UI reports progress toward goals

Despite reduced state funding and a bad economy, The University of Iowa is making progress toward its goals in many areas, according to a report presented in mid November to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, by Interim President Willard “Sandy” Boyd.

The 2001-02 Report on Implementing the Strategic Plan measures progress toward goals set in the University’s strategic planning process, using preselected indicators. It shows the University is making progress toward its strategic planning goals in 17 areas and is standing still or has lost ground in nine.

“By some important measures, 2001-2002 was a year of significant advancement for The University of Iowa,” Boyd said at the Regents’ November meeting. “For example, we have already surpassed our five-year goals in the number of graduate and professional students annually receiving national fellowships and awards (target 6); our external funding for research, scholarship, and artistic creation (target 11); and our funding for new clinical initiatives (target 22a).”

Target 6: Graduate/professional students annually receiving national awards

Target 11: Amount of external funding (millions)

Target 22a: Funding for new clinical initiatives (millions)

Other areas showing progress include:

• Undergraduate credit hours taught by tenured and tenure-track faculty: the University rose to 57.2 percent, nearing its goal of 60 percent. However, because of attrition related to budget cuts, much of that increase came from a shrinking base of faculty members teaching a growing student population. (This is a Regents target and is not published in the University’s printed target report.)

• Minority student enrollment: The percentage of minority students enrolled at Iowa remained fairly stable in aggregate (target 19g). “However, there are good numbers to report at the undergraduate level in particular, which are not reflected specifically in the report,” Boyd said. The number of minority undergraduate students in 2001-02 climbed to 1,617. The percentage of minority students dipped slightly due to some decreases in the graduate school numbers and larger overall undergraduate enrollments. “Even more impressive,” Boyd said, “is that we are increasing our enrollment of minority students from Iowa while the statewide pool remains flat.”

Target 19g: Percentage of minority student enrollment

• Number of students participating in the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development (target 3b): The University almost reached its 2005 target of 1,725 students participating in the comprehensive K-12 honors program of the Belin-Blank Center. During 2001-02, there were 1,668 participating students.

Target 3b: Students participating in comprehensive K-12 honors program

• Personnel: The percentages of faculty and staff who are female or minority generally show stability, with modest increases in the percentage of female tenured/tenure-track faculty (target 19b) and minority merit staff (target 19d). There is a strong increase in the percentage of women in executive, administrative, and managerial positions (target 19e).

Target 19e: Percentage of women in executive, administrative, and managerial positions.

Areas showing declines include:

• Class sizes: Class sizes have risen to an average of 33.2 students per class. “What is even more disturbing is that while our junior/senior class sizes have stayed flat, our freshman/sophomore class sizes have risen from 36 to 40 over the last four- to five-year period.” (This is a Regents target and is not published in the University’s printed target report.)

• Graduation rate measures: The University’s graduation rate measures remained steady or increased. “We continue to maintain our commitments to the four-year graduation contract,” Boyd said. “Although the four-year graduation rate has dipped slightly (target 4a), we do not consider it significant. However, with rising tuition and declining state appropriations, we worry about our future ability to fulfill these obligations. Still, we must maintain our strong commitment to the four-year graduation contract as well as to continued strong support of financial aid.”

In addition to commenting on the report, Boyd also stressed to the Regents the many ways the University is making Iowans’ lives better through its direct presence in communities across the state.

“In good times as well as bad, connections with the people of the state of Iowa are crucial,” he said. “We are strengthening our efforts to connect with Iowans now to accomplish the goals we have set forth as Regents institutions in the coming years.”

Article by Lesanne Fliehler

(Editor’s note: Copies of this year’s annual report and target indicators report are available from University Relations Publications. Contact Kelly Huston, kelly-huston@uiowa.edu, (38)4-0040.)