The University of Iowa is the state’s most comprehensive university. Classified by the Carnegie Foundation as an “extensive” doctoral/research university, the University offers a robust array of graduate and professional programs while maintaining a long tradition of quality in the arts and sciences—the “core” in which all great universities must excel.

The University of Iowa serves the people of the state as a resource for education, health care, culture, and economic vitality. Nearly 70,000 University of Iowa alumni live and work in the state. The University educates half of the state’s physicians, nearly half of its pharmacists, 80 percent of its dentists, and teachers and administrators in 70 percent of its K-12 school districts. The University’s internationally recognized health sciences center served patients through more than 850,000 clinic visits in FY2004, including visits to 250 outreach clinics in more than 60 Iowa communities. The University’s libraries, museums, cultural events, and performing arts venues enrich the lives of Iowans across the state. The University also contributes to the community through robust business services and technology transfer. University researchers generate and file an average of more than 80 new patent applications each year, and bring in more than $300 million in external grant and contract support annually. In FY2004, for every one dollar invested by the state, the University generated an additional five dollars from other sources—more than two dollars of that from sources outside of Iowa. In 2004, moreover, almost 66,000 University friends and alumni made more than 113,000 charitable gifts totaling $77.3 million to support University programs.

While the University is dedicated to its role in serving the people of Iowa, it also is a national and international research university. It regularly benchmarks itself against an official, Regentally defined peer group of distinguished universities. Included in that group are Michigan, UCLA, North Carolina, Illinois, and Wisconsin, all of which are ranked among the top ten public institutions in the country. The University of Iowa is ranked among the top 20 public institutions and competes in the national and international higher education markets for the best faculty and graduate and professional students; moreover, the contributions of its faculty, staff, and students extend far beyond Iowa’s borders.

The University’s planning has been informed by awareness of its local, national, and international roles, and by examining and understanding both its strengths and the challenges it faces.

Widely shared views of University strengths

• Excellent national and international academic reputation in teaching and research
• A strong tradition in the arts, sciences, and humanities
• First-rate professional colleges
• Health sciences programs nationally and internationally recognized for professional leadership
• A comprehensive campus that includes a financially self-supporting university-owned hospital
• A history of attracting excellent faculty who achieve national and international recognition in their disciplines
• Membership in the Committee for Institutional Cooperation (CIC), the academic consortium of the universities of the Big Ten Conference
• Significant research productivity and funding
• Excellent library collections and services
• Several graduate programs ranked best in the nation and a significant number of graduate and professional programs ranked in the top 10–25 percent nationally
• Long-standing innovation in academic and creative offerings
• A culture that supports interdisciplinary program development
• A strong undergraduate program that offers excellent value for resident and nonresident students
• Rigorous academic requirements (including foreign language studies)
• Strong and effective shared governance
• Dedicated and talented General Service and Professional and Scientific staff coupled with professionalism among peers
• Ongoing efforts to improve the campus climate for all University citizens
• Nationally recognized athletic programs with a legacy of leadership in gender equity
• Mature technology transfer and economic development opportunities
• Successful private fund-raising through the partnership between the University and The University of Iowa Foundation
• Distinguished and involved alumni
• A tradition of support from the citizens of the state

Challenges facing the University

• Retaining the most talented faculty and staff
• Maintaining national and international reputation and competitiveness alongside service to the state of Iowa
• Selecting and investing in academic programs that will enhance the University’s stature
• Striking the appropriate balance between access and quality in admissions and financial aid policies
• Communicating with constituencies in ways that clearly demonstrate the University’s efforts and accomplishments
• Continually reevaluating administrative policy and procedures in periods of change
• Responding to a rapid growth of external regulations
• Aligning resources with aspirations
• Recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty, staff, and student body
• Building and maintaining modern teaching and research facilities
• Maintaining an attractive, safe, and functional physical environment
• Maintaining a strong library research collection given the high cost of information resources
• Competing more vigorously for top undergraduate students, both resident and nonresident

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