• Strategic Plan Initiatives
• Strategic Plan Refreshment
• Task Force 1: Student-Centered Excellence
• Task Force 2: Institutional Architecture
• Task Force 3: Financial Stability
• Task Force 4: Communications
• Office of the President

Refreshment Task Force Two: Institutional Architecture

RESPONSIBILITIES

Institutional Architecture: Propose a recombination of components of current structure and new structure to realize the UIU vision.

TASK FORCE 2
Report of May 8. 2012

• Assumptions
  • Higher Ed is in a state of uncertainty and flux that is not likely to be resolved for years to come.
  • The Higher Ed situation is just a subset of current global change in economies, societies, cultures, politics, and all other aspects of human endeavor.
  • Financial funding sources for Higher Ed are changing, and in some cases disappearing; the future may hold entirely different financial equations for Higher Ed.
  • The Higher Ed industry cannot sustain the levels of tuition increases seen in recent history.
  • Government interest/intervention in Higher Ed will continue – perhaps intensify – in the foreseeable future.
  • There is likely to be more privatization of Higher Ed in coming years.
  • Collaboration between Higher Ed and business/industry globally will grow.
  • Higher Ed delivery systems will change and evolve to meet the needs of future students, even though those needs may be unknown currently.
  • It is important as UIU considers change to never lose sight of the core values and core competencies that have been built over 155 years. The focus should be on building on existing strengths; even the most aggressive changes can be made to "fit" synergistically with strengths that already exist.
  • UIU structure must become flexible, adaptive, and fluid – perhaps less "tangible/physical" – and be capable of absorbing new structural components unknown or unimagined at this time.
• Vision (of TF2):
  • A flexible architecture/structure that provides a collaborative environment which accommodates and supports all learning experiences present and future.
• Mission (of TF2):
  • Propose a recombination of components of current structure and new structure to realize the vision.
• Transformative Idea 1
  • Adapt UIU structure to include transforming all divisions to Schools.
  • This is already underway – with the Andres School of Education – but must be completed as soon as practicable for the other divisions.
  • Will provide much needed, improved oversight of academic programs.
  • Connecting all faculty, full-time and adjunct, in all learning experiences, to the "home" academic school can better be achieved.
  • Deans within the Schools will assure UIU greater connection between academic units and areas such as fund-raising, as well as allow for better coordination of academic programs at the Deans Council level.
  • Each school – with a Dean – will have more of a strategic view for the majors and programs in the school.
• Transformative Idea 2
  • Create within the UIU structure a physical/virtual entity for support of all teaching, research and learning.
  • This would centralize – while allowing for necessary variations on themes for specific learning experiences – a wide array of support services and initiatives, including but not limited to academic support services, retention initiatives, career services, tutoring, support of service learning, support of faculty-led undergraduate research, instructional support, and virtually anything that would fit into one of four themes:
    1)Academic 2)Co-curricular 3)Technological 4)Career
  • This could be a place to integrate the concept Task Force 2 has discussed as to environmental scanning and internal adoption of instructional technologies used in high schools and elsewhere that can enhance seamless enrollment of high-performing students into all of UIU's learning experiences. Could also be a mechanism for realizing academic and curricular recommendations from Task Force 1.
  • Such a structural entity could also be the framework to coordinate initiatives that would serve all academic schools, such as the "university college" or a "global studies' major, and enhance activities associated with a variety of the UIU Strategic Initiatives.
• Transformative Idea 3
  • Establish an "academic incubator" capability in the UIU structure.
  • This would be akin to a research and development enterprise in a profit sector firm designed to develop new products.
  • The function of the academic incubator would be to identify potential new programs and evaluate them as to feasibility for UIU implementation.
  • This enterprise would coordinate and integrate information learned about potential new programs with all constituents of UIU - academic Schools, the Development Office, IEC, Communications and Marketing, Academic Extension, International Programs, OSD, Career Development, and on and on.
  • Dependent upon further discussion, this idea could be adapted to a "seed money" concept for initial funding of new programs.

•