University Strategic Plan

Commitments to Excellence

Vision: The University of Indianapolis will be recognized regionally and internationally for its high quality of student engagement in learning, leadership, and service.

Identity Statement: The University of Indianapolis is a private, residential, metropolitan institution of higher learning that provides a transformational educational experience through strong programs in the liberal arts and sciences, selective professional and doctoral programs, collaborative partnerships throughout the city and the world, and a Christian tradition that emphasizes character formation and embraces diversity.

Values:

We value an emphasis on student learning in all aspects of university life.
We value faculty and student interaction that provides individual attention, engagement, and opportunities for mentoring.
We value international experiences for students, faculty, and staff.
We value engagement with religious traditions in an environment of hospitality, informed by the United Methodist Church and enriched by other traditions, religious and secular.
We value purposeful engagement with the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana.
We value ethical, responsible, and professional behavior with respect expressed among all members of the university community.
We value individual contributions of all members of the university community towards advancing our mission.

Goal #1: Focus on student learning through engagement.

Rationale: All members of the campus community are committed to connecting with our students and their ways of learning and knowing through the most effective ways of teaching. We research, model, and lead learning through themes, beliefs, and methods that are appropriate to the 21st century student.

We will :

Challenge and engage students by developing, implementing, and enhancing active experiences in learning through undergraduate and graduate research, internships, laboratory experiences, service opportunities, and other curricular and co-curricular initiatives.

Challenge and engage faculty and staff by establishing and funding a systematic initiative to promote and teach interactive techniques for student engagement in learning and the development of interdisciplinary teaching and learning opportunities.

Establish and support faculty evaluation, workload, and recruiting systems that promote and reward faculty/student interaction and research, professional growth, community engagement and service, international experiences, and opportunities for research, scholarship, creative endeavors.

Create a graduate structure that provides assistance, support, and resources to allow current programs to flourish and determine long-term strategic goals and needs for graduate students, programs, faculty, and study.

Manage enrollment growth to maintain emphasis on personal interaction and to maximize the quality of the learning environment for all, while increasing the diversity of faculty, students, and staff.

Assess current and emerging technology uses and needs in light of faculty/student interaction and acquire the best technologies to enhance mission.

Challenge and engage students to meet the institutional AQIP student learning outcomes and commit to the ongoing assessment of those outcomes.

Critical Thinking – by challenging students to make judgments through the application of intellectual criteria.
Creativity – by encouraging students to use their imagination and inventiveness in modifying or generating results.
Performance – by challenging students to demonstrate their mastery of subject content through their execution and communication of educational objectives.
Social Responsibility– by encouraging the enrichment of the student’s connections between the academic disciplines and the social environment of the local and broad community.

Achieve compensation competitive with peer institutions at all levels of faculty, staff, and student employment in support of learning goals.

5-year Aspirational Targets

Establish scholarships for 10 new valedictorians, salutatorians, National Merit Scholars, per year
50% of faculty have participated in faculty development through the Center
Provide resources for ten endowed chairs or distinguished professors
Increase external grant funding to $5 million per year
Implement 25% paid research time in key doctoral programs.
Bring compensation package to the midpoint of peer institutions
Add ten new electronic classrooms by 2008-09
Increase technology spending to median of peers.
Establish an applied learning experience for every student.
Achieve top 25% ranking on NSSE
Sign our first-choice candidate in 80% of first-choice candidates
Increase diversity of faculty and staff to 10%
2011 enrollment at 5000 including undergraduates, adult students, and graduate students
2011 enrollment of 3000 full-time and part-time undergraduates
Improve graduation rate from 54% to 56% [60% in 10 years]
Improve retention to 80%
Increase diversity of student body to 12%
Maintain average class size of under 20.
Maintain faculty/student ratio at 1/15 or lower.
Link AQIP Goals to strategic plan

Goal #2: Strengthen and expand learning community for students through varied, formative experiences on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Rationale: Whether they live on or off campus, our students need resources for socialization, recreation, wellness, spiritual development, connection and service to off-campus community life and activities. These resources contribute to a comprehensive definition of learning for students of the 21st century university.

We will

Increase social, recreational, and learning space(s) across campus including space that is available 24/7, for collaboration, team-building, discussion, and service.

Develop a state-of-the-art recreation center that attracts, engages, and challenges students to experience new activities and develop new skills and new ways of learning.

Create housing options and opportunities both for students and for faculty and staff who might be attracted to live in the neighborhood.

5-year Aspirational Targets

Schwitzer expansion is complete.
Complete portals and landscape.
Complete library renovation.
Recreation/academic building is complete.
60% of undergraduates live on campus.

Goal #3: Expand the impact of the university beyond its physical boundaries.

Rationale: The University of Indianapolis remains grounded in Indianapolis with a strong commitment to service through both local community engagement and international connections. We will strengthen existing partnerships and programs and build new ones to engage our students, faculty, and staff with the city, the region, and the world.

We will

Craft a global education plan to fully integrate international campuses within the learning community

Increase international learning experiences for faculty, students, and staff.

Increase professional connections and partnerships among the university and businesses, not-for-profit organizations, government, and other educational institutions to meet emerging needs of the city, state, nation, and world.

Work in collaboration with the city of Indianapolis, area businesses, and the surrounding community to create a local culture that is aesthetically pleasing and rich in diverse experiences, products, and learning opportunities.

Seek and utilize the assistance and contributions of the entire university community, including alumni, business partners, and others.

5-year Aspirational Targets

Global education is fully integrated with Indianapolis campus.
Provide 30% of students and 50% of faculty with an international learning experience.
Establish ten significant business and/or community partnerships.
Systematic methods are in place to undertake and measure annual participation of alumni and business partners in UIndy program initiatives.
Increase to 25% the percentage of alumni who give to the university.
Establish strong partnerships in the local neighborhood, Fountain Square, and the Greater Indianapolis area.

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