECTIVES:
1. By 2014, increase the percentage of students who participate in internships, practicums
and field experiences before graduation to 100 percent.
2. By 2014, increase the percentage of degree programs with a required significant
experiential learning component to 100 percent.
3. Increase the participation in experiential learning each year, until 100 percent of ISU
students engage in at least one significant field experience within their major before
graduation.
4. By 2014, more than double the percentage of students who participate in international
(non-credit and for-credit) experiences before graduation.
Baseline data and targets for 2014 for experiential learning objectives:
FALL 2008 FALL 2014 CHANGE
% of seniors who participated 82%a 100% +18%
in an internship, practicum or
field experience
% of degree programs 55% 100% +45%
programs with required
experiential learning
component
% of graduates who participated TBD* 100% TBD*
in a significant experiential
learning experience within their
major
% of seniors who participated in 12%a 25% +13%
an international learning experience
a
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Spring 2007 report
*Number will be established at the end of the first year when the data are reviewed and
reconciled.
INITIATIVES
There are three initiatives for achieving the objectives and, collectively, realizing Goal Two:
1. Infuse experiential learning as a core component in all academic programs
2. Apply the science of learning to the learning of science
3. Coordinate and elevate leadership studies
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INFUSE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AS A CORE COMPONENT IN ALL ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Harriet Hudson, Christopher Olsen
Introduction and Background
Colleges and universities across all sectors of American higher education, including Indiana State,
have adopted experiential learning as a key element of the teaching-learning process.
Community engagement has grown in parallel with experiential learning and can be directly
connected. Indeed, the opening section of a 2004 American Association of State Colleges and
Universities Administrators (AASCU) report, “Democracy and Civic Engagement,” ends as follows:
“Our commitment to our students, and to our democracy, must be a college education that gives
our students, both the intellectual understanding and practical experiences they need to become
engaged and active citizens.”
This initiative leverages Indiana State University’s commitment to both community engagement
and experiential learning. By design, it calls for linkages and collaboration with many other
initiatives in the strategic plan and ongoing activities of the University. It is based on the premise
that, through direct involvement with regional and national issues, students learn can apply their
knowledge to real life situations and emerge as graduates who are both wise to the ways of the
world and socially responsible.
It is assumed that the work outlined in this initiative would be coordinated by the Center for
Public Service and Community Engagement (CPSCE).
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This following set of initiatives relates to all of the six strategic priorities, but is most directly to:
Advance Experiential Learning
Enhance Community Engagement
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Basic Elements and Brief Descriptions
Several initiatives could be used to advance experiential learning, some grounded in civic
engagement and social responsibility:
1. Establishing a sequential set of experiences both in the classroom and outside of the
classroom.
a. Emphasize experiential learning and social responsibility throughout the first-year
experience. Starting with Donaghy Day, the first-year service experience scheduled
during new student orientation, community engagement and experiential learning
should be a hallmark of the first-year experience. Other components of the first-year
experience should include:
i. Learning communities organized around a common theme with an experiential
component – The current learning community structure is two or more courses
linked by integrated assignments, a collaborative team of faculty members, and
a Learning Community Peer Assistant (LCPA), who is an upper-division student
leader.
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ii. Class legacy service project – The premise of the class legacy service project is
that each entering class chooses an issue that is important to them and
participates in service projects and other co-curricular activities related to the
issue throughout their first year. Related programming could be coordinated by
Residential Life, Student Activities and Organizations, Center for Public Service
and Community Engagement, and first-year courses. The program could be
launched each year during Donaghy Day and concluded at the end of April on
Global Youth Service Day.
b. Support early career/professional experience. For many students, an internship
completed during the junior or senior year is the first opportunity to apply classroom
knowledge in a professional setting. The Career Center currently offers a summer job
shadow/internship experience for a small number of students after completion of their
freshman or sophomore year. Opportunities for additional first and second year
students to explore and understand career opportunities could be created by expanding
the job shadow/internship program and increasing opportunities for students to gain
“real world” work experiences through para-professional part-time jobs and on-
campus internships.
c. Community engagement and experiential learning should be incorporated throughout
the college experience, including a culminating experience that is required of each
student. These experiences could include study abroad, internships/clinical
experiences, student teaching or undergraduate research projects.
2. Create experiential learning opportunities across the curriculum and in the student
life/residential life area.
a. Service-Learning Scholars program - A “service-learning scholars” program would
enroll students early in their academic career and recognize, at graduation, students
who have made a significant commitment to community service.
b. Focus on undergraduate research – The opportunity for undergraduate students to
complete collaborative research with a faculty member is important for a variety of
reasons. Participation in undergraduate research improves mastery of data, methods,
and theory and increases engagement with the university and academic program.
Publication of research is a good indicator to employers, scholarship committees, and
graduate programs that the student is motivated, a strong writer, and deemed worthy
of collaboration by a faculty member. Improving opportunities for undergraduate
research will benefit students across the University.
The development of a formal undergraduate research program, including a
designated undergraduate research coordinator, is recommended. The research
coordinator will work faculty, to assist students in identifying disciplinary mentors,
developing formal research plans, and identifying appropriate publication and
conference outlets. An Undergraduate Research Celebration held on the campus each
spring would provide additional opportunities for students to share the outcomes of
their research. A portion of the resources of the undergraduate research program
could be dedicated to helping students conduct collaborative research with community
members in order to impact local and regional critical issues.
c. Study Abroad, Travel, and Cultural Exploration programs – Additional opportunities
should be developed for students who have an interest in an experience abroad, but
are unable to participate in a full-semester program. Examples could include weeklong
international service trips (similar to the Alternative Spring Break program) or
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faculty/staff led international co-curricular trips to visit cultural sites, social institutions,
and business and industry.
d. Honors program – Collaborate with the University Honors Program Office to consider
transitioning the Honors Program to an Honors College. This contributes to this
strategic priority by increasing experiential learning opportunities for highly motivated
and/or gifted students. Features of an expanded Honors College include Honors-
dedicated faculty, staffing for co-curricular programming, and increased programming
focused on preparing students for advanced study, increasing undergraduate research,
increasing and enhancing service-learning opportunities in the Honors program, and
increasing opportunities for study abroad and short-term travel/cultural exploration
experiences.
3. Strengthen and further support the ISU Center for Public Service and Community
Engagement and Career Center in providing coordination and networking of
opportunities for service-learning and internships for students and programs where
such support is necessary.
4. Create a formal independent study internship experience. At least 40 internship courses
currently are offered at ISU. The requirements for these courses vary greatly, ranging from a
requirement of 100 hours of service to 600 hours. Some internship courses require a local
placement. Others allow for placements throughout the state, nation or world. All current
internship courses are linked to a particular academic program of study. A formal
independent study internship experience would provide greater flexibility for many students.
It would provide a mechanism for students who would like to complete multiple internships for
academic credit. A student could complete a required internship for the major and an
additional independent study internship. This may be especially attractive to students who
would like to complete an intensive experience, but whose major internship requires minimal
hours. The independent study internship also may be attractive to students who are required
to complete an internship with a particular type of employer, but would also like an intensive
experience related to a broad social issue. Finally, the independent study internship would
meet the needs of students who would like to complete an internship but do not have an
opportunity within their major or minor program of study.
5. Link internships with study at other colleges and universities. - Increase internship
opportunities – The development of a “Study in America” program would provide opportunities
for students to complete internships or related intensive learning experiences in major cities
(or rural areas) outside of the region. The University would develop a support structure to
provide mentoring and help students with logistical arrangements, including finding housing.
The “Study in America” program would facilitate student participation in the programs of
independent organizations, like the Washington Center for Internships and Academic
Seminars, and programs based at other higher education institutions, such as the Indianapolis
Peace Institute.
Steps and Timeline
Year One
Establishing the Base-Line
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1. Identify all current curricular and co-curricular offerings at both the undergraduate and
graduate levels at ISU which can be categorized as experiential learning:
a. Programs associated with the First-Year Experience
b. Internships, practica, field experiences
c. Collaborative student-faculty research
d. A Collaborative ISU student-faculty-staff service project
e. Organized service-learning project, including reflection on knowledge gained
f. An ISU business venture involving students
g. Last-year capstone experience
h. An ISU fund-raising venture involving students
i. Work experience opportunities for students in offices, labs, libraries, residence halls, etc.
o Fashion an ISU rubric for the purpose of rating each of the items identified in steps #1 and #2
above, (along with elements that may be added to these lists) for its fit with the concept of
experiential learning espoused by the university. This rubric should use a three category
scale:
A = Fits clearly the ISU concept of experiential learning
B = Could fit the ISU concept of experiential learning if minor changes were made
C = Would not fit the ISU concept of experiential learning even if changes were made
3. Gather base line data on the extent to which undergraduate and graduate students at ISU are
or have been engaged in any of the “A” or “B” category items at ISU during 2008-09 or 2009-
10. These data can be gathered through a systematic representative survey tool and through
a representative analysis of student transcripts. This might be a valuable addition to an
already existing ISU graduating student exit survey, for example.
Year Two
Data Analysis, Reflection, and Recommendations
4. Carefully analyze the data gathered in the first-year. Determine the percentages of native
undergraduate students, transfer undergraduate students, and graduate students in each
college who are having “A” level experiential learning curricular or co-curricular experiences
and “B” level experiential learning curricular or co-curricular experiences. Identify key linkages
and programs (e.g., with First-Year Experience, student/faculty research, capstone
experience) that will advance experiential learning.
5. Establish target percentages (by college and by educational level: native undergraduate
students, transfer undergraduate students, and graduate students) for experiential learning
involvement. These targets should increase annually for the next three years so that by
2013-2014 at each level and in each college the targets are high enough to fulfill ISU’s
aspirations with regard to experiential learning.
6. To assist in the achievement of these targets, address level “B” [as evaluated on the ISU
rubric in step #4 above] experiences. Recommend augmentations and adjustments in these
activities such that they would qualify as level “A” activities. This will increase the students’
opportunities, expand offerings and enhance experiential learning by making it even more
pervasive in the ISU academic and co-curricular culture. A program of small internal grants
($3,000 - $5,000 each) might facilitate these efforts.
7. Development new programs and consortia agreements to provide ISU students with
exceptional learning opportunities, e.g.,
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a. Student exchanges with other US and international universities
b. Study abroad programs which feature service learning opportunities
c. Internships with alumni located in major cities around the nation
d. Internships with businesses and NGO’s participating in ISU’s rural initiatives
e. Media arts, museum, and performance internships in New York, Chicago & LA
8. Address the needs of undeclared undergraduates to assure that general education offerings
include “A” level courses, to insure that the co-curricular programming in the residence halls
for freshmen and sophomores includes “A” level projects and programs. And, where possible,
upgrade “B” level offerings, projects and programs to “A” level.
Year Three and On-Going
Institutionalization of Experiential Learning
9. In order to assist ISU in achieving its participation targets at all educational levels and in each
of the colleges, propose further enhancements and expansion to the list of “A” level ISU
experiential offerings targeted in particular to those categories of students with the lowest
percentage participation rates.
10. Annually allocate small internal grants to assist in the development of “B” level offerings,
programs and projects to achieve “A” level standing as approved ISU experiential learning
offerings, programs and projects. Proposals are solicited in the fall, grants are awarded for use
in the spring or summer.
11. The CPSCE, working closely with the academic deans and with the student life professionals,
annually will:
a. conduct participation surveys
b. transcript analyses
c. student and faculty satisfaction surveys
d. rubric based ratings of selected offerings, projects, and programs to determine whether
the targeted participation percentages in each college and at each educational level are
being achieved and to evaluate the overall quality and effectiveness of ISU’s “A” level and
“B” level experiential learning offerings.
o CPSCE shall prepare and submit annual reports and recommendations to the academic deans,
student life professionals, faculty senate and senior administration.
Additional Information and Potential Models
Experiential Learning/Social Responsibility
Campus Compact
http://www.compact.org/initiatives/wingspread/students
Campus Compact is a rapidly growing organization with a membership of nearly 1,200 public and
private two- and four-year colleges and universities, located in 49 states, the District of Columbia,
U.S. territories, as well as international members
The goals of Campus Compact are to educate college students to become active citizens who are
well equipped to develop creative solutions to society's most pressing issues.
Over the past 20 years, Campus Compact has engaged more than 20 million students in service
and service learning, and participation rates keep rising. Each year, our member students work in
thousands of communities, both locally and globally, to provide desperately needed services
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Project Pericles
http://www.projectpericles.org/
Project Pericles is a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by
colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship
as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the
community. This learning experience is intended to provide students with a foundation for social
and civic involvement and a conviction that democratic institutions and processes offer each
person the best opportunity to improve the condition of society.
Civic Engagement: California State University, Monterrey Bay
http://service.csumb.edu/site/Documents/service/SLI0019.pdf
Through service learning, all CSUMB students take courses that give them the opportunity to
engage in community service activities as a component of their academic curriculum. These
service-learning courses connect students with meaningful opportunities to contribute to their
community, but also provide students the learning structures necessary to grow as capable and
concerned citizens and community members. Each academic year, 50% of CSUMB students are
enrolled in service learning courses, contributing thousands of hours to local schools, agencies
and non-profit organizations in the Monterey Bay region. Equally as important as these hours of
service, CSUMB students come to know intimately the rewards of active community involvement,
and become more confident and committed to their role as community builders.
Experiential Learning/Internships
Northeastern University
http://www.northeastern.edu/experiential/
Elon University
http://org.elon.edu/elr/individualizedlearning.htm
Georgia Institute of Technology
http://www.profpractice.gatech.edu/
Experiential Learning/Centers in Major Cities
Duke: Financial Markets and Institutions in New York
http://www.econ.duke.edu/DukeinNY/program.html
Boston University: Political and Media Studies in Washington, D. C.
http://www.bu.edu/abroad/programs/usa/washington_dc/washington_dc_int/index.html
Ithaca College: Entertainment Studies in Los Angeles
http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/laprog/
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APPLY THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING TO THE LEARNING OF SCIENCE
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Jim Speer
Introduction and Background
The ISU committee working on the special emphasis part of ISU’s North Central Accreditation
self-study is developing an impressive list of initiatives and recommendations relating to
experiential learning and community engagement. Rather than to replicate that work, STRATUS
offers here a modest addition. This suggestion would affect all the undergraduates of ISU who
must complete science and/or math requirements as part of their general education program.
Our suggestion is that ISU draw on the rich set of resources and experiences compiled by science
faculty across this nation who have contributed demonstrably successful undergraduate course
models to the NSF Funded SENCER project. SENCER stands for “Science Education for New Civic
Engagement and Responsibility.”
The National Science Foundation has been at the forefront of national efforts to make
undergraduate general education requirements in the sciences be more effective in teaching
students how to approach problems scientifically, evaluate opinions about empirical matters by
reference to relevant factual evidence, using scientifically sound methods, and with reference to
scientifically substantiated theories. To do this students go beyond science as “body of
knowledge” to encounter and apply it as a method of seeking factual information of relevance to
the resolution of significant problems.
In support of these efforts, NSF awarded SENCER its initial grant in 2001 In the past eight years
40 field-tested courses have been selected as “SENCER models.” These courses engage students;
they are challenged to put their scientific knowledge to immediate use by addressing current,
often local, unresolved public issues.
This SENCER approach combines a “problem-based” learning approach which is inherently
experiential with community engagement in order to make learning science that much more real
for students.
The SENCER ideals from www.sencer.net include:
a. SENCER connects science and civic engagement by teaching “through” complex,
contested, capacious, current, and unresolved public issues “to” basic science.
b. Invites students to put scientific knowledge and scientific method to immediate use on
matters of immediate interest to students
c. Helps reveal the limits of science by identifying the elements of public issues where
science doesn’t help us decide what to do.
d. Shows the power of science by identifying the dimensions of a public issue that can be
better understood with certain mathematical and scientific ways of knowing.
e. Conceives the intellectual project as practical and engaged from the start, as opposed to
science education models that view the mind as a kind of “storage shed” where abstract
knowledge may be secreted for vague potential uses
f. Seeks to extract from the immediate issues, the larger, common lessons about scientific
processes and methods
g. Locates the responsibility (the burdens and the pleasures) of discovery as the work of the
student
h. By focusing on contested issues, SENCER encourages student engagement with
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“multidisciplinary trouble” and with civic questions that require attention now. By doing so,
SENCER hopes to help students overcome both unfounded fears and unquestioning awe of
science.
This initiative would systematically convert a number of ISU’s science and math courses which
count for the fulfillment of undergraduate students’ general education requirements into SENCER
(or SENCER-like) courses. If successful this will:
Improve student learning
Increase student success
Offer a signature character to the ISU general education program which will increase ISU’s
attractiveness to high school graduating seniors seeking an exceptionally strong academic
experience in college.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Advance Experiential Learning
Enhance Community Engagement
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Basic Elements and Brief Description
The SENCER model will be implemented through the new ISU Foundational Studies program,
particularly through Laboratory Science and Integrative, Upper-Division Elective courses.
Departments are allowed to propose new foundational studies courses every three years. The first
round of proposals are due during the fall 2009 semester. Due to the short period of time
between our participation in the SENCER institute and the deadline for proposals, we expect to
propose 2 or 3 courses utilizing this model during the 2009 review period. During the period
between the first and second review periods we will focus on implementation and assessment of
our initial course offerings, as well as faculty development focused on incorporating the model
into additional courses.
Step and Timeline
Year One
1. Attend SENCER Summer Institute in Chicago.
2. Identify theme or focus of SENCER project.
3. Develop proposal and apply for SENCER implementation award.
4. Identify courses on campus currently using some form of experiential learning, or problem
based learning as a method of teaching.
4. Develop implementation plan.
5. Schedule SENCER “home visit” as part of efforts to inform campus of the SENCER model and
broaden participation.
6. Three pilot courses using SENCER model and NSF assessment tool taught in Department of
Geography, Geology, and Anthropology.
7. Teach additional faculty about SENCER model through meetings with individual
departments and faculty development sessions.
8. Develop additional foundational studies course proposals using SENCER model. Submit for
approval to appropriate groups.
Year Two
1. Expand the SENCER model at ISU. Offer at least four additional laboratory science courses
and/or integrative upper-division electives utilizing SENCER model.
2. Offer faculty development workshop including SENCER “home visit.”
3. Complete assessment for SENCER implementation award.
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4. Conduct workshop(s) on SENCER assessment tools.
Year Three
1. Continue faculty development for SENCER.
2. Provide incentive program through CPSCE for development of additional SENCER model
courses for submission in Fall 2012.
Year Four
1. Solicit additional foundation studies course proposals or revisions using SENCER model.
Additional Information and Potential Models
SENCER Home Page: http://www.sencer.net
SENCER Center for Innovation – Midwest:
http://www.sencer.net/outreach/centers/midwest/index.cfm
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COORDINATE AND ELEVATE LEADERSHIP STUDIES
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Denise Collins
Introduction and Background
Higher education has always considered preparation for service and leadership to be one of its
valued outcomes. Nonetheless, many institutions have been hesitant to develop programs or
courses of study in leadership, generally citing as reasons the absence of a disciplinary base, the
presumptuous nature of any claim to being able to teach leadership.
More recently, however, increasing numbers of academics have begun to recognize the legitimacy
of “leadership studies,” citing the existence of a sound theoretical foundation, a solid range of
well-received scholarly works, an increasing number of attractive and highly effective
interdisciplinary programs, and a definite societal need. Indeed, leadership studies in one form or
another have taken root in a number of schools across the country.
A leadership studies program could help attract students to ISU and, also, could enhance ISU’s
programs of strength and promise – and other programs – should the University offer a
leadership track that students could take along with their academic major requirements.
This is a multifaceted initiative that brings together a full range of curricular, co-curricular,
internship, student life/activities, and personal experiences – both new and currently part of the
Indiana State experience – in a coherent, integrated and purposeful learning experience that
would enrich and give focus to the student’s total educational life at Indiana State. In many ways,
it builds upon the momentum and programs that already exist at the University:
The ISU Servant Leadership Program
http://www.indstate.edu/als/
Center for Public Service and Community Engagement (CPSCE)
http://www.indstate.edu/publicservice/
Civic Leadership Concentration in Honors Program
http://catalog.indstate.edu/content.php?catoid=7&navoid=131
Civic Leadership Minor
http://catalog.indstate.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=7&poid=1139&bc=1
Lincoln Leadership Program for First Year Students
http://www.indstate.edu/studentaffairsresearch/ResLifeLincolnLdrshipSLOReport.pdf
New Ethics and Social Responsibility Requirements in GE Program
http://www.indstate.edu/gened/
Experiences at other institutions indicate opportunities for external funding of leadership
programs as they are they are very attractive and draw support of corporations and individual
donors.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Advance Experiential Learning
Strengthen and Leverage Programs of Strength and Promise
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Enhance Community Engagement
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Recruit and Retain Great Faculty and Staff
Basic Elements and Brief Description
This initiative seeks to connect a of life and learning activities that a good many Indiana State
students already experience – all related to learning about and engaging in leadership. The
initiative would include formation of an ISU Center for Leadership Consortium, comprised of
select group of faculty, administration and student life professionals that would take responsibility
for coordinating the current and any new elements of leadership studies under the umbrella of
CPSCE. This would give leadership and leadership studies an explicit place and focus in the overall
educational experience at Indiana State. The Center would be responsible for the following:
a. Communicating ISU leadership studies efforts, internally and externally.
b. Creating synergy from the various efforts.
c. Continued enhancement of Leadership Studies at ISU, e.g., consideration of a leadership
certificate and major.
d. Development of policies and guidelines for student leadership activities to be considered as
part of an ISU co-curricular transcript.
Steps and Timeline
Year One
1. Establish an ISU Leadership Studies Consortium for development of the various elements
of leadership studies.
2. Define the preliminary focus and vision for the ISU Leadership Studies Consortium.
3. Study the models listed below and others to identify leadership studies elements that could
be introduced or enhanced at ISU.
4. Identify individuals on campus and in the community who can serve as advisors, leaders
and instructors for the development of programs and courses.
5. Begin research on funding opportunities for leadership studies programs.
6. Determine the additional staffing requirements, if any, needed to support the leadership
studies consortium and determine whether or not they can be fulfilled by current staff or
require additional support.
7. Hire or assign a program director and staff, as necessary.
8. Develop a unified web site that provides a place for students to gain access to all of the
leadership studies opportunities ISU has to offer.
Year Two
9. Work to further coordinate and enhance all components of leadership studies at ISU.
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10. Develop and gain approval for a leadership certificate.
11. Market new certificate program.
Year Three
12. Launch the new certificate program.
13. Explore the feasibility of initiating a leadership studies major.
Additional Information and Potential Models
Jessup School, University of Richmond
(http://jepson.richmond.edu/)
The Jepson School of Leadership Studies fills a critical need in higher education: to help students
better understand leadership so that they can become active, thoughtful and effective participants
in their world. Students draw upon the liberal arts to learn about the complexities and obligations
of leadership. By studying theories and models of leadership and topics such as the Presidency,
they come to understand leadership as a position and a process.
Emerging Leaders Program, University of Missouri, Saint Louis
(http://www.umsl.edu/studentlife/osl/leaders/more.htm)
The Emerging Leaders Program at the University of Missouri, Saint Louis provides new UMSL
students the opportunity to develop their leadership abilities through workshops, activities and
reflection in order to prepare them for future leadership experience at UMSL and beyond.
Leadership Institute, Washburn University
http://www.washburn.edu/leadership/li_index.html
The Leadership Studies Program is designed to allow students to graduate with a traditional major
coupled with practical leadership skills and experience which will prepare them to make an
immediate contribution in their professions and communities.
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ENHANCE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR:
Nancy Rogers, associate vice president for experiential learning and community
engagement, nancy.rogers@indstate.edu
GOAL THREE: Foster the engagement of students, faculty and staff in the life of
our communities and in pursuits improving their economic and
social well-being.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Increase student participation in outreach activities each year, until, by fall 2014,
100 percent of ISU students have at least one community engagement experience
before graduation.
2. Increase number of leadership positions faculty and staff have in community, social
and economic development groups.
3. Increase amount of direct and indirect financial support provided by the University to
community, social, cultural and economic development groups.
4. Increase number of businesses served by ISU (e.g., SBDC, Innovation Alliance).
5. Increase number of jobs created by the businesses in the incubator to 300 by 2014.
Baseline data and targets for 2014 for community engagement objectives:
FALL 2008 FALL 2014 CHANGE
Percent of seniors who participated 74%a 100% +26%
in community service/volunteer work
Number of leadership positions held TBD* TBD* TBD*
by faculty and staff in community,
social and economic development groups
Financial support provided by ISU TBD* TBD* TBD*
to community, social, cultural and
economic development groups
Number of businesses served TBD* TBD* TBD*
by ISU (e.g., SBDC, Innovation Alliance)
Number of jobs created by 11 300 +289
incubated businesses
a
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Spring 2007 report
*Number will be established at the end of the first year when the data are reviewed and reconciled.
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The Pathway to Success
INITIATIVES
There are three initiatives for achieving the objectives and, collectively, realizing Goal
Three:
1. Create a coordinated community engagement program
2. Expand distance education offerings to meet the needs of students and to support
economic development
3. Enhance the visibility of ISU in Indianapolis
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The Pathway to Success
CREATE A COORDINATED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Nancy Rogers
Basic Elements and Brief Descriptions
1. Create an organizational structure – A separate administrative unit should be
established within the Division of Academic Affairs that incorporates the primary
functions that are involved with transforming ISU into an organization that is fully
engaged in its community and provides an education that is enriched by
experiential learning. This unit will be directed by the Associate Vice President for
Community Engagement and Experiential Learning and include the following units:
Center for Public Service and Community Engagement, Center for Business
Support and Economic Innovation, Career Center, Learning Centers, Correction
Education Program, Continuing Education, and Distance Education. In addition,
the AVP and staff will work with a consortium of University centers and
departments to coordinate University-wide community engagement efforts.
2. Economic Development – Improving the economic well-being of Indiana, in
particular west-central Indiana, is an important priority of ISU’s community
engagement efforts. The following initiatives support economic development
through incubation and support of new and existing businesses and providing
opportunities for degree completion, continuing education, and professional
development
a. Business Incubation - The Center for Business Support and Economic
Innovation (CBSEI) serves as the university’s business incubation and
engagement department. Through numerous strategic partnerships with
university, business and civic organizations, CBSEI is a catalyst for
innovation, job creation, profitability and economic diversity.
As a member of the Terre Haute Innovation Alliance – in partnership with
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, the City of Terre Haute and the Terre
Haute Economic Development Corporation – CBSEI’s mission includes
engaging ISU students and faculty in experiential learning opportunities,
generating business growth and supporting an innovation & entrepreneurial
environment.
CBSEI will also play an integral role in the Rural Health Innovation
Collaborative (RHIC) in Terre Haute. This broad partnership between ISU,
Union Hospital and its Richard G. Lugar Center for Rural Health, Indiana
University School of Medicine at Terre Haute, Ivy Tech Community College,
the Terre Haute Economic Development Corporation and the City of Terre
Haute is designed to address job growth in the field of life sciences,
neighborhood revitalization and economic development. Goals of the
collaborative include; physical infrastructure development, business
expansion and attraction, incubation of emerging life science businesses and
the increase of rural health care services, training and research.
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b. Adult Degree Completion – Increasing the percentage of adults with a
college degree is a statewide and institutional priority. Statewide, close to
20% of adults 25 years of age and older have completed some college, but
did not earn a college degree. In Vigo County, nearly 12,500 adults over the
age of 25 (18.8% of that population) have earned college credit without
completing a degree. One solution to this challenge, is the creation of an
adult degree completion program targeted at students 25 years of age and
older. Such a program would offer a bachelor’s degree in General Studies
with credit offered for life experience. Students would choose from a small
number of emphasis areas within the program. The program would be
offered through a distance format.
c. Continuing Education – Non-credit and credit continuing education should
become a greater priority of ISU and a particular focus of the new proposed
administrative structure. The Office of Continuing Education should engage in
a needs analysis of adult learners in the region, followed by an updating of
courses/programs in order to better meet current needs. Both of these
efforts should be coordinated with ISU’s academic programs and relevant
community partners. In addition, the Office of Continuing Education should
pursue funding to sustain the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).
Increasing membership in OLLI and enrollment of OLLI members in non-credit
and credit courses also is a priority.
3. Increase percentage of courses with a civic commitment and/or service-
learning component – Increasing the percentage of students completing courses
with a civic commitment and/or service learning component can be achieved by
better identifying and recognizing existing courses with a service-learning
component and supporting the developing of additional courses. The Center for
Public Service and Community Engagement developed a service-learning course
designation in 2006. CPSCE staff should work with each academic college to fully
implement the designation and ensure that every service-learning course is
identified. In addition, CPSCE should work with the Office of General Education,
Center for Instruction, Research, and Technology, and the Academic Colleges to
provide professional development and modest financial support to encourage the
development of such courses across the curriculum and ensure opportunities for
service-learning in every major.
4. Connect ISU to the Riverfront - The Riverfront Science and Technology Center
is a proposed immersive learning and research center being developed in
conjunction with the community’s Riverscape initiative. The proposed center will
be located adjacent to the Wabash River and Wabashiki Wetland Reservation, a
6900 acre wetlands area currently being restored by the Vigo County Park and
Recreation Department and Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Possible
components of the Riverfront Science and Technology Center include:
• Trails
• Overlook
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The Pathway to Success
• Classrooms/Auditorium
• Laboratory
• Exhibits
• Programming for the community/K-12 schools
• Nature-based art exhibits and lessons
• Library and research room
• River excursions
• Visitor center
The center will provide a space for experiential learning and field research
opportunities, for faculty and students in the natural sciences, technology, education,
community recreation, and potentially other programs. A primary focus of the center
will be educational outreach to the community, including K-12 education and
community-based educational programs offered by the Terre Haute Children’s
Museum and other non-profit organizations.
5. Incorporate Alumni into Community Engagement Activities – Increasing
focus of the role of ISU alumni in community engagement activities will improve
engagement opportunities for students and alumni engagement with the
institution. The Center for Public Service and Community Engagement, Career
Center, Office of Alumni Affairs, and Academic Colleges should work together to
more vigorously support outreach to alumni. Potential activities include increasing
the number of alumni serving as internship host supervisors, increasing alumni
participation on advisory boards, improving alumni participation in OLLI and other
continuing education activities, and incorporating alumni participation in
community service activities.
6. Develop a staff policy that encourages community engagement – ISU could
mobilize it’s human resources to improve community well-being through a policy
that encourages and supports community involvement by allowing employees to
dedicate a small portion of work time to volunteering. Staff may be allowed to
choose their volunteer activities or select from University-support activities. The
volunteer policy should be developed by Human Resources and supported by the
Center for Public Service and Community Engagement.
7. Link campus to downtown Terre Haute - Indiana State University should
continue to strengthen their relationship with downtown. Although much of the
collaboration will be in the form of cooperative planning for physical space, a
number of programmatic activities also are recommended. These include:
supporting downtown businesses through incentives for students and employees
(i.e. off-campus dining program); continuing to provide support for downtown
festivals and special events; working with partner organizations to update the
strategy for Arts Corridor; working with downtown hotels, to increase conferences
and special events; providing mini-grants to faculty and students to organize
downtown-focused service-learning projects; and providing a series of
opportunities for members of the campus community to volunteer downtown.
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The Pathway to Success
Timeline
Year 1
1. Develop an organizational structure for community engagement and experiential
learning that includes the primary offices and centers involved in supporting ISU’s
community engagement efforts. Appoint an administrative leader for this unit.
2. Academic departments and colleges review and revise tenure and promotion
policies to address institutional priorities.
3. Identify strategic goals and priorities for Center for Business Support and Economic
Innovation for the next five years. Complete a feasibility study for a stand alone
incubator.
4. Develop a proposal for an Adult Degree Completion.
5. Office of Continuing Education will complete a needs analysis and identify program
priorities for the next five years.
6. Registrar’s Office and CPSCE will work with Academic Deans to inventory current
courses with service-learning/community engagement component.
7. Complete proposal for Riverfront Science and Technology Center. Identify
strategies for external funding.
8. Develop volunteer/community service policy for EAP and support staff employees.
9. Initiate Arts Corridor planning.
10. Develop mini-grant program with downtown focus.
11. Develop plan for enhancing conferencing services.
12. Expand OLLI to membership of 500.
Year 2
1. Continue to develop community engagement organizational structure.
2. Provost will hold academic summit for academic units to present tenure and
promotion policy revisions.
3. Seek approval of adult degree completion program. Begin to market program.
4. Recruit and screen RHIC-related businesses to CBSEI incubator.
5. Implement revised continuing education programming.
6. Continue to seek external funding for Riverfront Center. Begin Riverfront related
programming in relevant academic departments.
7. CPSCE will continue work with academic units to provide faculty development and
support for developing service-learning courses.
8. Implement staff volunteer policy.
9. Implement downtown-focused service-learning projects.
10. Implement strategies to increase conferences and special events.
11. Increase OLLI course offerings and continue member recruitment.
Year 3 and beyond
1. Implement revised tenure and promotion policies.
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The Pathway to Success
2. Enroll first cohort of students in adult completion program.
3. Continue incubation of RHIC-related businesses.
4. Develop physical home for Riverfront Center
5. Continue implementation of downtown-focused service-learning projects.
6. Continue implementation of strategies to increase conferences and special events.
7. Increase OLLI course offerings and continue member recruitment.
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The Pathway to Success
EXPAND DISTANCE EDUCATION OFFERINGS TO MEET
THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Marcia Miller
Introduction and Background
Terms like distance education, extended education, extended learning have been applied to
the delivery of instruction where the instructor and the student are physically separated.
Distance Education is defined as “a process to create and provide access to learning when
the source of information and the learners are separated by time and distance, or both.”
The distance associated with “distance education” is often bridged through the use of
technology such as audio tapes, videoconferencing, satellite broadcasts and online
technology, as well as more traditional delivery methods.
Indiana State University’s Role in Distance Education
For Indiana State University, distance education (DE) is one of the many areas that must be
examined in the wake of the changing environment in which we find ourselves and with
regard to the appropriate place that DE fits within our strategic direction. Because of the
centrality and mainstreaming of distance education in today’s higher education, this
examination is less about whether or not ISU should be engaged in the delivery of
instruction and more about defining an appropriate strategically aligned role and place for
distance education in the University.
ISU had been offering distance courses via pencil and paper correspondence courses for
years before technology allowed the offering of distance programs via live television in
1989. The explosion of the Internet in the mid-1990’s coupled with the 1997 birth of the
DegreeLink program (with its 10 bachelor-completion degrees) defined a period of rapid
growth of distance education at ISU. Despite growth that has occurred over time, distance
education at Indiana State, until now, has not played a prominent role in the strategic
direction of the institutions. Despite documented successes, distance education, as
presently constituted, has lacked sufficient focus to support major growth or to allow a
clarity of vision needed to define a long term direction. While distance education has
historically been somewhat de-emphasized, the world in which we live and learn has
changed. Today, most individuals would agree that there is a need for ISU to expand its
presence in distance education.
Context for Distance Education
To that end, it is appropriate to suggest a set of conditions that should be considered as ISU
looks at the development and future direction for distance education. Moreover, ISU must
build on existing understandings of, and strengths in, distance education that are consistent
with the stated strategic direction of the institution to develop strategies that provide
continued but targeted growth. To that end, the following statements are particularly
relevant:
The University’s mission has shifted from one of access to one focused on student
success
The University’s future encompasses both traditional face-to-face education as well
as the delivery of instruction to students unable to take advantage of a campus
based education
Research by Pew, Sloan, and others indicates that student success and quality
educational experiences can be realized through both traditional and distance
learning strategies
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The Pathway to Success
Distance education delivery is shifting from synchronous models (2-way video) to
asynchronous models using courseware such as Blackboard
Programs of regional and national prominence are important to the University’s
strategic direction
Rich educational experience can be achieved with distance delivery through the use
of new technologies that support pedagogies that utilize active learning strategies to
effectively engage students in the learning process
The role of distance education vis-à-vis Indiana State today is much different than
that which defined the environment in the late 1990’s — the time of expansion of
learning centers and PEPP/DegreeLink.
Finally, it’s worth noting that distance education plays a major role in the education for the
citizens of Indiana. Distance Education is an important tool for meeting the state's priority
need of improving degree completion rates in Indiana, particularly in regard to adult
learners. In 2008, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education issued the
report, Reaching Higher with College Completion: Moving from Access to Success. Among
the recommendations cited in that report were designating pathways to graduate for
working adults and identifying strategies working adults will pursue to meet their graduation
goals. The report also called on colleges and universities to work collaboratively to assist
students who had met the majority of their credit hour requirements, but had "stopped out"
prior to graduating. Distance Education, and particularly on-line adult degree completion
programs, allows adults who have earned some college credits a flexible alternative to
completing their degrees.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Enhance Community Engagement
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Expand and Diversify Revenues
Basic Elements and Brief Description
1. Review and shift the focus of distance education at ISU from the delivery of “general”
un-targeted bachelor degree completion programs to a focus on select niche areas
that offer growth potential and that provide opportunity for the development of
distinctive distance delivered programs. This can be achieved by focusing on niche
areas in both the graduate and undergraduate areas.
2. This approach tends to favor the development and delivery of graduate programs
using distance education strategies. Not only is it realistic to believe that Indiana
State can develop and competitively deliver graduate programs of distinction (for
example our present PhD programs in Educational Leadership and Technology
Management and the MS in Nursing), the likelihood of student success is enhanced
as such programs serve students that have already achieved academic success at
the lower levels.
3. At the undergraduate level, distance education should be targeted at clear “niche”
areas where high degrees of student success can be achieved and demonstrated,
where there is strong demonstrated need, where student motivation is strong, and
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where Indiana State is capable of delivering an educational high quality that would
be recognized as coming from a program of regional or national distinction (a good
example is the Nursing LPN to BSN program).
4. Distance graduate students present a much different profile than undergraduate
students in that they 1) tend to have fairly well defined educational goals, 2) tend to
have reasonably developed academic (learning/study) skills that allow them to be
independent learners, and 3) tend to have stronger motivation that leads to
successful completion. Graduate distance education also represents a strong market
that is less state or regionally based (undergraduate distance programs will generally
attract students from Indiana or surrounding states).
5. A significant market exists in the area of distance education – a premise that is
borne out by the successes of several distance delivered graduate programs at ISU
(for example the Educational Leadership and Technology Management programs).
The Task Force on Distance Graduate Education, in its policy statement “Distance
Graduate Education: Opportunities and Challenges for the 21st Century” noted that:
“Campus-based graduate programs are still attracting “traditional” full-time students
who have just graduated from baccalaureate programs. For over a decade, however,
the real growth in graduate education has been coming from so-called “non-
traditional” students who are most likely to be female, part-time(with numerous
work and family responsibilities) and older. These demographics apply to the
predominant segment of market for graduate distance education.”
The report validated the statements contained in an earlier work Off Campus
Graduate Education that highlighted the dramatic increased need for post-
baccalaureate education for job maintenance and promotion, enhancement of
professional opportunities, and intellectual and cultural enrichment. The Task Force
further noted and recognized the significant increases in “the cohort of time- and
place-bound potential graduate students.”
6. Aligning the ISU distance education strategy within “niche” areas or disciplines and
concentrating more heavily on graduate programs vs. undergraduate programs
(except as otherwise outlined above) would focus our distance education efforts in
areas where we are most likely to achieve high levels of student success. At the
same time the adoption of a “niche” market strategy (heavily skewed to the
graduate side) should provide a strong avenue for the University to achieve
controlled and targeted distance education growth. By following a strategy that is
more targeted the University will be able to better direct limited distance education
resources to maximize quality, efficiency, and enrollment.
Steps and Timeline
Year One
1. Create and fill a dedicated management position, reporting to the Associate Vice
President for Experiential Learning and Engagement, that will have direct
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responsibility for the growth and development of distance and extended learning
(possible title: Dean of Distance and Extended Education).
2. Engage in a broad-based dialog across the academic units to identify the optimal role
and nature of distance education at ISU and appropriate models. As a part of this,
determine the most appropriate name for distance education, in light of how the
University aspires to deliver instruction, i.e., online only, hybrid, remotely, a
combination of these. Options include Distance Education, Extended Learning, as well
as others.
3. Conduct a formal review and analysis of the present distance and extended learning
organizational structure and make changes as appropriate.
4. Develop a comprehensive set of policies and procedures that can be used to guide
and grow distance and extended education.
5. Engage in a market study to determine distance education needs of the state and
region; the results of that study will then be used to define potential “niche” areas
for programmatic development.
6. Develop incentive structures to encourage the creation of new distance delivered
programs as identified in #4 above.
7. Develop appropriate student support structures that will enhance and improve the
distance and extended learning experience.
Year Two
8. Expand distance education courses in Foundation Studies to support both new
program offerings and degree completion programs.
9. Identify and develop at least 1 adult degree completion program that would have
regional and/or national appeal.
10. Examine and implement strategies to leverage distance learning opportunities
related to K-12 education.
11. Explore and implement distance program completion degrees that leverage and
augment distance education programs offered at the community college level.
Year Three and Beyond
12. Expand graduate programmatic distance education offerings into additional “niche”
areas of opportunity.
13. Work with traditionally delivered programs to explore options related to blended or
“reduced seat-time” models.
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Additional Information and Potential Models
~~ To Be Determined ~~
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ENHANCE ISU’S VISIBILITY IN INDIANAPOLIS
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Nancy Merritt
Introduction and Background
Indiana State University’s presence in Indianapolis is well established through the variety of
programs, centers and services it offers there. However, there is an advantage to the
University to bring a number of operational unites – now located in different places – under
one roof:
Reduced operations costs
Increased visibility for ISU as a whole and for the programs and services in
Indianapolis
Enhanced collaboration between ISU programs in Indianapolis
Greater synergy among the ISU programs occurring in Indianapolis and sense of
pride for the staff in each by viewing what they do as larger than just their unit
Increased awareness of the presence of ISU to alumni, donors, and “power brokers”
who live or work in Indianapolis, resulting in greater political and financial support
Simplified access to ISU in Indianapolis for its students and the community
Further, ISU’s School of Business is planning to offer an Executive MBA program in
Metropolitan Indianapolis, most likely in West Indianapolis near the old airport. This
prestigious academic program has the potential to be the beginnings of an educational
center in Metro Indianapolis that could take many different forms: professional education
with credit and non-credit course geared toward the working professional; a primarily
upper-division educational center targeted to students from community college seeking
degree completion.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Enhance Community Engagement
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Basic Elements and Brief Description
Consolidating Operation Units
Currently, ISU operates different sites in Indianapolis to house its current or planned
activities:
Admissions
Networks Financial Institute
Center for Economic Development
ISU Governmental Relations
ISU Foundation
Steps and Timelines: Consolidating Operational Units
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Year One
1. Consult with each operating unit to determine the advantages and disadvantages of
consolidating in one building
2. Determine any obstacles, e.g., lease agreements; cost considerations; etc.
3. Identify what operations can and should be consolidated
4. Identify potential sites. (An earlier assessment indicated that adequate space might
be available near the Capitol in a building formerly occupied by a bookstore.)
5. Determine the costs and available resources.
6. Gain appropriate approvals, if the project proves feasible
7. Develop an implementation plan
Year Two and Beyond
8. Initiate and carry out the implementation plan to consolidate selected operational
units located in Indianapolis into one building.
Steps and Timelines: Academic Offerings
Year One
1. Wait for the College of Business to begin offering the EMBA in a location of its own
choosing.
Year Two
2. Based on the EMBA’s initial experience and the academic priorities of the University,
determine whether or not it wishes to explore offering other programs at the site.
3. Under the leadership of the Vice President and Deans, conduct a feasibility study of
what programs might be offered at the site:
a. Needs analysis on what programs are appropriate
b. Best delivery models
c. Quality Control
d. Organizational structure and administrative and student-support needs
e. Cost
4. Determine feasibility.
5. If deemed feasible, develop a preliminary implementation plan for purposes of
consulting with the appropriate committees to gain approvals on the selected
programs to be offered.
6. If appropriate approvals are gained, develop a detailed implementation plan.
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Year Three and Beyond
7. Initiate and carry out the implementation plan.
Additional Information and Potential Models
While an example with precise elements outlined above does not exist:
Ball State has an Indianapolis Center
(http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/CentersandInstitutes/IndianapolisCenter.aspx)
Purdue University has a College of Technology on the edge of the City
(http://www.tech.purdue.edu/indy/)
IU has a significant presence in Indianapolis, quite aside IUPUI: A School of Law
(http://indylaw.indiana.edu/), Medicine (http://medicine.iu.edu/) and other
academic programs.
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STRENGTHEN AND LEVERAGE PROGRAMS OF DISTINCTION AND PROMISE
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR:
C. Jack Maynard, provost and vice president for academic affairs, jack.maynard@indstate.edu
GOAL FOUR: Strengthen and leverage the academic programs that have earned status
as programs of distinction or promise, to bring greater prominence to
them and to the University as a whole.
OBJECTIVES:
1. By 2010, define the methodology and criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of programs
of national and regional distinction or promise.
2. By 2010, define an ongoing system to enable new programs of distinction to be identified
and supported.
3. By 2010, develop strategic plans for programs currently identified as programs of
distinction and promise.
4. By 2014, all programs of distinction and promise will have completed an evaluation based
upon the criteria and methodology established by 2010.
5. By 2014, 75% of programs of distinction and promise will be meeting or exceeding
expectations defined by the criteria and methodology established by 2010.
6. By 2014, increase resources provided to programs of distinction and promise.
FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014
Resources provided +$500,000 +$500,000 +$500,000 +$500,000 +$500,000
to programs of
strength and promise
% of programs of -- -- -- -- 75%
strength and promise
meeting criteria
INITIATIVES
There are two initiatives for achieving the objectives and, collectively, realizing Goal Four:
1. Strengthening Programs of Distinction and Promise
2. Create a Center for Rural Life
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STRENGTHENING PROGRAMS OF DISTINCTION AND PROMISE
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIRS: Bob English/Deans’ Council
Introduction and Background
In April 2004, ISU issued a report entitled “Pursuing Institutional Distinctiveness” that became the
basis of a year-long effort to identify academic programs of national distinction, regional or state
distinction, and programs of promise. As a result, the following ISU programs were designated as
falling into one of the three categories, as follows:
ISU Programs Identified as Having National Distinction:
Financial Services including:
– Insurance & Risk Management program
– Finance Program
– Accounting Program
– Networks Financial Institute (funded by $23 million Lilly Endowment gift)
– Insurance & Financial Services (Gongaware Center)
– Investment & Financial Education (Minas Center)
Teacher Education including:
– Professional Development Schools Partnership
– “Learning Network” (Carnegie Corporation Initiative)
– Teacher Education
– Innovation Grant & Research Funding ($1 million+ support)
ISU Programs Identified as Having Regional or State Distinction:
Aerospace Technology
Blumberg Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Special Education
Doctor of Psychology – Clinical (Psy.D.)
Center for the Study of Health, Religion, and Spirituality
Criminology
Music Business
Technology Management (Ph.D.)
ISU Programs Identified as Being Programs of Promise:
Athletic Training Clinical Program
Research Center for Local History & Culture
Health Sciences
International Affairs
Motorsports Studies
Student Affairs and Higher Education
University Honors Program
Programs of distinction and promise can become the signature programs for a department and
school, which distinguishes those units and helps improve their competitive stature relative to
schools and departments of like name / kind at other universities. Having identified a set of
programs of distinction and promise, ISU is well positioned to build on that set of valuable
programs.
The University has already identified measures to support and advance its programs of
distinction, as outlined on its web site: http://www.indstate.edu/news/news.php?newsid=900
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This initiative is intended to both refine and supplement those efforts with measures that can help
the programs of distinction and promise to attain their full potential and visibility at the regional
and national level. In so doing, they will achieve greater visibility for themselves, their host
departments and schools, and ultimately for the university. This will, in turn, assist with the
university’s enrollment and revenue diversification initiatives.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Strengthen and Leverage Programs of Distinction and Promise
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Expand and Diversify Revenues
Basic Elements and Brief Description
There are a number of strategies for strengthening and to leveraging Programs of Distinction and
Promise including:
a. Seeking donors capable of large-gift naming opportunities for ISU’s distinctive academic
programs, schools and colleges to increase funding and distinction, e.g. Jacobs School of
Music and Kelley School of Business at IU
b. Likewise, seeking funding for named endowment, as ISU has done with the Schick Lecture
Series to support program operations and special projects.
c. Intensify fundraising efforts for endowed professorships, as the current “March On”
program is doing, to bring faculty of national and international stature to a given program.
d. Providing special support and specialized staff expertise critical to programs of distinction
and promise, e.g., web design, budgeting and contracts, event organization, grant writing
e. Establishing clear policies about the selection, appointment, evaluation, duties and
responsibilities of the directors of such programs and how joint appointments that include
faculty responsibilities will be handled. These should include expectations for program
management, marketing, event planning, project management, and fund-raising. And
providing the training, incentives and infrastructure to support these kinds of expectations
which go beyond those of other faculty members.
f. Developing, validating and implementing a reasonable business plan for each such
program which takes into account realistic revenue generation and expense projection
going three to five years into the future, and longer if possible.
g. Establishing a strategic budgeting process at the College level and at the university level to
direct base budget support toward programs of distinction and promise which have the
leadership energy, continuity of programming, quality of business planning, and potential
marketability to reach greater significantly higher levels of success and visibility.
h. Establishing clear linkages to these programs to those administrators and organizations at
the university level which are responsible for coordinating activities related to central
institutional initiatives, such as community engagement, experiential learning,
environmental sustainability, etc. so that the programs of promise and distinction are
included in those conversations and supported in their projects and endeavors which
advance those core initiatives
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Steps and Timeline
Year One: Update Criteria; Expectations and Designation of Programs of Distinction and Promise;
Developing Strategic Plans and Business Plans for the Current Programs of Distinction and
Promise
1. Refine the methodology and criteria by which programs are designated as an ISU program of
distinction and promise, and the timelines by which currently designated programs will be
periodically reviewed. The selection process shall provide for transparency in the method
whereby programs are put forward for consideration, consistency in the methods whereby
their worthiness is measured against established criteria, and a level of wisdom in the
identification of finalists to be recommended to the senior administration. Among the criteria
could be a combination of the following:
a. The development of new and applied knowledge
b. Clear and direct connections to core values of the university
c. Recognized quality and distinctiveness in its field as compared to offerings among ISU’s
peers and competitors, and potential to expand on it over time
d. Centrality to the professional or disciplinary focus of its College in which it is located
e. Consistently valuable service to the community, region, state, nation and world
f. Productivity and potential for securing competitive grants and contracts
g. Stature, accomplishments and academic reputation of its faculty
h. Stature, accomplishments and professional achievements of its alumni
i. Potential as an asset to ISU for fund-raising, student recruitment, and public relations
j. Potential as an asset for enrollments and revenue diversification
k. Actual level of regional or national recognition achieved
2. Clarify the specific expectations, commitments and responsibilities associated with applying
for and being selected and maintaining status as a Programs of Distinction and Promise. These
might include, among others, an annual reporting of:
a. Baseline enrollments
b. Amount of external grant and contract dollars
c. Number of publications
d. Number of service projects and community activities
e. Number of graduates produced
f. Amount of money raised through gifts and bequests
g. Number of interviews given to national media
To the extent possible, there should be formal agreements on these expectations and
responsibilities so that the programs, Colleges, and the University each have certain
obligations. This would include incentives and funding to support the timely attainment of
these expectations and responsibilities.
While a general framework of expectations and responsibilities may be established at the
policy level, it would be wise to negotiate individual variations at the program and College
levels since there may be reasonable differences for the attainment of external support and
competitive recognition among the many different disciplines and professional fields.
3. While steps one and two take place, the Deans and program directors of current programs of
distinction and promise shall create strategic plans which address program needs and
potential, including fund raising priorities and targets for revenues, expenses, scholarships,
etc. Among the needs could be additional:
a. Facilities and support staff
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The Pathway to Success
b. Operating and equipment budgets
c. Student support and assistantship funds
d. Faculty numbers and released time support
e. Infrastructure, e.g., Development, Website, Events Office
f. Support needed to secure competitive external grants and contracts
Among the potential for each program could be:
g. Contributions to overhead associated with external grants
h. Ability to raise money from its alumni through annual giving,
i. Naming opportunities associated with the program itself or its facilities
j. Ability to raise funds for endowed professorships or other types of faculty support
k. Capacity to raise funds for student scholarships
l. Ability to raise funds for program operations and projects, e.g. XYZ Lecture Series
Year Two: Determine Funding Needs and Fundraising Potential; Develop Strategic Plans and
Business Plans for New Programs of Distinction and Promise; Selection of New Programs;
Intensify Fundraising
4. Using the refined criteria and expectations, initiate the selection process for programs of
distinction and promise in accordance with the timelines established in step one.
5. In a manner similar to what was done in step three, deans and program directors of newly-
identified programs of distinction and promise will create strategic plans for the program
which addresses the needs and the potential, including fund raising priorities and targets for
revenues, expenses, scholarships, etc.
6. The President, Dean and Development Office shall engage in systematic and coordinated
activities to intensify fundraising for the identified priorities.
Year Three and Beyond: Continuing the Effort
7. Annually the deans and senior administration monitor progress of Programs of Distinction and
Promise in light of the agreed upon strategic plans for the program, and in view of the general
and specific expectations, obligations and responsibilities established. Recommendations for
any needed adjustments or mid-course corrections are made.
8. To the extent that it is strategically advantageous and fiscally reasonable, yet additional
Programs of Distinction and Promise may be identified within various colleges. On the other
hand, if it should be necessary due to budgetary realities or the inability of a program to
achieve its targets and fulfill its obligations, the designation of Programs of Distinction and
Promise may be suspended or removed so that it and the associated efforts of fundraisers and
others may be reassigned to more promising programs.
Additional Information and Potential Models
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education Center of Excellence Program
While a program for an entire higher education system, the program provides examples on how
to foster excellence in selected programs that are instructive to institutions attempting to advance
excellence in selected programs.
University of South Carolina Beufort Center of Excellence in Collaborative Learning
http://www.uscb.edu/a/Connections/Center_of_Excellence/?page_id=292
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The Pathway to Success
Francis Marion University Center of Excellence to Prepare Teachers of Children of Poverty
http://www.fmucenterofexcellence.org/fmu/
Tennessee Higher Education Commission Center and Chairs of Excellence Programs
Likewise, these programs of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission are a guide on how
special allocations to selected programs of distinction and a central pool to support and provide
incentives for campus to expand funding raising for endowed chairs contribute to leveraging
programs of distinction.
http://www.state.tn.us/thec/Divisions/AcademicAffairs/CentersExcellence/centers_of_exce
llence.html
http://www.tennessee.gov/thec/Divisions/AcademicAffairs/ChairsExcellence/chairs_of_exc
ellence.html
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CREATE A CENTER FOR RURAL LIFE
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIRS: Biff Williams, Jeff Harper
Introduction and Background
Similar to what institutions located in large cities have done to address urban issues – Temple,
Wayne State, Cleveland State and others – Indiana State University has an opportunity to be a
leader on issues related to rural life. A Center on Rural Life would focus on topics relating to
health, education, commerce, politics, arts and culture in rural communities.
ISU’s location in Terre Haute, “The Crossroads of America,” makes it a natural place to establish
such a Center. It could serve the State of Indiana, the American heartland, and help ISU become
known for serving rural areas throughout the world.
A Center for Rural Life can be made up of many components. In its initial stages, the ISU Center
would consist of:
The Rural Health Innovation Collaborative (RHIC)
A Rural Studies Institute
Both are prime candidates for external funding.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Strengthen and Leverage Programs of Distinction & Promise
Community Engagement
Experiential Learning
Recruiting and Retaining Faculty & Staff
Basic Elements and Brief Description: The Rural Health Innovation Collaborative (RHIC)
The ISU component of the RHIC Initiative, a partnership involving Indiana State, Union Hospital,
the Lugar Center for Rural Health, Indiana University School of Medicine - Terre Haute, Ivy Tech
Community College - Wabash Valley, Terre Haute Economic Development Corporation and the
City of Terre Haute, is an ideal element of an ISU Center for Rural Life.
RHIC, already well underway (http://www.therhic.org/index.html), will draw upon the strengths
of the founding partners to address medical care workforce needs for the region, and increase
rural health care services, training and research. RHIC will also advance neighborhood
revitalization and economic development, including physical infrastructure build-out, business
expansion and attraction, and the each have successful programs to recruit students into health
care focused careers and particularly to prepare them for service in rural areas.
There are five major elements to RHIC:
1. Identifying Market and Funding Opportunities
2. Forming Education and Research Initiatives to Advance Rural Health
3. Strengthening Collaboration between the Partners
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The Pathway to Success
4. Developing Facilities for RHIC Programs
5. Neighborhood Development
Next Steps and Timelines: The Rural Health Innovation Collaborative (RHIC)
The steps and timelines for development of the RHIC initiative are outlined in the “Develop
Partnership to Advance the University and Community” initiative that appears later in this plan.
Basic Elements and Brief Description: Rural Studies Institute
A Regional and Rural Studies Institute has the potential to demonstrate ISU’s deep, historical and
continuing role as a partner with other institutions and with the people of the who live, raise their
families, and work on Main Street in small towns all over Indiana and its neighboring states.
While many rural populations in the U.S. face serious issues related to poverty and rural
migration as a result of the loss of traditional rural industries including mining, ranching and
agriculture, few organizations currently exist that are dedicated to the study and support of these
populations.
Research topics that might be investigated from an ISU Rural Studies Institute could include such
things as:
a. Rural health
b. Human services and education
c. Rural community economic development
d. Sustainable food systems
e. Agriculture
Next Steps and Timelines: Rural Studies Institute
Year One
Establish Performance Expectations, Determine Costs & Sources of Funding
The initial University-level target shall be a “Rural Studies Institute” like the one described above.
The process below can be used to launch that institute and to continue forward other possible
University-level centers or institutes in future years.
1. Develop a university-wide policy framework for reviewing concepts and proposals to form a
Rural Studies Institute. This framework should address the five essential functions of all
such centers or institutes, including the ROI of greater visibility for ISU:
a. advancing scholarship,
b. promoting learning,
c. increasing community engagement,
d. developing becoming self-sustaining with its own revenue streams, and
e. promoting positive public visibility for the university around its core values, goals and
priorities.
2. Determine the cost to ISU’s operating and capital budgets for the incubation, start-up costs
and venture capital costs necessary to successfully launch and a Rural Studies Institute
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The Pathway to Success
during the initial years before it becomes fully self-sustaining. (Director, staff, space,
program expenses, fellows stipends, equipment, public relations and marketing, etc.)
3. Survey philanthropic organizations and major institutional benefactors to identify potential
matches between their interests and those of ISU for the development of one or more
strategic university institute or center.
Year Two – Year Three; Secure Funding
4. To the extent that the necessary funding will come from gifts and grants, begin the
cultivation necessary to raise those funds – secure the needed pledges, compete for the
grants, and negotiate the partnerships and contracts.
5. To the extent that the incubation and initial start-up year(s) are to be funded by ISU, and /
or backed by ISU internal funding, then carve out the necessary allocation from the strategic
initiatives portion of the ISU operating and capital budgets.
6. If funding in part is to come from endowment revenues, such as for the full or partial
support for an endowed professorship, review endowment expenditure policies to assure
that the stream of revenue will flow at the levels necessary to support this initiative.
Year Three – Year Four: Open the ISU Rural Studies Institute
7. Launch the Rural Studies Institute and begin offering programs and services. The Institute
can be launched with an acting director selected from among the ISU faculty or senior staff
(e.g. a dean) if the plan is to recruit a senior scholar from outside the university to become
the director. Having launched the center can assist the recruitment effort and expand the
pool of highly qualified individuals.
8. Monitor progress to assure that expectations established in 2009-2010 are being fulfilled.
Amend those initial expectations if necessary.
Additional Information and Potential Models: Rural Studies Institute
California Institute for Rural Studies
http://www.cirsinc.org/OurMission.html
The work of the California Institute of Rural Studies is dedicated to creating a rural California that
is socially just, economically balanced, and environmentally sustainable. As a non-profit research
organization, CRIS is committed to pursuing these long-term goals through sound empirical
research that is directly relevant to progressive social change.
University of Missouri
Rural Policy Research Institute
http://www.rupri.org/abtpurpose.php
The Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) provides unbiased analysis and information on the
challenges, needs, and opportunities facing rural America. RUPRI’s aim is to spur public dialogue
and help policymakers understand the rural impacts of public policies and programs.
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The Pathway to Success
University of Vermont
Center for Rural Studies
http://crs.uvm.edu/
The Center for Rural Studies (CRS) is a nonprofit, fee-for-service research organization that
addresses social, economic, and resource-based problems of rural people and communities. Based
in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Vermont (UVM), the Center
provides consulting and research services in Vermont, the United States, and abroad.
Rural Landscape Institute; Bozeman, Montana
http://www.rurallandscapeinstitute.org/aboutus.php
st
“A Rural-Urban Partnership for Sustainability in The 21 Century”
http://www.rurallandscapeinstitute.org/rural_urban_partnership_12_15_08.pdf
The Rural Landscape Institute, located in Bozeman, Montana, focuses on issues that affect
sustainable agriculture and food security throughout the West. Its vision is that farms, ranches
and rural communities in the Northern Plains and Northern Rockies are economically viable, are
integral to sustainable food systems, are enhancing the health of the land and open space, and
are valued as a critical part of the fabric of the national community and culture.
Montana State University North American Rural Futures Institute (NARFI)
http://narfi.org/
The NARFI, currently an Internet-based organization – formerly physically located in Bozeman
Montana, is designed to connect rural citizens, community leaders, researchers and futurists
throughout Montana, North America and around the world who are working on innovative visions
to enhance the sustainability of rural regions. Its mission is to provide the most important
information relevant to decisions that must be made over the next five decades by rural citizens
across North America; and to provide opportunities for those citizens to acquire the skills
necessary to evoke and evaluate change and innovation for rural sustainability.
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The Pathway to Success
DIVERSIFY REVENUE: PHILANTHROPY, CONTRACTS AND GRANTS
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIRS:
Chair: Ed Kinley, chief information officer and associate vice president for academic
affairs, ed.kinley@indstate.edu
Co-Chair: Gene Crume, president, Indiana State University Foundation,
gcrume@indstatefoundation.org
GOAL FIVE: Expand and diversify revenue sources to enhance the University's ability to
fulfill its teaching, research and service mission.
OBJECTIVES:
1. By 2014, increase gross revenue from grants and contracts by 50 percent, adjusted for
inflation.
2. By 2014, increase indirect cost recovery from grants and contracts by 50 percent.
3. By 2014, increase gross tuition and fee revenue by 34 percent by increasing enrollment
and limiting increases in tuition to the CPI index.
4. By 2014, increase revenue transferred to the University from the Indiana State University
Foundation by 50 percent, adjusted for inflation.
5. By 2014, increase non-institutional revenue generated by athletics to the average amount
raised by MVC teams.
6. By 2014, increase the number of donors who annually give to the ISU Foundation by 32
percent.
7. By 2014, double the number of alumni who participate in alumni related events.
8. By 2012, meet or exceed goals of March On! The Campaign for Indiana State University.
Following are the most recent data, the Fall 2014 targets, and the changes associated with each
objective:
FALL 2008 FALL 2014 CHANGE
Gross revenue from grants & contracts $10,038,025 $15,057,038a +50%
Total income from Indirect Cost Recovery $662,673 $994,010 +50%
Gross tuition and fees $68,100,000 $91,113,237 +34%
Funds transferred from ISU Foundation $ 8,474,455 $12,711,623a +50%
in support of ISU
Non-institutional revenue generated by $ 2,914,000 MVC average TBD
Athletics
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Total Number of Donors to Foundation 10,104 13,308 +32%
Number of Alumni participating in TBD Double +100%
alumni related events
Fundraising totals raised by March On! $28,759,433 $85,000,000b NA
a
Number not adjusted for inflation.
b
Campaign goal will be reached by end of campaign in 2012.
INITIATIVES
There are two initiatives for achieving the objectives and, collectively, realizing Goal Five:
1. Enhance Contract and Grant Activity
2. Strengthen the engagement of alumni in the life of the University
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The Pathway to Success
ENHANCE CONTRACT AND GRANT ACTIVITY
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Mark Green
Introduction and Background
An important component of diversifying revenues, one of Indiana State’s strategic priorities is
increasing the amount of support from contract and grant activities.
For the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years, Indiana State University generated:
ISU Grants & Contracts FY2007 FY2008
Federal Grants $3,152,775 $2,738,852
State & Local 4,400,165 2,934,340
Non-Governmental 7,391,844 4,194,966
Total Grants & Contracts $14,944,784 $9,868,158
Data Source: Office of Sponsored Programs Annual Reports. Includes
some awards administered by the ISU Foundation.
This initiative will outline a set of ideas for enhancing contract and grant activity at ISU.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Expand and Diversify Revenues
Recruit and Retain Great Faculty and Staff
Strengthen and Leverage Programs of Strength and Promise
Basic Elements and Brief Description
Enhancing research contract and grant activities is a long-term process requiring sustained effort
for 5-10 years.
a. Establish an institutional target for contracts and grants, in terms of total dollars and a
percent of total revenues – the latter in order to maintain a benchmark for measuring
progress as total revenues grow.
b. ISU currently offers pre-award support through their Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP),
and ongoing administrative support through their Office of Grants and Contracts. OSP
provides budget development assistance, narrative review, submission assistance, contract
negotiation services, and support to compliance committees such as the Institutional
Review Board for research with human subjects, the Animal Care and Use Committee. OSP
works with IU’s Research and Technology Corporation to develop intellectual properties for
the university. The Center for Instruction, Research, and Technology (CIRT) offers
evaluation and research support services to faculty and staff pursuing grants.
c. Launch tenure track faculty research programs on as high a trajectory as possible. This
would include:
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A high level of research-directed start up funding
Reduced teaching loads for first-year tenure track faculty
Summer research money for several consecutive years for pre-tenure faculty
A program of regular competitive full-paid research leaves for tenured faculty
A strong faculty mentoring program using outstanding researchers from across the
campus to assist promising assistant and associate professors. Ideally, the
mentors would be from another department or school, so as to be distinct from the
promotion and tenure review process.
d. Hire 4-5 senior faculty from Research I universities with solid track records of consecutive
years of grant funding. Bring them in as endowed professors and senior faculty to mentor
and collaborate with current faculty at ISU. This could be a program targeted to ISU’s
programs of distinction or promise as a means of enhancing them.
e. During the 2008 fiscal year, the Office of Sponsored Programs conducted grant writing
workshops for 92 attendees, presented to 253 students in the classroom, facilitated
brown-bag sessions on compliance issues for 45 attendees, and presented grant-related
information to 320 community attendees. ISU needs to continue to enhance workshops
and related infrastructure systems that support the development of successful competitive
grants for external funding from government agencies and foundations. OSP should
continue to work with the Office of Grants and Contracts, CIRT, and the Center for Public
Service and Community Engagement (CPSCE) to provide workshops to support grant
writing and management.
f. If the university wants to further emphasize research, issue contracts wherein a new
associate professor would be offered a comparatively large salary (about 150% or more of
the standard contract) but guaranteed for only one (1) year. After the initial year, ISU
would pay 60% of that salary and the individual would have to generate the other 40%
from grant funding. These percentages can change, but usually the institution offers a
very high initial salary but guarantee a smaller percentage with the idea that as the faculty
member brings in additional research dollars, the individual’s salary increases markedly.
A potential downside of this element is that it creates a separate class of faculty who are
expected to be (and are rewarded for) bringing in increasing research dollars and who are,
in turn, released from a percentage of their teaching load in order to focus on research
activities. Funds secured to reduce the teaching loads of researchers must be used to
support the cost of hiring qualified faculty whenever justified by the enrollment demands
of the department. In addition, some incentives would be necessary for the schools that
house these faculty members in order to provide additional support for other related
programmatic offerings.
The Provost and Deans should hold discussions to create a variety of incentives for
individuals and for departments. Where appropriate the deans and provost may wish to
establish measurable expectations for certain groups of faculty relative to the generation
of grant and contract revenue. The senior academic leaders should discuss how these
efforts, incentives and expectations might be considered in faculty evaluation and in the
promotion and tenure process.
Grants and contracts can be secured and managed, not only by faculty, but by senior
researchers on non-tenure track contracts and qualified administrative professionals at ISU
Services should simultaneously encourage and support grant writing in administrative
areas when appropriate.
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Steps and Timeline
Year One and Ongoing
Increase Number and Competitive Quality of ISU Submissions
1. Establish a group of “internal experts” made up of ISU faculty who have been particularly
effective at securing grants and contracts
2. Use ISU internal experts to make ISU proposals even more competitive:
a. Panel review: Have internal experts act as grant reviewers and research design experts
b. Conduct grant writing workshops to faculty who have potential for external funding
c. Assist grant writers with research design, statistics, and grant proposal tactics
d. Assist faculty who receive “revise and resubmit” reviews to produce fundable grant
3. Match targets of opportunity to faculty interests and expertise:
a. Government agencies with RFPs that match ISU faculty research interests
b. Philanthropic organizations with interest that match ISU faculty expertise
c. Service and research contracting opportunities through FedBizOpps, state agencies, etc.
4. Set and achieve goal for number of new proposals to be submitted
a. Cultivate leads, convert ideas into proposals,
b. Provide in-house pre-submission reviews with constructive feedback
c. Assist grant writers with staff support, financial incentives, released time
d. Provide stipends for in-house experts offering assistance as described above.
5. To launch tenure track faculty on higher competitive trajectory, research start-up packages as
elements used in recruiting and hiring tenure track faculty. Consider:
a. Three years of summer funded research grants in lieu of teaching summer session
b. Individual fund for research incidentals and travel first three years
c. Two or more courses released time for research first year
d. Successful mid-probationary review research semester released time
e. Fund for research assistant and data analysis support
f. Minimal service assignments, nothing outside the departmental level
6. Assess progress and initiate follow-up actions, e.g.:
a. Rigorous up-or-out mid-probationary review in year 3 or year 4
b. Specific expectations for number and type of grants to be submitted, e.g. RO1
c. Specific expectations for number and quality of peer reviewed pubs
Year Two
SPO, Review and Upgrade Pre-Award and Post-Award Services
7. Survey active research faculty who have submitted grants or contract proposals
a. Determine areas of strength and areas needing improvement
b. Separately evaluate Pre-award and Post-award services
8. Determine level of centralization or decentralization will produce better results
a. (This could vary by school and by department.)
b. Determine adequacy of staffing, number of FTEs and level of expertise
c. Benchmark against aspirational peers
9. Create and implement plan for upgrading pre-award and post-award service in July 2011
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Year Two – Year Six
New Senior Researchers to Mentor Assistant and Associate Profs
10. Identify foundations and benefactors with interests in endowing professorships, particularly in
programs that have been identified as having strength or promise and ISU research grant
potential; and Establish “cultivation” plan to approach those individuals or organizations
11. Fund 1 Senior Researcher/Endowed Professorship per year
a. Describe position, include mentoring faculty and grant writing as major duties
b. Advertise and recruit candidates of promise, conduct interviews, make hire
c. As part of hire, establish clear expectations for grant proposal productivity, etc.
12. Over time, hire 4-5 senior faculty from Research I universities with solid track records of
consecutive years of grant funding. Bring them in as endowed professors and senior faculty to
mentor and collaborate with current faculty at ISU.
13. To maximize the benefits of this relatively expensive activity, link these hires with the
enhancement of ISU’s university level signature centers and institutes, e.g., Rural Studies
Institute; or with programs of distinction.
Year Three and On-Going
Competitive Grant Incentive Salary Program for Tenured Faculty
14. Determine if Indiana permits a program that allows bonuses to be given to faculty for grant
and contract activity
15. If yes, design a policy for grant funded tenured (and tenure track) faculty that
a. Provides salary cap equal to US Gov maximum allowable
b. Provides guaranteed funding for some lesser percentage of that cap
c. Enables the faculty member to buy out of some or all teaching and service duties.
d. Provides full salary faculty work time that becomes grant funded
16. Look to aspirational peers for models
a. Some institutions do this on an individual level
b. Some do this for whole departments and whole schools
c. Some permit faculty to form consortia which generate sustained funding
Additional Resources
Michigan State University
https://www.msu.edu/~acadgov/corrage/chap2b.html
Section 2(b) of the Report of the Council on the Review of Research and Graduate Education
provides specific philosophies, benchmarks and goals to be followed in order to increase the
research activities of faculty at the institution.
University of Louisville
http://louisville.edu/research/strategic-plan/appendix.html
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In an effort to become the “Premier Metropolitan Research University,” the university developed a
strategic plan specifically for research. This included specific goals and tactics to raise the dollar-
value of research activities at the university by $18.8 million per year for at least two years.
Bowling Green State University
http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/gradcol/file56805.pdf
The Executive Summary of Grants and Contracts Activity for Fiscal Year 2005 presents the results
of efforts, based on the university’s Academic Plan (2003), to increase research and creative
activities of both the faculty and their students.
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The Pathway to Success
STRENGTHEN THE ENGAGEMENT OF ALUMNI IN THE LIFE OF THE UNIVERSITY
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Chris Hancock
Introduction and Background
Colleges and Universities are continually developing and refining portals that bring alumni
together to solidify their connection with their alma mater. This initiative focuses on enhancing
existing programs and leveraging new initiatives for the benefit of alumni, students, and the
University.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Expand and Diversify Revenues
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Enhance Community Engagement
Basic Elements and Brief Description
The steps detailed below articulate the innovated ways in which ISU will strengthen alumni
engagement. Furthermore, these steps can be integrated with existing planning undertaken by
the ISU Foundation Board of Directors and the ISU Alumni Association Board of Directors to
engage alumni in the life of the University.
Create an Alumni Center: An alumni center will provide a destination for visitors,
community members, campus colleagues and alumni to use for multi-purposed functions.
It increases the exposure of the university to larger audiences outside of the campus
community and could serve as a revenue source.
Alumni Clubs: Vibrant, organized and well led alumni clubs are often the strongest
indicator of the affinity that alumni have for their university. They serve as a key
component in engaging new alumni volunteers/donors, recruiting future students and
acting out the values of the university.
Membership Growth: Membership in the alumni association is the best way for alumni to
maintain a sustaining relationship with the University. An increased membership provides
a broader base of volunteers, supporters and advocates for the University. Additionally, it
provides greater financial resources to deliver programs and services to our constituents.
Diverse Alumni Constituents: It is vital that diverse alumni constituents of the university
are researched, cultivated, and engaged. Diverse alumni constituents offer tremendous
growth opportunities for the university by way of engaging alumni, student recruitment,
financial support and providing open communication with key stakeholders.
Social Networking: Although relatively new, social networking (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn,
Twitter, etc.) tools have become another gateway in which alumni can stay connected with
their university. They are best utilized to engage alumni when integrated with existing
programs and communication methods.
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The Pathway to Success
Steps and Timeline
Year One
1. ISU Foundation makes recommendation on Alumni Center.
2. Begin implementing new plan for alumni clubs and put volunteer leadership in place.
Focus of the alumni clubs to be on:
a. Membership Growth
b. Community Engagement – Service
c. Student Recruitment
3. Make recommendation to enhance and grow alumni association membership program.
4. Alumni Association Board of Directors makes recommendations regarding diverse alumni
constituents.
5. Alumni Staff to develop plan for social networking.
Year Two
1. Complete planning for alumni center.
2. Develop and implement a robust plan for alumni club training/recognition and develop
goals for international alumni clubs.
3. Implement new alumni association membership plan.
4. Target social networking to support other initiatives.
5. Implement diverse alumni constituent recommendations.
Year Three
1. Fundraise for new alumni center.
2. Expand alumni clubs.
3. Hit targets.
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RECRUIT AND RETAIN GREAT FACULTY AND STAFF
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR:
Daniel J. Bradley, president, dan.bradley@indstate.edu
GOAL SIX: Take measures to enhance the University's ability to recruit and retain
great faculty and staff in order to realize its goals and fulfill its mission.
OBJECTIVES:
1. By 2014, make progress in hiring African American faculty, so that the gap between this
group and the percent of African Americans in our student body is narrowed by 50
percent.
2. By 2014, make progress in recruiting more minorities and women in executive and
professional staff positions, so that the gap in composition of these employee groups and
the diversity of our student body is narrowed by 50 percent.
3. By 2014, increase the number of newly hired tenure/tenure-track faculty achieving tenure
to 65 percent.
4. By 2014, increase the six-year retention rate for staff to 60 percent.
5. By 2014, increase the compensation for our faculty so that all full-time, benefits-eligible
faculty members are making 90 percent or more of target salaries.
6. By 2014, increase the compensation of our staff so that all full-time, benefits-eligible staff
are making 90 percent or more of target salaries.
7. Complete the salary equity studies for faculty and staff and begin implementation by 2010.
Following are the most recent data, the Fall 2014 targets, and the changes associated with each
objective.
FALL 2008 FALL 2014 CHANGE
Diversity
% African American 2%/12% 7%/12% +5%
Faculty/% African
American Students
% of women in 27%/54% 40.5%/54% +13.5%
executive positions/
% female students
% of minorities in 5%/17% 11%/17% +6%
executive positions/
% minority students
% of women in other 54%/54% No change ---
professional positions/
% female students
10%/17% 13.5%/17% +3.5%
% of minorities in other
professional positions/
% minority students
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Retention
New Tenure/Tenure- 62% 80% +18%
Track Faculty Hires
Obtaining Tenure
Six-year retention for 41%a 60% +19%
staff:
Faculty Salaries
% making 90% or more of target salaries
Assistant Professor 53% 100% +47%
Associate Professor 73% 100% +27%
Full Professor 48% 100% +52%
Total 59% 100% +41%
Non-Faculty Salaries
% making 90%+ of target salaries TBD 100% TBD
a
% of cohort hired in FY2003 who are still employed by ISU in Fall 2008
INITIATIVES
There are four initiatives for achieving the objectives and, collectively, realizing Goal Six:
1. Enhance quality of life for faculty and staff
2. Enhance faculty development
3. Enhance staff development
4. Expand the diversity found in the composition of the faculty and staff at Indiana State
University
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The Pathway to Success
ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR FACULTY AND STAFF
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Linda Maule
Introduction and Background
Many factors contribute to an institution’s ability to recruit and retain quality faculty and staff.
While salary and prestige were once thought to be the primary drivers to successful institutional
recruitment and retention efforts, a recent study by the Collaboration on Academic Careers in
Higher Education reveals that increasingly heavier emphasis is being placed on intangible factors
that contribute to quality of life and professional development in decisions to join and stay with an
institution.
These trends and their implications will be important for ISU to consider as it develops
recruitment and retention strategies to address heavy turnover in the coming years as faculty and
staff begin to retire. Age data on ISU’s faculty and staff indicate that a significant number of
faculty and staff are between the age of 55 and 65.
20%
18%
2008 INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY Faculty
18% Faculty & Staff Distribution Percentages Staff
17% 17%
16%
14%
13%
14%
12%
12%
12% 11% 11%
10% 10%
10% 9%
8%
8%
8% 7%
6%
6% 5% 5%
4%
3% 2%
2% 1%
0%
0%
20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 over 70
Based on data for the last three years, following is the average age for retirement from ISU data
received from the Associate Vice President for Human Resources at Indiana State, from 2006
through the most recent academic term:
The average Faculty Retirement Age is approximately 65
The average Staff/Administration Retirement Age is approximately 63
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The Pathway to Success
As shown in the chart above, significant cohorts of both faculty and staff will be transitioning into
retirement in the next ten years. While not all will choose to leave university service at age 65,
the numbers are significant. Moreover, new faculty hires, remaining to obtain tenure and the six-
year retention rate for staff are below optimal levels. To address these challenges, it is important
that ISU have effective means and amenities in place to attract and retain top faculty and staff.
Other initiatives address ideas for enhancing professional development for faculty and staff. This
initiative addresses quality of life issues that affect both groups.
Where ISU already has a group in place, e.g., Health Benefits Review Committee, Faculty
Economic Benefits Committee (FEBC), Staff Economics Benefits Committee (SEBC), it will address
the ideas in this initiative related to its charges.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Recruit and Retain Great Faculty and Staff
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Basic Elements and Brief Description: Child Care
The most effective child care centers are those that center the hours of operation around the
needs of faculty, staff and students, e.g., the hours are organized around the academic calendar,
making them suboptimal for staff who have a different schedule. ISU will take measures to
identify and implement short-term improvements to its Child Care Center by Fall 2010 and make
long-term enhancements by Fall 2013.
Prior studies on this topic at ISU have identified the following as areas to consider when
enhancing childcare at ISU, including:
a. moving the child care center onto campus
b. increase in days and hours of operation
c. drop off (hourly) child care for students, staff, and faculty
d. child care for new faculty attending New Faculty Orientation events at the beginning of the
academic year
e. child care for university events that faculty are highly encouraged to attend, e.g.,
Convocation, Commencement
f. more programming offered by the University during the summer
g. create a more family friendly atmosphere on campus (e.g., increase the number of
changing table, ensure that high chairs and booster chairs are available in the Commons,
include a nursing (breast-feeding center) is part of the child care facility
h. having ISU's spring break coincide with Vigo County Spring Break
Steps and Timeline: Child Care
Year One
1. Appoint a Child Care Center Task Force with representatives of the various users of the
service.
2. Conduct a survey of needs of students, faculty and staff to determine aspects not included
in prior studies, e.g., price elasticity
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The Pathway to Success
3. Based on prior studies and the survey results, identify changes in the existing Center that
can be made in the short term (e.g., days and hours of operation) until the project to fully
enhance program is completed.
4. Identify potential funding sources -- foundations, State and Federal government; NGOs --
that are interested in financing early childhood education and child care centers that meet
certain criteria. (Done early in planning process to enable the task force to include those
qualities that are both compatible with ISU needs and will help qualify for funding.)
5. Study the pros and cons of various approaches to operating the ISU Child Care Center,
including contracting-out to vendor specializing in the field; continuing to operate the
program internally; or, a combination of both.
Year Two
6. Implement short-term changes in Fall 2010
7. In light of potential partnerships and community development projects, examine possible
options for locating the enhanced Center, e.g., remain where it is; another location on-
campus; in the 7th Street Health Care Corridor as part of an expanded RHIC initiative;
downtown, as a part of a City-Center Redevelopment Project.
8. Examine potential partners for the Center to share costs and services, e.g., Union Hospital,
IU Medical School, Ivy Tech, if located in the 7th Street Health Care Corridor.
9. Based on information from the prior steps, develop a “space program” that describes the
elements needed in the enhanced Center.
Year Three
8. Select an architect to develop the design, renderings and estimate the construction costs.
9. Develop a business model for the program to include staffing, operating, and all other
related costs. This includes solidifying agreements with the College of Education; the
Department of Elementary, Early, and Special Education; the administrators of the facility;
and all other parties on how the Center will operate.
10. Using information gathered in earlier steps regarding potential funding sources, financial
partners and early renderings developed by the architect, develop case statements and
proposals; and begin to seek funding for constructing and operating the Child Care Center.
Year Four
11. Complete construction
Year Five
12. Enhanced Center Opens in Fall 2013
Basic Elements and Brief Description: Discounts on University Events
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The Pathway to Success
In order to create a strong sense of community, the rates for university events need to be scaled
to what individual can afford, including staff who are working at lower pay scales. Likewise, the
policies for state-of-the-art amenities like fitness and recreation center, which can be major draws
for recruitment and retention of faculty and staff and is consistent with ISU’s focus on wellness,
need to be aligned with faculty and staff needs. While ISU already allows free access to the
Student Recreation Center for benefit-eligible faculty and staff, the university will take measures
to increase the number of faculty and staff who use these facilities as well as those who attend
ISU events.
Steps and Timeline: Discounts on University Events
Year One
1. Assign responsibility for addressing this initiative.
2. Develop a list of all University events and facilities for which there is a charge for entrance.
3. Survey faculty and staff to establish a base-line participation rate in those events and
facilities.
4. Examine the current pricing structure for all University sponsors and events and facilities.
5. Develop policies that maximize the opportunity for all faculty and staff to attend events
and use of facilities, regardless of varying levels of salaries and the ability to pay. Consider
such options as:
a. Sliding charge based on salary
b. Single rate low enough to be affordable for all faculty and staff
c. A policy whereby faculty and staff can attend certain type of events at no charge
and other at a rate based on a and/or b above.
Year Two
6. Implement new policy and monitor what worked well and what did not.
7. Survey faculty and staff to measure participation
8. Modify the policy as needed.
9. Establish a timeline on how often participation will be measured, the policy reviewed, and
a method for both.
Basic Elements and Brief Description: Relocation Assistance Program
Relocation Assistance Programs work to ease the transition of moving to a new community by
providing essential support to new and prospective faculty, staff, and their families. Services that
could be provided under an ISU Relocation Assistance program include information on:
Moving companies
Housing
Child and elder care
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The Pathway to Success
School systems
Diversity and community resources
Dual-career services
Steps and Timeline: Relocation Assistance Program
Year One
1. Appoint a group to develop this initiative.
2. Study the practices of colleges and universities that offer relocation assistance services for
elements that should be part of an ISU relocation assistance program.
3. Work with hiring Deans, Department Chairs and Directors, the FEBC and SEBC to introduce
them to the program under development and gather their input on elements that should
be part of the ISU relocation assistance program.
4. Survey the various services and information links currently provided on the ISU web site
that should be part of the relocation assistance, e.g. day care, the spousal assistance
program once it is developed, etc.
Year Two
5. Develop a plan and expectations for the ISU relocation assistance program.
6. Develop expectations for the staff who will manage the program.
7. Evaluate the capacity within current HR staff to determine if addition of the relocation
assistance program can be managed with existing staff or if hiring additional staff will be
necessary.
8. Hire new staff, or provide training for existing staff.
9. Develop a web page for the relocation assistance program that provides a comprehensive
overview of the campus and community resources new and prospective faculty and
employees would need to make a smooth transition to Terre Haute and ISU.
Year Three
10. Implement the program and market to the university community and provide information
on how and when hiring departments can direct job candidates to these services.
Basic Elements and Brief Description: Salary Equity Program
Ensuring that salaries are competitive is an important measure for retaining quality faculty and
staff and enhancing its appeal to candidates. While attracting and keeping the best faculty
members is not always simply dependent on salary, ensuring that salaries are competitive with
peer institutions is an important initiative for the institution to take on.
At present, Indiana State is conducting an analysis of selected peer institutions with which to
compare its salaries for faculty and staff and make needed adjustments in an effort to ensure
competitive levels of compensation. In addition to helping ISU bring salaries in line with
competitor institutions, a salary equity program would also establish specific guidelines on which
salary offers will be based so to ensure neutrality with respect to gender, race, age, national
orientation, sexual orientation, religion, and other characteristics.
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The Pathway to Success
Steps and Timeline: Salary Equity Program
Year One and Beyond
1. Complete the peer group analysis and conduct a comparison on an individual-by-individual
basis, to pinpoint inequities.
2. Identify the total cost of bringing ISU faculty and staff in line with peers.
3. Develop the criteria for determining the priorities for distributing the salary equity funds.
4. Based on the criteria, identify the order by which salary inequities will be addressed.
5. Distribute salary equity funds in the order identified.
Basic Elements and Brief Description: Spouse/Significant Other Professional Support
Increasingly colleges and universities are finding that one of the top reasons why faculty
candidates turn down job offers is because of the lack of job opportunities for their spouse or
significant other. That problem is particularly pronounced for female faculty members. According
to an April 13, 2001 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, 40 percent of female faculty
members have an academic spouse or partner, compared to 35 percent of male faculty members.
Faced with this growing challenge, colleges nationwide are enhancing their recruitment and
retention efforts through the addition of Dual Career assistance programs. Dual Career
assistance programs are not only designed to help attract talented faculty and staff by offering
them a way to ease their partners' transition to a new area, they are also considered a retention
tool since employees are less likely to want to stay at an institution if their partner is unhappy
because of his or her employment situation. Specialists could also choose to represent their
institutions as a member of the Higher Education Dual Career Network, which allows them to
communicate and network with other member institutions, gain access to resources to help them
improve their program, and receive emails about upcoming events and job openings.
ISU had previously worked with the Wabash Valley Educational Alliance which, through
partnerships with business and industry, supported an ISU Dual Career Network. That initiative
could be resurrected and leveraged as a part of this initiative.
Steps and Timeline: Spouse/Significant Other Professional Support
Year One
1. Assign the formation of a Spouse/Significant Other Professional Support program to the
FEBC and SEBC.
2. Study the practices of the Wabash Valley Education Alliance as well as model programs for
Dual Career services listed below for elements of a Dual Career assistance program at ISU.
3. Work with hiring Deans, Directors and Department Chairs around campus to introduce
them to the program under development as well as best practices at models reviewed and
gather their input on the elements that should be part of the ISU Dual Career assistance
program in order to serve their needs.
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The Pathway to Success
4. Develop a plan and expectations for the ISU Dual Career assistance program based on the
findings from models and input from hiring Deans and Department Chairs.
5. Develop expectations and a job description for the staff who will manage the program.
6. Evaluate the skills and capacity within current HR staff to determine if addition of the Dual
Career assistance program can be managed with existing staff or if hiring additional staff
will be necessary
7. Hire new staff member or provide training for existing staff as appropriate
8. Develop a web page for the Dual Career assistance program that provides a
comprehensive overview of the services offered, as well as links to other resources that
may be important to families considering relocating, e.g., day care, housing and relocation
assistance, maps of the area, entertainment, places of worship, etc.
9. Market new Dual Career assistance program to the university community and provide
information on how departments can direct job candidate spouses or significant others to
these services
Basic Elements and Brief Description: Enhance the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
ISU has an Employee Assistance Programs (http://www.indstate.edu/humres/programs.htm).
This initiative is intended to enhance those programs, which help employees deal with personal
problems that might adversely impact their work performance, health, and well-being. Areas to
be explored for expansion include:
Emergency counseling
Benevolence fund/Emergency loan
Financial planning
Dietetic counseling
Steps and Timeline: Employee Assistance Program
Year One
1. Ask the FEBC and SEBC to identify additional support services that are most needed
through an enhanced employee assistance program.
2. Review the services available through ISU’s existing EAP providers, as well as those of
models identified below to determine whether there is a need to change ISUs EAP
providers in order to obtain the most comprehensive, efficient and cost effective services.
3. Review the web sites of selected models for ideas on how information and resources might
be better organized on ISU’s EAP web page to facilitate access by employees, e.g., by
issues employees may be facing, etc.
4. Identify services that could or should be provided on campus and determine whether
additional staff would be needed in order to provide those services.
5. Develop a timeline for introducing each enhanced element of EAP, based on available
resources.
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The Pathway to Success
6. Hire new staff or train existing staff to offer new services as appropriate.
7. Prepare and distribute internal communication materials introducing ISU employees to the
new enhanced employee assistance program according to the implementation timeline.
8. Launch the enhanced ISU employee assistance program according to the implementation
timeline.
Basic Elements and Brief Description: Explore Flexible Work Alternatives
Increasingly, achieving work-life balance is becoming an important consideration for employees in
choosing a place to work. Offering flexible work options is one way that ISU could be responsive
to this need and increase retention and recruitment of quality faculty and staff. Doing so would
help staff meet their personal and family needs, such as caring for children or aging parents,
while continuing to meet the University’s business needs.
ISU currently offers employees opportunities for flexible scheduling during the summer months.
The University could create a flexible work alternative policy that not only extends flexible
scheduling beyond the summer, but also makes available other flexible work options for faculty
and staff, including:
Flexible scheduling
Compressed Work Schedule
Job Sharing
Flextime
Telecommuting
Steps and Timeline: Explore Flexible Work Alternatives
Year One
1. Ask the FEBC and SEBC to explore new flexible work alternatives
2. Review selected models for ideas.
3. Meet with the President’s Cabinet to discuss the ideas, models, perceived challenges,
benefits and needs, as well as to identify positions for which flexible work options may or
may not be feasible.
4. As considered appropriate, consult with Deans, Directors and supervisors to discuss the
flexible work alternatives and discuss perceived challenges, benefits and needs, as well as
to identify positions for which flexible work options may or may not be feasible.
5. Prepare a first draft of the ISU flexible work options policy.
6. Take the flexible work options policy through the appropriate review, revision and approval
process.
7. If approved, develop:
a. A set of policies and procedures.
b. Information on the ISU Human Resources web page on flexible work alternatives
that provides employees a comprehensive overview of the policies and procedures.
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The Pathway to Success
c. Timeline for implementation
Basic Elements and Brief Description: Explore Eldercare Assistance
As the population ages, universities can expect to see an increase in the number of its employees
caring for aging parents and family members over the next several years. To be responsive to the
needs of its faculty and staff, ISU could consider options for adding Eldercare Benefits to its
employee benefits package.
Steps and Timeline: Explore Eldercare Assistance
Year One
1. Ask the SEBC and FEBC to take the lead in exploring this option
2. Review the selected models identified below for ideas to develop the ISU Eldercare
benefits
3. Review existing ISU benefits to determine what services the University already provides
that could be incorporated, as is, into an eldercare benefits package, what services could
be enhanced to better serve this need and what services need to be added. Eldercare
benefits can touch upon such things as:
a. Leave policies
b. Dependent care resource and referral services
c. Educational seminars
4. If the program is considered feasible:
a. Take the new Eldercare benefit through the appropriate review, revision and
approval process
b. Assign responsibility for oversight and coordination of the new Eldercare benefit to
an existing staff member(s) and provide training as necessary.
c. Develop a web page for the new Eldercare benefit that provides employees a
comprehensive overview of the benefit.
d. Introduce the new Eldercare benefit to employees, including flyers, mailings, online
announcements, etc.
e. Begin those elements of the program deemed feasible
Basic Elements and Brief Description: Review of Selected Policies
Ensuring that personnel policies are competitive is a key factor in retaining quality faculty and
staff and enhancing the University’s appeal to candidates. Indeed the Chronicle of Higher
Education has identified the programs, policies and practices that make a college a “great place to
work” and have begun to identify institutions that excel in certain areas.
ISU is already reviewing and making changes in the following areas:
Staff Promotion, including the classification structure
Sick Leave and Other Leave
Domestic Partner Benefits
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The Pathway to Success
These reviews and others, such as Domestic Partner Benefits, will be completed as part of this
initiative.
Step and Timeline: Review of Selected Policies
Year One
1. Continue the work already underway by the committees addressing sick leave and other
leave and staff promotion.
2. Appoint the FEBC and SEBC responsibility for review of the domestic partners benefits
policy.
3. Review the model institutions identified below for ideas on how the ISU policies in the
selected areas might be revised to better match the practices of some of the best colleges
to work for.
4. Review existing contract, system or State policies that relate to the policies under review
to determine how, if any, they restrict or enable ISU to modify its practices in these areas.
5. Meet with the President’s Cabinet to understand their needs and concerns as related to
these policies. If policies are considered feasible:
Take the policies through the appropriate review, revision and approval processes.
Meet with deans, directors and supervisors for their views
Determine the financial implications
Identify implementation timelines
Develop first drafts of the new policies
Communicate the changes through the Human Resources web site and other means
Introduce the new policies
Additional Information and Potential Models
Child Care - Campus Operated
University of Southern Indiana
http://www.usi.edu/childcenter/
The USI Children’s Center is a state-licensed, NAEYC-accredited facility, licensed to care for
children ages two through seven years; however, only pre-K children are enrolled during the
academic school year. Enrollment priority is given to children of USI students, faculty, and staff.
Children of alumni and community parents may be accepted, if space is available.
USI-affiliated parents may enroll their children ages 3-6 years in the full-day child care program
on an hourly or daily basis to accommodate class and study times. Children enrolled in the two-
year old class must enroll full-time. In addition to two full-day preschool classes, the center also
offers a half-day preschool program that meets two (TTh), three (MWF) or five mornings per
week during the academic year, from 8:30 a.m.- 12:15 p.m. and is available for community
children, as well as those whose parents are affiliated with USI.
The Children's Learning Center is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. The Center is
closed only when the University closes. If classes are cancelled but University offices are open,
the Center is open.
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The Pathway to Success
University of Wisconsin--La Crosse
http://www.uwlax.edu/childcare/
The Campus Child Center was established in 1985 to provide care for the children of University of
Wisconsin-La Crosse students, staff and faculty, with UW-L students receiving registration
priority. All clients must be part of the UW-L community to be eligible for the Campus Child
Center service. Current enrollees are allowed to pre-register each semester before new clients are
accepted. Campus Child Center is licensed to care for children ages 1 through 12.
Campus Child Center is open from 7:00am – 6:00pm in the preschool area and 7:30am to
5:30pm in the toddler area (one-year-old room), Monday through Friday. Campus Child Center is
open the last week in August through the first week in June and is closed during the summer
session.
Missouri State University
http://universitychildcarecenter.org/
University Child Care Center is a state licensed educational child care center that provides quality
child care to children of day students, faculty and staff of Missouri State University, the host
church and the community. UCCC operates on the Missouri State University academic calendar
and is open Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 5:30 pm. The Center offers flexible scheduling and hourly
rates.
The center is governed by a Board of Directors that consists of twelve members: four faculty/staff
members of Missouri State (one of which is a representative of the Early Childhood and Family
Development program); four parents of children enrolled in UCCC; two representatives of the
host church, if any; and two representatives from the general community.
University of Nebraska, Kearney
http://www.unk.edu/offices/humanresources.aspx?id=804#history
The UNK Child Development Center was originally established in 1948 as a Laboratory for
preschool children. The Lab setting provided an opportunity for students studying the many
aspects of early childhood an on-campus opportunity to observe and interact with children. In
2001, the childcare needs of the parents who are students, staff, and faculty members of the
University became an issue of extreme importance to Chancellor Gladys Styles Johnston and the
former Lab was licensed as a child care facility. Children six (6) weeks through six (6) years of
age are provided a quality program that not only meets a child’s physical needs, but also allows
him/her to develop emotionally, socially, and intellectually through stimulating activities in a
nurturing and accepting atmosphere. The Center promotes the University’s educational mission by
providing an environment where its’ students can observe and interact with young children in
preparation for future professional contact.
The UNK Child Development Center is open 7:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday and
closes on major holidays as well as when all other University offices have been notified of closing.
This may be due to inclement weather or special circumstances. This may include full or partial
days.
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A Parent Advisory Group has been established for the center, which meets the first Thursday of
the month at 5:15 p.m. during the academic year.
Child Care - Contracted Out
Iowa State University
http://centers.brighthorizons.com/iowastate/
The child care center at Iowa State University, Veterinary Medicine opened in August 1997 and is
operated by Bright Horizons Family Solutions. The center was created as a progressive and
flexible benefit for students and University employees. It has a capacity for 79 children ages 6
weeks to 12 years old. The center is located on the Iowa State University Veterinary Medicine
campus and is minutes away from Iowa State's main campus. Its hours of operation are Monday -
Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Classroom ratios range from 1:4 to 1:15.
Johns Hopkins
http://www.jhbrighthorizons.org/about/
The Johns Hopkins Child Care and Early Learning Center is run by Bright Horizons Family
Solutions and is designed to serve full-time employees (faculty and staff), full-time day students,
house staff and fellows of the Johns Hopkins University of eligible Divisions and the Johns Hopkins
Hospital/Health System. All children ages 6 weeks through preschool are welcome for full-time
care. The Johns Hopkins Child Care and Early Learning Center is open Monday through Friday
from 6:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., except major holidays.
California State University, San Marcos
http://www.cclc.com/PL/Centertourrequest/ChildCareProviderdetails.aspx?BID=4&SHID=19
Operated by Children’s Creative Learning Centers, the child care center at California State
University San Marcos serves, students, faculty, staff and members of the San Marcos community
with children ages 6 weeks – 5 years of age. The center has capacity for 182 children with class
ratios range from 1:3 for infants, to 1:10 for children ages 4-5. The center is open Monday
through Friday from 6am – 7pm, except on major holidays.
Stanford University
http://www.cclc.com/PL/Centertourrequest/ChildCareProviderdetails.aspx?BID=4&SHID=27
The Stanford Arboretum Children's Center, operated by Children’s Creative Learning Centers, is
open to Stanford affiliates (faculty, students, and staff of Stanford University, Stanford Hospital
and Clinics, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and SLAC) with children ages 6 weeks – 5 years of
age. The center has capacity for 129 children and has class ratios ranging from 1:4 for infants
through 1:7 for children ages 4-5. The center is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 am –
6:30 pm, except on major holidays.
Relocation Assistance
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
http://www.uwlax.edu/hr/employment/relocation.htm
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The Pathway to Success
University of Minnesota – Duluth
http://www.d.umn.edu/umdhr/orientation/relocating.htm
University of Minnesota
http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/rap/index.html
Spousal/Significant Other Professional Support
University of Northern Iowa
http://www.vpaf.uni.edu/dualcareer/
The University of Northern Iowa offers up to two years of free job search assistance to spouses
and partners of new UNI employees. Services include assistance with planning and coordinating a
job search campaign, career and job search consultation, and access to job the University’s web-
based job listing and referral system which provides a strong link to prospective employers as
well as access to resources that helpful for the job search.
Indiana University
http://www.indiana.edu/~careers2/
The Dual Career Network program at Indiana University offers up to two years of free job search
assistance to spouses and partners of those moving to Bloomington to take Indiana University
faculty or senior staff positions.
Virginia Tech
http://www.hr.vt.edu/employment/dualcareers/
Virginia Tech offers job search assistance for up to one year for spouses or partners of newly
recruited faculty or administrators. Services provided include general information on employment
in the region; help identify appropriate employers and making connections with key contacts;
interview preparation; and assistance with preparation of resumes and cover letters.
Higher Education Dual Career Network (HEDCN)
http://sites.google.com/site/dualcareer/
The Higher Education Dual Career Network is an informal network of individuals working at
institutions of higher education around the world on issues related to faculty and/or staff dual
career recruitment.
Employee Assistance Program
Duke University
http://www.hr.duke.edu/pas/
Personal Assistance Service (PAS) is the faculty/employee assistance program of Duke University.
The staff of licensed professionals offer assessment, short-term counseling, and referrals to help
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The Pathway to Success
resolve a range of personal, work, and family problems. PAS services are available free of charge
to Duke faculty and staff, and their immediate family members.
Alcoholism Money Management
Arguments Retirement
Balancing Time The "Sandwich Generation"
Depression Stress
Divorce Trauma Reactions & Resources
Grief in the Workplace Workplace Violence
Money and Emotional Reactions Weight Control
Canisius College
http://www.canisius.edu/hr/eap.asp
Canisius College provides employee assistance services through Child & Family Services, one of
the most comprehensive, professionally staffed EAP programs in Western New York.
Child & Family Services can assist employees with any kind of personal or family related problem,
including but not limited to:
Stress Separation/Loss/Bereavement
Depression/Anxiety Family Violence
Gambling Compulsive Behaviors
Parenting Concerns Health Pressures
Financial Pressure Illness & Its Impact on Families
Substance Abuse Marital Relationship
In addition, Child & Family Services offers special consultation/referral services including:
Legal Consultation Child Care Concerns
Nutrition Consultation Basic Budgeting Concerns
Career Consultation Eldercare Consultation
Trauma Debriefing: (If crisis occurs in the workplace, EAP can be available for consultation
or counseling).
Pennsylvania College of Technology
http://www.theeap.com/
Pennsylvania College of Technology offers employee assistance services through ESI Employee
Assistance Group. ESI offers counseling, help, tools, and resources to employees and their family
members to address a wide range of problems and issues. Just some of these include:
Adoption Financial Planning
Aging Issues and Elder Care Fitness Programs
Alcohol and Substance Abuse Gambling Addiction
Balancing Work and Family Health and Wellness
Cancer, Diabetes, and Other Illnesses Health Risk Assessments
Child Care and Daycare Homeownership and Mortgages
Children with Special Needs Interpersonal Skills with Family and Co-
Consumer Problems and Rights workers
Debt and Debt Restructuring Legal Issues and Family Law
Eating Disorders Loss and Grief
Education and Tuition Planning Mental and Behavioral Health Issues
Estate Planning, Probate, and Wills Nutrition Counseling
Family Violence Personal Development and Training
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The Pathway to Success
Real Estate and Tenant/Landlord Taxes and the IRS
Concerns Traffic Violations
Retirement and College Savings Weight Loss
Planning Wellness
Separation or Divorce Wills and other Legal Issues
Smoking Cessation Women's Health
Stress and Coping with Change
Rice University
http://people.rice.edu/employee.cfm?doc_id=7311
Rice University offers all employees an employee assistance program (EAP) and childcare and
eldercare referral services through Lifeworks. Rice employees are welcome to use this free and
confidential program. The services offered are also extended to family members, dependents, or
anyone significant in an employee’s life.
LifeWorks ® offers information, advice, and support on a wide range of everyday issues,
including:
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The Pathway to Success
Parenting and childcare
Older Adults
Managing people
Disability
Emotional well-being
Addiction and recovery
Everyday issues
Education
Health and wellness
Grief and loss
Financial
Legal
Flexible Work Alternatives
George Mason University
http://www.gmu.edu/facstaff/policy/newpolicy/2202.html
George Mason University recognizes the value of flexible work options to faculty, staff and
the university. Types of Flexible Work options available to George Mason University faculty
and staff include:
Alternate Work Schedule
Compressed Work Schedule
Flextime
Job Sharing
Remote Work
Telework
Duke University
http://www.hr.duke.edu/flexwork/options.html
There is an array of flexible work options available at Duke including flextime (flexible work
hours), telecommuting (flexible work location), compressed work schedules, and alternative
work assignments such as job sharing and abbreviated schedule or part-time work.
Although not all options may be available in all departments or for all positions, Duke
University has established guidelines offering employees suggestions that may help them
manage their work schedules while continuing to meet business needs.
Emory University
http://www.worklife.emory.edu/workplaceflexibility/index.html
Emory University is committed to providing employees with programs and resources that
improve productivity, support effective work-life strategies, and addresses transportation
and commuting challenges. The University Leadership has recently approved the Principles
of Alternative Work to assist and guide operating units on how to make decisions addressing
AWA and telecommuting options.
Georgia Institute of Technology
http://www.admin-fin.gatech.edu/human/employment/086500.html
The Georgia Institute of Technology provides a variety of flexible working arrangements, at
the discretion of department, to enable employees to serve customers, meet Institute and
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departmental goals, and balance personal and professional responsibilities. Participating in a
flexible working arrangement is a privilege and not a right.
Among the flexible work arrangements available to Georgia Tech employees are:
Compressed Workweek
Flextime
Job Sharing
Telecommuting
Eldercare Assistance
Duke University
http://www.hr.duke.edu/family/elder.html
As the population ages, Duke's faculty and staff will find a need for assistance with an aging
parent. The Duke Family Support Program provides elder care referrals and resources to
Duke faculty and staff who require this assistance.
Emory University
http://www.worklife.emory.edu/dependentcare/eldercare/benefits/index.html
The University expects to see an increase in the number of its employees caring for aging
parents and family members over the next several years. Emory wants to do what it can to
help provide support and resources to help employees and their families maintain work-life
balance while undertaking such responsibilities.
George Mason University
http://eldercare.gmu.edu/
The mission of Life Planning/Eldercare Services at George Mason University is to provide
support services to the university community, including faculty and staff, as they seek to
balance the responsibilities of work and caregiving of elder family members.
Models: Policy Review
Sick Leave
Cornell University
http://www.policy.cornell.edu/CM_Images/Uploads/POL/vol6_9_family.pdf?CFID=6226376&
CFTOKEN=71392020
Emory University
http://policies.emory.edu/4.34
George Mason University
http://hr.gmu.edu/benefits/leave/fmla.php
Promotion Policy
Truman State University
http://hr.truman.edu/transfer/index.asp
University of Notre Dame
http://hr.nd.edu/policy/manual/Employment/pat.shtml
Rice University
http://www.professor.rice.edu/professor/PROMOTION__TRANSFER.asp?SnID=2
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Domestic Partner Benefits
University of Iowa
http://www.uiowa.edu/hr/benefits/domesticpart.html
The University of Iowa offers its employees the opportunity to insure their domestic partner
under various benefit programs, including health, dental, and accidental death and
dismemberment insurance.
Ohio State University
http://hr.osu.edu/events/domesticpartnership.aspx
Ohio State University offers some programs and services for those in same-sex or opposite-
sex domestic partner relationships, including Medical, Dental, Vision Benefits, Life
Insurance, and Family and Medical Leave (FML) and Sick Leave
University of Kentucky
http://www.uky.edu/HR/WorkLife/documents/FinalDPReport1-11-07.pdf
http://www.uky.edu/HR/benefits/SponsoredDependent.html
The University of Kentucky offers its employees the opportunity to cover a Sponsored
Dependent under various benefit programs, including health, dental and vision. The
University contributes towards the cost of health coverage for Sponsored Dependents.
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The Pathway to Success
ENHANCE FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Kelly Wilkinson
Introduction and Background
ISU already offers a set of professional development programs and services for faculty
through its Center for Instruction, Research & Technology that explores new approaches to
pedagogy and assists faculty, through training and application, on the use of learning
technologies to enhance learning. Several enhancements are already in development, for
example a mentoring program for faculty entering ISU.
This initiative is intended to build on these efforts by creating a comprehensive support
system that extends from recruitment to retirement. It seeks to clarify roles and
expectations; support hiring; develop and retain a strong and productive faculty; and
support faculty career advancement – all based on the core values, mission and goals of the
University.
In addition to enhancing faculty retention and success, there are other by-products from
this initiative
Stronger pedagogical skills and support would contribute to more effective teaching
and that, in turn, could leads to greater student success and satisfaction as
measured in retention and on-time graduation rates.
Stronger research skills and research support infrastructure result in more grant-
funded research, which, in turn, would improves revenue generation, demonstrates
the institution’s value to the state and to the community, and increases the
production of new and applied knowledge.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Recruit and Retain Great Faculty and Staff
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Expand and Diversify Revenues
Basic Elements and Brief Description
Enhancing faculty development would address the following topics:
1. Promotion and Tenure Guidelines and Policies: The role and expectations of faculty
in light of the strategic plan and emphasis by the University on community engagement,
experiential learning, leveraging programs of strength and promise and other priorities
2. Hiring New Faculty: Search and hiring practices that assist departments and
prospective job candidates to understand ISU’s core values and priorities, and the role it
and they are expected to play to fulfill the University’s mission and address ISU’s
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commitment to diversity and the role diversity plays in fulfilling the mission of the
University
3. Support for New and Junior Tenure-Track Faculty: A coordinated effort to assist
faculty to achieve tenure through a coordinated set of activities running from orientation
to start-up packages for tenure track hires, to special support for junior faculty
4. On-Going Faculty Development Opportunities: Workshops devoted to pedagogy and
curriculum development, successfully seeking grants, department chair workshops;
program for emeriti faculty
Steps and Timeline
Year One
1. Identify or reaffirm the roles of the individuals in the Provost’s Office to coordinate all
aspects of faculty development and the activities in this initiative.
2. Engage in a university-wide dialog on key issues related to faculty life and expectations
at ISU, in light of the new strategic plan and the role of all forms of scholarship –
teaching, discovery, application and integration.
a. Determine how areas of special emphasis, such as community engagement and
experiential learning, or the goal of increasing externally funded grants and
contracts, should result in reasonable revisions to policies, expectations and
practices around faculty evaluation and work assignments.
b. Determine how excellent teaching and productivity in research, of campus citizenship
and, at the senior rank, a set of achievements worthy of national note, should result
in reasonable revisions to policies, expectations and practices around faculty
evaluation and work assignments.
c. Determine how to evaluate in a full and fair-minded way things that may at first
seem “non-standard,” “non-traditional,” or difficult to properly evaluate and credit to
the candidate who is up for tenure or promotion. Some examples would be student-
faculty research, independent contributions to collaborative scholarship, and the use
of active learning teaching strategies which promote creative and critical thinking.
d. Establish reasonable expectations, benchmarking faculty work responsibilities with
those of actual and aspirational peer institutions. “The Delaware Study” offers one
potential set of statistical benchmarks by discipline.
3. Based on the dialog in step 2, prepare a comprehensive set of recommendations to be
considered and acted upon by senior administration and faculty governance at the
departmental, school and university levels. This will involve an analysis and review of all
policies and MOUs on faculty retention, annual evaluation, mid-probationary evaluation
of tenure track faculty, tenure standards, and promotion standards in order to assure
that these policies serve the mission and strategic goals of the university and its schools
(in addition to being reasonable, legal, fair to all concerned, etc.)
4. Determine which governance committees should address which issues, assign tasks,
establish timelines for the completion of revisions of policies, protocols and documents
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that describe expectations and common practices. Follow up as needed by academic
leadership to assure timely work and internal consistency of changes.
5. Design and implement a comprehensive internal communications effort to alert all
affected individuals to significant changes, to describe and explain those changes, and to
inform people about the steps and timelines for implementation.
Year Two
6. Develop an enhanced orientation program, which would begin at the start of the next
academic year and continue through the first six to nine months of employment. It
should:
a. Address differing work expectations, professional aspirations, and needs of faculty in
different major groupings: tenure track, full time non-tenure track, new part-time
and adjunct faculty, rehired or continuing part time and adjunct faculty.
b. Seek to connect new hires with other new faculty to form mutually supportive peer
group
c. Expand or create a Faculty Mentors program drawing on the best colleagues from
across the campus to assist faculty in confidential and developmental ways to
achieve their best as teacher-scholars and as academic leaders. This program would
entirely separate from a department’s or schools internal evaluation systems.
7. Design and implement a “hiring for mission” program focused articulating ISU’s core
values, mission within the context of Indiana’s K-16 educational vision, and aspirations.
The desired outcome is greater clarity for purposes of creating faculty job descriptions,
work expectations for new faculty hires and achieving ISU’s diversity goals.
8. Develop research start-up packages for recruiting and hiring tenure-track faculty, e.g.,
Summer research grants in lieu of teaching summer session
Individual fund for research incidentals and travel first three years
Two or more courses released time for research first year
Successful mid-probationary review research semester released time
Fund for research assistant and data analysis support
Minimal service assignments, nothing outside the departmental level
9. Develop Policies for faculty receiving start-up packages, including:
Rigorous up-or-out mid-probationary review in year 3 or year 4
Specific expectations for number and type of grants to be submitted, e.g. RO1
Specific expectations for number and quality of peer reviewed publications
Year Three and Beyond
10. Design and implement the following faculty development activities:
a. Workshops devoted to pedagogy and curriculum development, including strategies
appropriate to the content areas that involve experiential learning, student-faculty
research, and those active learning teaching methods that engender creative and
critical thinking.
b. Workshops that support the development of successful competitive grants for
external funding from government agencies and foundations, including grant writing,
support for advanced statistical analyses, sessions to assist with grant evaluations
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and rewriting for resubmissions, and support for the proper monitoring of grant
expenditures and budgets, including indirect costs and sub-contract relationships.
c. Workshops specifically for tenure-track faculty and for faculty aspiring to promotion
that focus on the implications of the recent changes in policies, expectations and
work responsibilities resulting from the efforts of the prior two years.
d. Workshops for members of promotion and tenure committees to keep them fully
informed about policies, practices and expectations related to the evaluation of the
petitions of candidates for tenure and promotion, particularly in light of changes with
regard to work the breadth of activities, the kinds of contributions, and the level of
the quality of these contributions which faculty are being expected to make.
e. A mid-career re-tooling program to assist those who seek new challenges and new
beginnings within academia and ISU to reengage, revitalize and rediscover their
passion for good teaching or their sense of wonder and pride in the pursuit of
exciting research investigations, or to become effective in new leadership roles which
they may now be finding themselves doing.
f. A program for faculty with emeritus/a status which enables them to remain
professionally connected with ISU and, where appropriate, to make meaningful
contributions to research, teaching, student advising, or other areas.
11. An on-going series of department chair and dean workshops focusing on the managerial,
operational and leadership responsibilities of those key positions.
Additional Information and Potential Models
Office of Faculty and Organizational Development at Michigan State University
http://fod.msu.edu/
The Office of Faculty and Organizational Development supports MSU faculty, academic staff
and administrators in teaching, research, outreach, and leadership. To accomplish this goal,
it offers a broad range of seminars and programs, services, and resources in two
programmatic strands: Faculty and Instructional Development; and Organizational and
Leadership Development
Faculty Development Center at Cal State Fullerton
http://fdc.fullerton.edu/
The Faculty Development Center at CSU Fullerton promotes teaching, learning, scholarship,
professional activities, and the integration of technology into instruction and offers
programs, grants, and other opportunities that support faculty as educators, scholars, and
engaged community members.
Santa Clara University Faculty Development Program
http://www.scu.edu/facultydevelopment/
The Faculty Development Program supports faculty at Santa Clara University as teaching
scholars. Programs and services promote two general goals: Enhance the professional
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development of Santa Clara University faculty; Explore how students learn and to support
faculty in cultivating student learning. Services Offered By the Faculty Development
Program include: 1) confidential consultations on teaching, scholarship, and work-life
balance; 2) confidential classroom visits using "Small Group Instructional Diagnosis"; 3)
events including Symposia, lunch-hour discussions, workshops with guest speakers, and
Research Colloquia; 4) support for Faculty Study Groups focused on teaching or scholarship;
5) teaching and learning resources; 6) Mentoring teams or mentoring partnerships for
tenure-stream faculty, and more.
Northern Arizona University Faculty Development Program
http://home.nau.edu/facdev/
The Faculty Development Program (FDP) at Northern Arizona University is a multifaceted
resource and networking center that assists faculty as teachers, scholars, and members of
the University. The Program promotes innovation, collaboration, and collegiality. The
mission of the NAU Faculty Development Program is to 1) offer opportunities for
professional development in teaching to enrich student learning; 2) play a key role in
strengthening a learning-centered campus culture that values and rewards teaching; 3)
advance new teaching and learning initiatives; 4) foster collegial dialogue within and among
faculty and campus partners; and 5) serve as a convener to showcase faculty expertise in
teaching.
Office of Grants and Faculty Development at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
http://www.uwosh.edu/grants/
The Office of Grants and Faculty Development supports UW Oshkosh faculty and academic
staff, as well as students, in their creative, scholarly and research endeavors. It assists
faculty and academic staff in locating, proposing, submitting and administering extramural
funding. The Faculty Development Program supports faculty and academic staff professional
development. In addition, UW Oshkosh students are supported through research symposia
and collaborative research opportunities.
East Carolina University New Faculty Orientation Program
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/facultyorientation/index.cfm
This website presents easily accessible information to new incoming faculty categorized
easily for future reference.
Eastern Kentucky University New Faculty Orientation Program
http://www.eku.edu/facultystaff/orientation/sidebar1a.php
The Eastern Kentucky website also provides easily accessible data presented in a way that
makes this particularly helpful as an on-going resource.
University of Memphis Adjunct Faculty Development
http://www.memphis.edu/alc/adjunct_faculty_dev.php
Western Carolina University Course Peer Assessment
http://www.wcu.edu/WebFiles/PDFs/facultycenter_OCAT_v2.0_25apr07.pdf
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ENHANCE STAFF DEVELOPMENT
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Wil Downs
Introduction and Background
While great faculty and great students are critical to the success of a university, great staff
are as well.
The current profile of the staff at ISU indicates that within the next ten years, almost a third
of the staff will be beyond the average ISU staff retirement age of 63 years, so there will be
a large number of situations where new staff will have to hired to advance the mission of
the university.
Moreover, an analysis of 124 full-time staff who began working at ISU in 2004 – five years
ago – indicates that 58 (just over 53%), had left the University by Fall 2008. This includes
Clerical and Secretarial; Service and Maintenance; Skilled Crafts; and Technical and
Paraprofessionals; and Other Professionals.
In order to ensure that high-quality staff will continue to be attracted to and stay at ISU, it
is essential that appropriate attention be paid to issues related to staff recruitment and
retention.
Some items, such as child care, assisting spouses or significant others find employment,
salary equity and housing assistance apply equally to staff and to faculty and are presented
in another initiative. This initiative focuses specifically on programs that support the
personal and professional development of staff.
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative relates most directly to:
Recruit and Retain a Great Faculty and Staff
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Basic Elements and Brief Description
The essential elements of this initiative are:
a. A Staff Training and Development Program, with courses, learning experiences
and tuition assistance, to enable staff to learn, climb, and better serve student and
the entire campus community
b. An enhanced staff orientation program
c. Staff appreciation events to recognize exemplary performance and the staff’s
contributions to realizing the mission and strategic priorities of the University
d. Computer access for all staff, regardless of position, so they can tap into the latest
news of the University, which is being offered, more and more, online.
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Steps and Timeline
Enhance Staff Training and Development
Year One
1. Develop a representative advisory group to serve as a guide and support for
development of the various elements of this initiative.
2. Identify new or existing staff person in the Human Resources Office to work with the
advisory and be responsible for coordinating the various training and development
programs and projects grouped under this initiative.
3. Conduct a survey of staff training and development needs that would include input
from staff and supervisors.
4. Study the staff training and development practices of the models listed below to
identify elements that could be incorporated into an enhanced ISU staff training and
development program, e.g.,
a. A regular in-house training curriculum
b. E-Learning service offerings of vendors such as SkillSoft and ICON
c. Off-site job training
d. Cross-training
e. Internship programs
f. Professional workshops and conferences
g. Tuition assistance/staff training funding support
h. Professional development awards and incentives
5. Develop staff training and development elements, based on the findings of the
survey (Step 3) and best practices of national models (Step 4).
Year Two and Beyond
6. Develop a plan, with phase-in options, for a comprehensive ISU staff training and
development program. The program could include:
a. Seminars and classes to address specific skills identified in the survey
b. Creation of formal certification programs for job advancement
c. Topics of general interest, i.e., activities, health and wellness,
d. History, special activities, points of interest at ISU
7. Determine the costs of each phase and secure funding
8. Implement the first phases of the program.
9. Develop a formal system for tying performance expectations to the goals and
objectives of the University and the role of performance evaluations in the system
10. Hold in-house workshops for supervisors on training, hiring and evaluating staff to
encourage staff development and link job expectations and the evaluation process to
the goals of the university.
11. Develop a system for tracking and rewarding professional development.
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12. Develop a staff training and development web page that provide a comprehensive
overview and access to all the training and development opportunities available to
ISU staff. The web page should link to the existing Human Resources web page.
Staff Orientation Program
Year One
1. Formulate a group that represents a cross-section of the staff to help develop the
orientation program
2. Review the elements of orientation programs in the models identified below
3. Identify the elements that the group thinks would be particularly helpful to enhance
(if already being done) or initiate, e.g.,
a. An overview of the University, with special emphasis on what offices provide
key services are provided to students
b. A tour of the campus with, again, special emphasis on the location of offices
providing services to students so that all staff can assist students to find what
they need.
c. The traditions, culture and values of the University
d. The strategic plan of the University, including its vision, mission, goals and
specific initiatives and the role of each staff person plays in their realization
e. Policies and procedures
f. The professional aspirations of new staff
g. Information on training and development programs to assist in achieving their
aspirations
h. A mentoring program, with mentors who have a strong understanding of the
University and a record of success – perhaps the recipients of special
recognition outlined below – that lasts for the first six months of a new staff
person’s employment
i. Information on how they and their families can become involved with the
many activities of the University.
4. Determine additional staffing requirements, if any.
Year Two
5. Implement the enhanced staff orientation program
Enhance Staff Recognition
Year One
1. Survey the academic calendar to determine the best time for holding the staff
appreciation event during the academic year, when everyone is on campus, to
celebrate the accomplishments of staff and their contributions to the teaching-
learning process.
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Enhance Communication with Staff Who Do Not Have Computers
Year One
1. Make certain that the computers that are available for custodial and others are in
working order.
2. Locate display units of the ISU live network in places where staff can see them.
3. Explore the feasibility of a “common hour,” by shift, where support staff have the
time to access the computer for their personnel and payroll information, much of
which is now available only online, e.g., pay stubs; leave balances current benefits;
campus activities; training opportunities; and other information
Additional Information and Potential Models: Staff Development
Miami University Job Enrichment Program
http://www.units.muohio.edu/prs/staffdevelopment/
This program provides employee development opportunities at the University. Its purpose is
to:
Recognize employee development through continued learning;
Recognize and reward growth in job expertise;
Foster continued quality service to the University community by training highly
motivated employees;
Sustain administrative continuity in the departments by providing the opportunity for
highly-qualified classified employees to advance in job knowledge, skill level and
monetary compensation in their current position / department, if they so desire;
• Recognize and reward employees for extraordinary accomplishments, dedication and
commitment to their jobs and to the University.
Berea College
http://www.berea.edu/cltcr/staffdevelopment.asp
The Center for Learning, Teaching, Communication, and Research (Learning Center) is open
approximately 50 hours each week to provide assistance in learning and written and oral
communication to members of the campus community. The Center assists in continuous
professional growth of individual staff members. New staff members are put through a
process of staff development which begins with the Fall Staff Development Workshop.
Following the initial workshop, certification begins for both office staff and consultants.
While all staff are expected to complete office certification, consultants must also complete
a four stage consultant certification process. Staff development also occurs through regular
staff meetings and periodic assessments. Just as with life and the learning process, staff
development here at the Learning Center is also a never-ending process.
Certification
Certification ensures that new office staff are adequately prepared to do their jobs. Prior to
certification, the Learning Center offers the Fall Staff Development Workshop, which
consists of approximately twenty hours of instructional sessions. Certification is then
completed by individual staff members. All staff must complete office certification;
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consultant certification also includes working with clients and demonstrating knowledge of
good written and oral communication practices.
Mentors: Help with Certification
At the beginning of each semester, each new staff member is assigned to a continuing staff
member who acts as a mentor. The mentor's main role is to help and be available for the
new staff member. The mentor takes an active role in the staff member's certification
process and with any questions or problems the staff member may have. The mentor and
mentee should meet weekly and discuss the events of the past week. In addition to the
basic role of the mentor, the mentor and mentee will meet at the completion of each stage
of certification and after the completion of certain sections of each stage, in order to ensure
progress and to answer any questions.
Staff Meetings
Learning Center’s weekly staff meeting is a vital part of on-going staff development. Staff
meetings are planned by senior Learning Center staff and the director, and each meeting is
facilitated by a Learning Center senior staff member.
Staff Communication
Message Board; Email; Mailboxes; Project Board; Bulletin Board/Marker Boards;
University of Iowa
http://www.uiowa.edu/learn/
Iowa provides a number of staff development opportunities that are intended to align with
the University’s core values of Excellence, Learning, Community, Diversity, Integrity,
Respect, and Responsibility. Programs include instruction on leadership issues for managers,
frontline supervisors, human resource professionals, and office professionals. And be sure to
fully utilize our just in time resources with Learning Online with SkillSoft including Books
24x7® and our resource center.
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EXPAND THE DIVERSITY FOUND IN THE COMPOSITION
OF THE FACULTY AND STAFF ATINDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIRS: Virgil Sheets, Michele Boyer
Introduction and Background
Enhancing diversity at Indiana State University has been identified as a top priority by
President Bradley. In October 2008, a university-wide Council on Diversity was convened
by the President.
The Council’s work is to provide recommendations to the President and the Board of
Trustees in the area of diversity as per Indiana statute. The Council’s ongoing charge is to
conduct an annual review on the state of diversity at ISU and serve as an advisory body to
the University Diversity Officer.
Yet like with student success, enhancing diversity at Indiana State University is
everyone’s responsibility. While specific groups and individuals have been tasked with
working on institutional policy, getting the most benefit from diversity depends on
engagement across campus.
The Association of American Colleges and Universities commissioned a series of research
papers published in 2005 on diversity in higher education as part of the Making Excellence
Inclusive Initiative. They describe diversity and inclusion efforts as moving “beyond
numbers of students or numbers of programs as end goals. Instead, they are multilayered
processes through which we achieve excellence in learning; research and teaching; student
development; local and global community engagement; workforce development; and more”
(Milem, Chang, & Antonio, 2005, p. iii).
Connection to Strategic Priorities
This initiative is integral to all priority areas, but relates most directly to:
Recruit and Retain a Great Faculty and Staff
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Basic Elements and Brief Description
Enhancing and engaging diversity in the service of learning conceptualizes our goals as
more than demographic outcomes. One can make the argument for diversity as a moral
and ethical imperative or as competitive advantage in the regional educational marketplace.
However, this plan and ISU’s commitment to diversity are grounded in the knowledge that
diversity and educational excellence are inextricably linked. In higher education, diversity is
inherently valued as a hallmark of excellence because it:
• generates a wide range of ideas and contributes to creative problem solving
• creates a welcoming, rich environment for all who live, learn, and work there
• encourages openness and critical thinking and analysis
A top priority is enhancing the diversity of faculty, staff, and administration at ISU. The
staged series of initiatives outlined below address faculty diversity. Early on, these efforts
strive to build a supportive culture for faculty diversity through review and improvement of
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policies and practices. Next, the plan proposes to impact the compositional diversity of
faculty through strategic partnerships and creative incentives. Ultimately, the plan targets
sustainability through faculty development, an examination of curriculum and pedagogy,
and continuous improvement of institutional policies and practices.
Steps and Timeline
Year One: Mobilize resources across units and colleges to diversify faculty, with specific
attention to African American faculty
1. President Bradley continually articulates to division heads, deans, directors,
department chairs, the campus community, the local community, and the broader
public ISU’s commitment to diversify its faculty
2. Charge the Council on Diversity’s “Recruiting, Hiring Practices and Procedures”
Subcommittee with direction and monitoring of this initiative along with Office of
Affirmative Action and with primary leadership provided by the Office of Diversity
3. Analyze data that already exists on this topic - exit interviews, retention statistics
4. Conduct data gathering to fill gaps – individual and focus group interviews with newer
faculty
5. Offer expanded educational opportunities on recruiting, crafting position descriptions,
reviewing applicants, creating interview questions, analyzing search and interview
results, and matching the best candidate to the position for each committee and
hiring authority, along with deans and department chairs
6. Based on data and other research (best practices and comparison institutions),
identify short –term strategies that can be initiated immediately
7. Based on data and other research (best practices and comparison institutions),
identify longer-term changes to policy and practice to be implemented
Year Two: Achieve visible impact on compositional diversity of faculty
8. Implement short-term strategies and changes in Fall 2010
• Designate financial resources (for additional advertising, travel to conferences
to expand pool of candidates, etc.) and incentives (funding pool for salaries)
• Initiate regional/state higher education consortium for diversity hiring
• Implement international faculty exchange
• Execute strategic faculty exchanges with HBCUs, HSIs, and Tribal colleges
• Begin a short-term visiting scholar program
• Offer dual, interdisciplinary, or clustered assignments between departments
9. Work with department chairs, deans, and other administrators to refine proposed
policy and practice changes to recruit and retain tenure-track faculty of color – e.g.,
performance metric for hiring, etc.
10. Develop pipeline programs for implementation in Year Three
Year Three: Achieve measurable and sustainable impact on compositional diversity of
faculty
11. Implement longer-term external recruitment strategies
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• Build linkages with professional organizations from communities of color and
with special interest groups that focus on diversity within professional
organizations
• Build relationships with graduate programs that are robust and diverse in
targeted areas
• Follow research by promising scholars of colors to identify future faculty
recruits
12. Develop and fund Grow Your Own/Future Faculty Initiative for internal recruitment
• Include mentoring, affordable housing, and professional development
opportunities
• Increase the activity and influence of ISU’s Mentoring Assistance for Scholars
(MAPS)
13. Support and spotlight research and programming on diversity – collaborate with
HBCUs, HSIs, Tribal colleges, international strategic partners
14. Achieve alignment in policies and practices across university in support of faculty
diversity
Year Four: Enhance the campus and community climate in support of faculty diversity
15. Support faculty of color with activities, services, and other resources
• Initiate mentoring project with senior faculty (both White and of color)
• Support a faculty of color network/affinity group and specific ethnic/racial
affinity groups within faculty
• Develop welcome packet/community information and community events for
faculty of color
• Promote connections between community leaders and faculty of color
(perhaps leverage through Leadership Wabash Valley)
16. Connect faculty of color with student, staff, and administrator cohorts of color
17. Encourage curricular transformation in support of inclusive excellence across
disciplines and departments
• Assure that all students have well-designed opportunities to explore at least four
topics that prepare them for a diversity democracy: a) experience, identity, and
aspiration; b) pluralism and the pursuit of justice; c) experiences in justice
seeking; d) diversity, equity, and justice issues in the major field
Year Five: Achieve transformational change in faculty composition, curriculum, and
pedagogy in support of diversity
18. Review and revise tenure criteria and process to ensure inclusive excellence and
reward the heavy service demands on faculty of color
19. Support active learning pedagogy with institutional commitment and faculty
incentives
20. Initiate other retention and promotion strategies along with needed policy and
practice changes to maintain gains in faculty diversity
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The Pathway to Success
Additional Information and Potential Models
Faculty Recruitment & Retention Plan, Appalachian State University
http://edc.appstate.edu/diversity/facultyRecruitment.pdf
Office of Institutional Diversity, Ball State University
http://www.bsu.edu/diversity/
Ball State University employs an Assistant Provost for Diversity who leads the university’s
diversity efforts including a workshop series, the Diversity Faculty Award, a cultural
exchange program, the Diversity Associates, mentoring programs, and more.
Teaching Human Respect & Encouraging Action Diversity Series (THREADS), University of
Southern Indiana
http://www.usi.edu/threads/index.asp
THREADS is a campus-wide initiative that encourages intentional diversity programming
through a coordinated diversity calendar. The purpose of THREADS is to “encourage the
University community to explore and celebrate the cultures of diverse populations” at USI.
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The Pathway to Success
PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR:
Diann E. McKee, vice president for business affairs and finance and treasurer of the
university, diann.mckee@indstate.edu
This initiative outlines ways that ISU could be a major partner and catalyst to the
redevelopment of Terre Haute. Doing so could not only help advance the City and region in
key areas, including jobs, economic vitality, healthcare, and neighborhood development, but
also help advance all of ISU’s strategic priorities.
Strengthen and Leverage Programs of Strength and Promise
Enhance Community Engagement
Recruit and Retain Great faculty and Staff
Diversify Revenues
Increase Enrollment and Student Success
Advance Experiential Learning
Basic Elements and Brief Description
Energize downtown to create a great college town
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIRS: Chris Pfaff and Maggie Larsen-Slaven
The recent decision to place the ISU bookstore will help revitalize the downtown retail and
commercial district. There are other possibilities as well, e.g.
Site new upper-class housing downtown
Develop retail compatible with the college population
Partner with the City in the development of Terre Haute’s growing Arts District
Enhance U.S. 41 and U.S. 40 corridors
Next Steps:
1. Identify potential downtown properties suitable for acquisition and/or redevelopment
for housing/mixed use.
2. Determine how ISU wishes to be involved in the financing, construction and
management of the housing:
a. ISU manages all three activities?
b. Third party financing and constructs with ISU managing?
c. Other?
Decisions like this will provide a basis for determination whether ISU buys the property,
contracts with the developer who will buy the property, or has no role in the development of
the property.
3. Develop a vision and basic program for ISU-desired program space and services.
4. Talk with City representatives about potential land acquisition and incentives for
developers/development.
5. If ISU chooses to move forward with a third party developer, draft an RFP including
request for proposed business plan.
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The Pathway to Success
6. Interview/select the appropriate third-party party developer.
Realizing the Full Potential of the RHIC
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Biff Williams
The Rural Health Innovations Collaborative Operations Group, composed of Dr. Biff Williams,
ISU Dean of the College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services, the Associate Dean of
Indiana University School of Medicine, the Dean at Ivy Tech and others – and has subgroups
for facilities, education, economics, finance, and communications – has been working to
articulate the RHIC vision and needs. The diagram immediately below describes the
Operations Group’s Vision and initial concept of RHIC.
There is also a RHIC Leadership Group, made up of the CEOs of RHIC’s principal partners,
including President Bradley. Its role is to provide guidance for the overall direction of RHIC
and to make final decisions on the recommendations advanced by the Operations Group.
RHIC is currently pursuing the development of a 501-C3 for RHIC and seeking seed money
from each of the lead entities.
Ratio Architects conceptually has proposed that Lafayette Street be a major connector and
tie into 7th Street in the north and 5th street through the ISU campus, in part, because the
City wants to redevelop the Twelve Points neighborhood, which is at the intersection of
Lafayette Ave (Highway Business Route 41) and Maple Street.
2
The Pathway to Success
Lafayette is principally a commercial street south and north of Maple; and the Lafayette
diagonal would connect to the existing ISU College of Health and Human Services on
campus, which fronts on 5th Street. There is also some discussion of an Incubator and
Technology Campus either just north of ISU or west of the hospital.
Next Steps:
1. ISU: Determine what ISU activities should be hosted in RHIC.
2. Operations Committee: Complete the Initial Vision for the RHIC and present
recommendations to Leadership Group
3. Leadership Group: Review Initial Vision and identifies issues, concerns, parameters,
guiding principles for future development.
4. Establish a 501-C3 (Development Entity) and provide start-up capital
5. 501-C3/Development Entity establishes a Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee of state
and community political and financial leaders
6. Operations Committee revises the Initial Vision based upon the Leadership Group’s,
Development Entity and Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee’s recommendations. Initial
collaborative projects and funding sources are identified
7. Respective organization’s contracts and grants departments work collaboratively to
seek additional sources to fund Development Entity operations
8. Development Entity considers hiring Master Developer to finance and oversee RHIC
development area
Developing the neighborhoods around ISU
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIRS: Kevin Runion and Kevin Hoolehan
The opportunity for development of the properties east of ISU are not as viable due to an
active railroad track, environmental concerns, and neighborhood-deterioration issues. The
current view is that, for the near future, the University should continue to acquire property
as it becomes available, tear down undesirable sites, and create a landscape buffer.
There are possibilities for developing the area west of downtown toward the riverfront,
which would connect with the RHIC initiative to the northeast.
Next Steps:
1. Continue to treat the property east of the campus as a landscape buffer while at the
same time being open to potential “third-party” University-related development.
2. Collaborate with the City to develop a development plan for the neighborhoods around
the University.
3. At the appropriate time, master plan the highest and best use of the properties that
ISU owns in a way that is compatible with the development plan. The plan could call
for selling the land or engaging the services of a master developer to develop on the
University’s behalf.
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The Pathway to Success
Developing a Professional Development and Conference Center and Alumni Center
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIRS: Gene Crume and Charlie Potts
ISU is considering pursuing a funding opportunity that might include requests for a
Professional Development Center and Alumni Center. This development would take
advantage of the adjacent parking structure, existing Hulman Center facilities, and continue
the campus interaction with downtown.
Next Steps:
1. Work with the ISU Foundation to develop a prospectus for the Professional
Development Center and Alumni Center that would be compelling to the donor.
2. Develop a business plan for the operation of the professional development center,
seeking to make it as self-supporting as possible.
3. Seek donor support.
Creating a Gateway to ISU and a connection to Riverscape
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Kevin Runion
Ratio Architects has developed a plan that incorporates 3rd Street about mid campus. It
features traffic circles that calm 3rd Street traffic and a large front lawn that connects the
east and west. It calls for the existing track field and stadium to be relocated east of 3rd
Street and the redevelopment of an existing historic riverfront building.
Next Steps:
1. Verify that this concept in general is what ISU wants to pursue.
2. Test feasibility with City of Terre Haute and Department of Transportation leadership.
3. Determine incremental steps and target budgets for each component part.
4. Create a prospectus that articulates the vision and road map to get there and use it as
a basis to seek political and financial support.
Improve student housing to meet expectations and needs of today’s students
IMPLEMENTATION CHAIR: Mary Ellen Linn
There have been significant discussions on first-year and other housing, including for
fraternities and sororities. Some of what has been discussed relates to the Ratio drawing
above.
The University wishes to maintain the current number of on-campus residents and
modernize its housing facilities to make them more attractive.
Following a summary of the prevailing thought on housing at ISU:
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The Pathway to Success
With its 1600 beds, Sycamore Towers represents a major part of the housing inventory
at ISU. It was studied by Ratio Architects for renovation, or for partial or total
replacement. The complex is perceived as “architecturally-dated.” However, the
University is mindful of the proposed significant future investment in student housing,
and is trying to gain as much value as it can out of the existing structures.
Eight of nine campus sororities are currently located in the Lincoln Complex, the
design of which, according to the sororities’ representatives, does not facilitate
community. Cited problems are a lack of common space or gathering space for events
and insufficient storage space. (One possible solution that has been cited is a series of
“club houses” that could serve as the gathering spaces.)
Some of the fraternities that have moved off campus have expressed interest in returning to
campus, and the on-campus fraternities also have expressed need for meeting and storage
space. Best practice models often mentioned include the University of Richmond, University
of Louisville, and Texas Tech.
The dialog that has taken place suggests the following planning parameters with regard to
on-campus fraternity and sorority housing:
10 sororities, with 25 members per sorority for a total of 250
15 fraternities with 15 members per fraternity for a total of 225
Sororities will contribute to the financing of sorority housing sufficiently long to
amortize the project.
The University is interested in helping to strengthen fraternity and sororities if the solutions
are financially feasible. Potential options include:
Major renovations of the Lincoln Complex
Major renovations to the Sycamore Towers complex
Off campus University Apartments
Potential Next Steps:
1. The University will decide on where it would like to locate each aspect of housing, e.g.,
first-year; fraternity and sorority.
2. Ratio/University will summarize the various options in order to facilitate informed
decision making.
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