IUSA answers questions about the Strategic Plan

Provost Lauren Robel has invited students to a Town Hall meeting today at noon to discuss the campus Strategic Plan and provide feedback.

IU Student Association Vice President of Administration Chris Kauffman shares the student government’s take on the campus strategic plan, describing the
document as “a forward-thinking, aspirational road map for the course of this institution as we approach its bicentennial.”

He said he encourages students to attend the upcoming meeting.

IDS What should students know about the Campus Strategic Plan?

Kauffman It is important for students to recognize that our educational environment is constantly in flux, and that in recognition of this dynamism, 167 faculty, staff and students joined forces on 11 committees under the guidance of the Provost to comprehensively address the future of Indiana University Bloomington.

Thoughtful dialogue from groups of diverse stakeholders that has resulted in recommendations, which directly affect virtually every facet of this institution means that all stakeholders — students especially — should dedicate time to reading, digesting and providing feedback on the Strategic Plan.

IDS What is going to happen at the town hall meeting on the Campus Strategic Plan? How will students get the chance to be involved?

Kauffman The Town Hall Meeting for the Campus Strategic Plan will provide the campus community with an opportunity to learn more about the Strategic Plan and to provide feedback in a public forum, with the Provost and other key stakeholders in the strategic planning process present.

IDS Why is it important that students attend this meeting?

Kauffman Attendance at this town hall provides students with a unique opportunity to learn and provide feedback on a long-term initiative that will directly influence the current and future environment at IU-B.

Engagement of this sort speaks directly to the concept of university citizenship. We, as students, have an opportunity to be stewards of this institution through this and other mediums.

To capitalize on such an opportunity and provide thoughtful feedback in a forum like a town hall yields benefits for the entire student population.  
 
IDS What did IUSA pinpoint as the big takeaways from the Campus Strategic Plan?

Kauffman Several key themes emerge from the Campus Strategic Plan that IUSA sees as major takeaways.

Across committees, an enhanced emphasis on interdisciplinarity and diversity within and outside of the formal learning environment became apparent. Similarly, the view of the institution as an integrated ecosystem, especially with respect to undergraduate life, manifested to influence and link several recommendations.

Recognition of the reciprocal relationships between residence, academic and extracurricular life fostered dialogue surrounding enhanced linkages and learning outcomes between these three student domains.

An outflow of this line of thought is a renewed emphasis on access to “high-impact” practices — internships, service learning, study abroad, and research — that significantly enhance the student experience at IUB. 

IDS Why is it important that students understand the strategic plan? How will it affect them?

Kauffman The Strategic Plan maps the trajectory of this institution for the next phase in its life.It addresses virtually every primary function of the University, providing recommendations and measures of attainment therein. This document signals a commitment to thoughtful strategic thought and action, providing students and stakeholders with insight into the direction of their institution.

Many of the recommendations within the plan are long-term in nature, which means that some students will have graduated before witnessing their implementation.
Nonetheless, because the locus of the plan is institutional improvement, every recommendation wields the potential to increase the value of an IU degree long after students leave Bloomington.

An earlier version of this story identified Chris Kauffman as IUSA's Association Vice President of Congress.