Following on the strategic plans developed by the Board of Regents and the university, the College of Engineering prepared its strategic plan during Fiscal Year 2011. Beginning with my charge, in October 2010, to the Strategic Planning Committee, the college outlined a path forward to continue to deliver superior performance, make a distinctive impact, and be known for enduring contributions in education, discovery, and extension.
The planning committee conducted informal discussions, structured meetings, and open forums with faculty, staff, and students; departmental advisory boards; and colleagues in other colleges and in research centers. A subcommittee of the college’s Industrial Advisory Committee provided valuable advice on the best planning practices of corporations and challenged our thinking. The Dean’s Budget and Planning Advisory Committee, the engineering caucus of the Faculty Senate, the college’s Senior Leadership team, and the Dean’s Cabinet were used as sounding boards to develop the plan.
The committee was also charged to think in terms of customers, markets, and products, and focus on the engineering college’s comparative advantage and differentiation relative to peer and aspirant programs. I directed the committee to develop a plan that centered on the student learning experience; was true to the land-grant values of education, discovery, and extension; and had goals and performance indicators aligned with those of the university.
Drafts of the strategic plan were broadly shared for comment, discussion, and revision. Using the college’s website and wiki technology, every faculty member, staff member, and engineering student had access to the plan and the ability to directly edit, wordsmith, and shape the document. The strategic plan wiki was an exciting example of using new technology to promote communication and bring ideas together.
In the midst of the Civil War, a senator from Vermont named Justin Morrill authored legislation that created the land-grant institutions of higher learning. Under the signature of Abraham Lincoln, the Morrill Act authorized the donation of public land to the states to provide for higher education. The land was to be sold, and the money was to be put in an endowment that would support the colleges in each of the states. The Act charged these new colleges with three missions: to educate students, to expand human knowledge through discovery, and to engage others beyond the borders of the campus. Iowa was the first state in the union to adopt the provisions of the Act, and today, we aspire to be the premier engineering program among public universities known for a balanced commitment to the values of education, research, and engagement. As a 21st century engineering college, we will have a hybrid public-private business model, and be a destination of choice for students, faculty, and staff who want to make a difference. Our new strategic plan charts that course forward.
Jonathan Wickert
Dean of Engineering
