Josh Bulten

This Strategic Planning Roundtable discusses the University of Northern Iowa's process for establishing its long-term direction and future vision. The institution is laying a foundation for what it will look like 35 to 50 years beyond its 150th anniversary in 2026, focusing on demographics, diversity, equity, inclusion, student experience, curriculum, and the impact of technology and healthcare trends. The plan emphasizes defining the university's core purpose and connecting future strategies to its values of community and diversity.

This Strategic Planning Roundtable transcript discusses the fundamental importance of long-term visioning and strategic planning for a university. It emphasizes the need to institutionalize strategic planning as a continuous practice, ensuring continuity across leadership and faculty generations. Key focus areas include measuring impact at all organizational levels, aligning unit goals with university objectives, and proactively addressing future trends in technology and higher education. The overarching aim is to embed strategic planning deeply within the campus culture to facilitate seamless transitions between plans and enhance long-range decision-making.

The University of Northern Iowa's purpose is to enrich lives, communities, and the world through its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. This is achieved by creating innovative learning environments, empowering people to engage with their communities, and innovating solutions to contemporary problems. The strategic plan for 2023-2028 outlines four important overarching goals, with a significant focus on increasing enrollment. Specific objectives include growing the market share of new students (freshmen, transfers, and graduates), raising the retention rate to 85%, and achieving four-year and six-year graduation rates of 50% and 70% respectively, with an ultimate goal of reaching approximately 11,000 students by 2028. The plan also incorporates the development of new academic and support programs, and physical campus enhancements.

This document outlines the 'Our Tomorrow' campaign for the University of Northern Iowa, a $250 million fundraising initiative. The campaign aims to enrich, empower, and foster innovation, creating a vibrant campus environment. Key objectives include enhancing student access through funding and preserving the university's legacy of high-quality education, cultural events, and athletic opportunities for future generations, thereby building a strong foundation for the next 25 to 50 years.

This document outlines the vision for the Gallagher Bluedorn performing arts center, highlighting its evolution into a world-class facility that significantly enhances community quality of life. It details the center's role in providing experiential learning for students, fostering diverse artistic engagement, and delivering educational outreach through its Kaleidoscope program to 45,000 children annually. The future vision, supported by a capital campaign, focuses on enhancing the patron experience, introducing new amenities such as a marquee lounge, and ensuring the center remains vibrant and relevant for the next 30 to 35 years.