four students in their commencement regalia look in different directions during commencement

 

IUP's Strategic Plan for 2020–28 is designed to transform the culture at IUP to enhance the student experience by fostering exceptional student-centeredness. Transformation will include reordering resources to ensure every student is engaged and can be successful at every point in their journey—transitioning to the university, while enrolled at IUP, and after their time at IUP.

Strategic Plan Toolkit

Download the Strategic Plan Implementation Workbook and Strategic Plan Tactical Worksheet to think through short- and long-term planning and keep the student experience at the center of your processes and systems. (IUP login required to view the files.)

Presidential Goals

Read the Presidential Goals, the metrics that have been set to measure them, and the expected long-term impact.

Report a Barrier for Students

Have you identified a process, form, rule, procedure, or something else that may be a barrier for student success? Submit it to the Barriers Subcommittee of the University Planning Council.

Core Principles

  1. Every student is a priority.
  2. Promote the search for, production of, and dissemination of knowledge for the benefit of our students and society.
  3. Provide a wide range of intellectual and professional opportunities for students that will assist them in developing their potential for becoming productive and responsible citizens.
  4. Construct an environment of respect that encourages the growth of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  5. Respond to students and their needs when and where they are to enhance student satisfaction.
  6. Design and re-engineer processes and procedures logically to improve ease of use for students.
  7. Improve communication, collaboration, and engagement across the university, and with our alumni and community partners.

Impact Areas

    1. Develop programming for all incoming classes: freshman, transfer, commuter, re-admits, veterans, transient, graduate, international, clock-hour, non-degree seeking.
    2. Develop programming for the support systems of incoming classes: parents, guardians, spouses, households.
    3. Enhance orientation for all employees: faculty, non-faculty, students, graduate assistants.
    1. Create a Facebook page for parents of incoming classes; connect incoming students by geographic location; connect online students and regional campus students prior to class start.
    2. Broaden peer mentoring and employee mentoring programs.
    1. Develop a one-stop resource to assist students with questions.
    2. Create a "Common Hour" across the university for students to work with staff/faculty as needed.
    1. Explore new social media software and communication tools.
    1. Review procedures that may impede support of opportunities for students.
    2. Foster collaboration between student organizations.
    3. Allow students to positively engage by offering more ways to connect.
    1. Pair students early with alumni, businesses, organizations, and other leaders to foster learning and networking opportunities.
    1. Encourage meaningful and responsible social media use across the IUP community; Establish the purpose of each social media tool across all levels—university, colleges, departments, clubs.
    2. Provide faculty and staff education on social media use to promote IUP initiatives.
    3. Encourage faculty to increase or initiate social media content to promote their scholarship and cutting-edge academics.
    1. Re-examine current procedures for students obtaining mental health services (e.g., electronic systems of referral, teletherapy options, providing confidential space for teletherapy appointments, etc.).
    1. Re-engineer the frequency, content, and methods for communicating with students about mental health and wellness maintenance and support services.
    1. Establish a mental health system of support for IUP students that utilizes continuous care within the immediate community and in communities students reside (e.g. working with county provider; moving beyond referral only; providing space for teletherapy).
    1. Utilize a mental health system of support for faculty, staff, and students to use to support all students in attending to, obtaining, and maintaining mental and physical well-being supports.
    1. Work with the Career and Professional Development Center to enhance the curriculum
    1. Collaborate with university organizations (e.g. Alumni and Friends, Career and Professional Development Center).
    1. Create a classroom experience for new learners that facilitates their particular transitional needs from home to college.
    2. Create student cohorts to enhance student support systems.
    1. Evaluate types of peer mentoring programs at all levels to refine programs that benefit all student types.
    1. Evaluate offerings based on history, trends and student/course demand. May include more evening and weekend courses, as well as increased distance education offerings.
    1. Obstacles could include: Curricular, financial insecurities, bottleneck courses, course sequencing, timing and recurrence of course offerings.
    1. Structure more interactions between advisors and advisees.
    2. Promote how students should use advisors as a resource.
    3. Consider pairing all students with student success coaches.
    1. Create more funded opportunities for students. Encourage and fund student travel to professional conferences.